Our Staff

Our staff is made up of 50 part-time and full-time employees. We are so proud that our team reflects our Durham community. We prioritize staff development, cross-training between departments, and promoting from within in order to create an upwardly mobile and educated staff across all departments.

We also strongly value customer service and hire folks whose friendliness and helpfulness will enhance the customer experience. Feel free to ask any staff member for assistance while you shop or if you have questions about the store!

Leadership Team

Matt Colley

Operations Manager & Interim GM

mattc@durham.coop – Matt came to the Co-op with extensive food service experience, including over 15 years as a kitchen manager, and has a passion for fresh and nutritious ingredients, cleanliness, and organization. Matt is looking forward to increasing our consistency, freshness, and customer service. As the operations manager, his goals are to support department managers and help increase efficiency and functionality.  Unless you knew Matt in his previous life, you might not guess that he was once a very talented tattoo artist and you can consider him a walking advertisement with over 22 tattoos! Matt is also a rockin’ drummer and misses his days drumming in a band, back in the day.

Kristin Spain

Front End Manager

kris@durham.coop – Kris joined our cashier team just before the pandemic and now serves as our Front End Manager, ensuring the front end runs smoothly and that our shoppers receive the best customer service. Kris has been a customer service expert since she was 16, working in the grocery industry as well as other retail environments. She loves that the Co-op has expanded her food knowledge and improved her cooking skills and, “helps you be healthy without even trying.” Kris spends her free time watching old movies and hanging out with her cat, named Dirty Diana (because Michael Jackson!).

Anwar Simon

Grocery Manager

anwar@durham.coop – bio coming soon

David Dellea

Produce Manager

davidd@durham.coop – bio coming soon

Josh Collier

Prepared Foods Manager 

josh@durham.coop –

With more than a decade of experience working with cheese and specialty products, Josh was the Co-op’s Specialty Coordinator for nearly six years before moving into the Prepared Foods Manager role in 2022. Since 2008 he’s been working in the cheese industry – beginning at Paxton and Whitfield in London. Fun Fact: Paxton and Whitfield holds the royal warrants to Buckingham Palace – which means that Josh has supplied cheese to the royal family! Josh became a Certified Cheese Professional with the American Cheese Society this fall, and we are so lucky to have him.

David Bernstein

Deli Coordinator

david@durham.coop –

David has worked in the food industry for about 20 years, starting out at grocery stores with a brief stint in retail, then returning to restaurant work. David loves a fast-paced, action-packed environment, staying busy by slinging sandwiches and packing out sliced meats. He enjoys having a close role in food production and working with fresh ingredients. He’s been our Deli Coordinator for several years now, and loves interacting with customers and working together with the staff to make the Co-op an even better store. Catch him at the deli for a great meal!

Tracie Little

Wellness Coordinator

tracie@durham.coop –

Tracie, our Wellness Coordinator, started her Co-op career early by volunteering at 14 with her parents at the old Durham Food Co-op when it was on Broad St. in the early 80s. Years later she started her professional career in the Natural Foods Industry at Wellspring in Raleigh. She has worked with Weaver St. Market, Earth Fare, and Chatham Marketplace Co-op in Pittsboro, NC. She has a real passion for alternative health care and organic foods. She has gone to school for massage therapy at the Carolina School Of Massage Therapy, studied with Herbalist, Teresa Boardwine in Northern Virginia, and is a Certified Nursing Assistant working with elderly people in their homes. She currently lives in the house she grew up. Stop by the Wellness section and ask her what her favorite products are!

Chris Stevens

Butcher

chris@durham.coop –

Chris joined the Co-op staff in fall of 2020, assisting in the Specialty Department and helping launch a brand new meat program. Chris has been a part of the meat cutting industry for nearly a decade, working with local butcher shops and charcuteries, both on the West Coast and now here in Durham.

Chris looks forward to developing our meat department and engaging with customers. He’s excited to expand the quality of the meat selection here at the Co-op and help bring improvements to industrialized meats.

Chris loves his cats and has a weakness for Chinese dumplings.

Watson

Wine & Beer Coordinator

watson@durham.coop – bio coming soon

Contact Watson if: you’d like to place a special order!

Elizabeth Figgie

Graphics & Media Coordinator

elizabeth@durham.coop –

Contact Elizabeth if: you have questions about ownership, including how to sign up!

Elizabeth has been a key part of our marketing team since 2017. Whether it is the vibrant signage or the bright and fun social media coverage of our products, staff, and store happenings, Elizabeth loves showing us all what the Co-op has to offer.

An artist and maker, she’s always working on a creative project or two!

Raafe Purnsley

Community Outreach Coordinator

raafe@durham.coop –

Contact Raafe if: you are interested in partnering with the Co-op or have a donation request!

Raafe loves engaging with our owners, community groups, and customers. He coordinates donations, guides tours, hosts events, and talks about all the ways we are working to make the Co-op and Durham a better place for everyone. As a former environmental science educator, informing communities of their impact and telling the stories that can lead to solutions has always been a goal of his career. “Our Co-op is not the building, but the people who use it. By welcoming many peoples into our endeavors, we ensure the shared responsibility of our mission reflects the people who deserve the successes.”