About Us
91 Years of Building Something Worth Belonging To
Cooperative of North Carolina. What began as a voice for agricultural cooperatives
has grown into the region's premier cross-sector cooperative trade association,
uniting credit unions, electric co-ops, farm credits, food co-ops, worker-owned
businesses, communications cooperatives, housing co-ops, and more within one
impactful ecosystem.
We exist at the intersection of every cooperative sector in North and South Carolina
and that intersection is where the real power of the cooperative model comes alive.
When cooperatives learn from each other, advocate alongside each other, and grow
because of each other, entire communities are better for it.
Our Purpose
Cooperatives across the Carolinas share a conviction that people are better served
when they own what they build, lead what they join, and benefit from what they
create. CCC exists because that conviction is stronger when it's organized, amplified,
and passed forward.
Our Mission
CCC unites cooperatives across every sector to strengthen the cooperative ecosystem
from the inside out. Grounded in Principle 6, we cultivate cross-sector relationships,
develop future cooperative leaders, and equip our members with the knowledge,
networks, and visibility they need to grow.
Our Vision
A Carolinas where cooperatives across agriculture, energy, finance, food, housing,
communications, and community operate not as isolated industries, but as a unified,
people-centered movement. One that shares resources, lifts each other's capacity, and
proves, that an economy built on shared ownership and democratic participation isn't
an aspiration, together. It's already here.
Our Value Statement
CCC is the only cross-sector home for cooperatives across the Carolinas. From
agriculture to energy to finance and beyond, every sector of the movement belongs
here. We equip cooperatives with the knowledge, connections, and visibility they need
to grow, and develop the leaders who will carry this movement forward. No
cooperative has to grow alone.
A Note From Our Executive Director
Aisha Everett, CUDE
There is something remarkable about stepping into a room full of people who already believe what you believe.
That is exactly how I feel as I begin my journey as Executive Director of the Cooperative Council of the Carolinas.
It is a genuine honor to serve this organization. One built on 91 years of dedication to the cooperative movement and the communities it sustains across the Carolinas. I do not take that legacy lightly, and I am energized by everything that lies ahead.
What drew me to this work is the same thing that makes cooperatives so enduring: the understanding that we are stronger together. The Sixth Cooperative Principle, Cooperation Among Cooperatives, is not just a guiding value for me, it is a way of life. It reminds us that cooperatives do not compete with one another; we are meant to build each other up. When an electric cooperative in rural North Carolina thrives, when a credit union in South Carolina opens doors for a family, when a food cooperative puts fresh produce in a neighborhood that needs it - every one of us benefits. That is the power of this movement, and that is the power of CCC.
“Cooperatives do not compete with one another; we are meant to build each other up.”
To the cooperatives across the Carolinas who have championed this organization through your membership, your leadership, your volunteers, and your trust: thank you. Your continued investment in CCC is an investment in every cooperative that comes after you, and in the young leaders we are growing through programs like Cooperative Leadership Camp.
My commitment to you is simple: I will listen first, lead with purpose, and work every day to make CCC a resource you are proud to be part of. We have an incredible foundation. Now it is time to build.
I look forward to connecting with each of you, across industries, across both states, and across every corner of this beautiful cooperative ecosystem we share. Please reach out, come to an event, and bring someone new into the fold.
Together, we go further.