NCBA - National Cooperative Business Association

09/17/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/17/2024 10:40

Cooperative Hall of Fame inductee spotlight – Vernon Oakes

Vernon Oakes, Host, Everything Co-op

  • Mathematician and EducatorBorn in 1947, Vernon Oakes grew up in Bluefield, West Virginia where he experienced the kind of racism and discrimination that might discourage a less determined person. As he watched his mother complete her undergraduate degree while raising seven children, he resolved to persevere as well. A speech impediment and likely dyslexia made reading and writing a daily struggle for him, but mathematics made sense, so he followed the numbers to success. He obtained a bachelor's degree in mathematics at Bluefield State College, a master's degree in mathematics at Penn State, and an MBA from Stanford University. Later, he found that math integrated with marketing and business perfectly. It was a lesson he shared with students at Howard University.
  • Passionate Convert to Co-opsVernon first learned about cooperatives well into his career as a businessman and educator. In 1993, he opened a property management company in Washington, DC. Some of the first properties he managed were housing cooperatives. As he became acquainted with the idea of cooperative ownership, he grew to admire the business acumen and decision-making process of the mostly Black women who ran them. The experience transformed his view of business and money-making.
  • Co-op Broadcaster and EducatorAs president of the National Association of Housing Cooperatives' Board of Directors, Vernon became a respected spokesperson for housing cooperatives and a passionate advocate for the cooperative movement. With support from the National Cooperative Bank and his friend Chuck Snyder, Vernon launched a weekly broadcast called Everything Co-op. In every episode, Vernon and his guests explore the power of cooperatives as a force for good. Last year Everything Co-op celebrated 10 years and 365 episodes. This year, Vernon will interview his 400th guest.

Attend the induction dinner and ceremony as a sponsor

Vernon Oakes is among five outstanding cooperative leaders who will receive the cooperative community's most prestigious honor on October 3, 2024, when they are inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame at the Hamilton Hotel in Washington, DC.

Vernon Oakes

Host, Everything Co-op

Guided by the belief that the power of self-help and community can overcome adversity and provide positive outcomes for society, Vernon Oakes has utilized his radio show Everything Co-opto elevate the voices of cooperative leaders who organize, maintain, support and grow cooperatives. In October 2023, Everything Co-opcelebrated 10 years on air and has over 365 episodes with themes ranging from cooperative development to advocacy all with the goal of sharing the power of cooperatives through education. 

Vernon received an MBA from Stanford University, a master's degree in Mathematics from Penn State and a bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Chemistry from Bluefield State College. He was the first Chair of the Afro-American Studies Department at San Diego State University and coordinated the MBA program at Howard University in Washington, DC. He has ten years of teaching experience at the college level and two years' experience training adults for the U.S. Department of Interior.

Earlier in his career, Vernon spent a decade working for a Fortune 500 Company, first as the president's assistant and then four years as Director of International Parts Marketing, traveling the world performing marketing studies. During the latter five years, Vernon ran a distributorship for the company in Puerto Rico.

In 1994, Vernon launched a property management company in Washington, DC. Among his first contracts was a limited equity housing cooperative comprised of mostly African American women. Inspired by the members' ability to make sound decisions rooted in integrity and engage in fruitful deliberation, he began to study the cooperative business model. Soon after, he became involved with the Potomac Association of Housing Cooperativesand the National Association of Housing Cooperatives, eventually becoming its President.

Through cooperatives, Vernon found a world of people dedicated to democratizing humanity and intent on making societal changes for the betterment of communities, particularly communities of color. Under that premise, Vernon sought support from the National Cooperative Bank(NCB)to sustain his drive and passion for a vibrant educational program that gives voice to cooperatives. NCB has been the primary sponsor of Everything Co-opsince 2014.

After retiring from his property management company in 2019, Vernon became a member-owner of Columinate, a national consulting and management services cooperative, and actively participates on the development team of one of Columinate's new business units, Common Good Management Services. Common Good is focused on providing property management services for community-owned and governed affordable housing initiatives, including resident-owned manufactured home communities and community land trusts to support permanent affordability initiatives. Firm in his belief that cooperatives can solve community problems and lift people out of poverty with dignity, Vernon continues his mission to educate about cooperatives through Common Good and Everything Co-op.