I currently serve as a 1 year term board member where I volunteer as Assistant Secretary, in addition to serving on several committees including Owner Engagement and the Mobile Markets. I meet with fellow board members several times per month while working on relevant projects for the Deep Roots community.

Outside of my board service, I own a small farm in neighboring Caswell County, where I support my community through selling plants, offering educational activities, and providing transportation services.

I have enjoyed serving and growing as an active Deep Roots board member this past year. I feel that i have developed in my capacity for working with other people in order to accomplish something great for the whole community. I love my time with Deep Roots and I hope to continue serving our neighbors and fellow owners in the coming years.

My name is Ambrose Kee, I am a 3rd-year Agricultural and Environmental Systems student at North Carolina A&T. I aim to blend the community empowerment aspect of local food systems with the cooperative economic business model to strengthen communities from within. My collegiate perspective will bring an intergenerational connection to the Deep Roots Board. The blend of student input with experienced guidance furthers Deep Roots’ strategy of achieving its role in the community. Being a current student at North Carolina A&T, I bring the thoughts of students towards healthy food options in the community.

I currently guide my peers towards sustainable practice through my roles on campus. These positions include the community garden student-lead for the Aggie Source Pantry and outreach lead for the NCAT Food Recovery Network. These positions stand as proof of my commitment to addressing food insecurity on-campus and in the greater Greensboro area. I hope to improve the connection Deep Roots Market has to North Carolina A&T to expose more people in the community to the market. The potential of North Carolina A&T having stronger collaboration with Deep Roots allows Deep Roots to further achieve its purpose in the community to increase access to healthy and locally-sourced food options. 

Through my time at NCAT, I have laid the early foundation of spreading awareness of sustainable practices to my peers. Over the past year, I have been enriched with the ideas of the cooperatives and the empowerment they give to any community and now I believe being a board member of Deep Roots Market is my next step on the progressive journey.

I'm a dedicated supporter of Deep Roots Market, frequently shopping for herbs, tinctures, and wellness products, and enjoying weekly lunches at the store. I actively engage with the store’s social media and have prior experience serving on the AAWS board in Winston and her homeowners' association in Kernersville.

As an herbalist and homesteader, I enjoy growing my own food and herbs and I currently work at Triad Health Project.

Food security and nutrition are very important to me. As a former case worker, these are areas I witnessed that are key to a healthy community.

I'm a regular shopper and supporter of Deep Roots Market. There are many inefficiencies in operation that I believe can be repaired to maximize the benefits to our membership.

With over 35 years of working for top brands like Nikon, Bentley, Porsche, to name a few, and as a local volunteer at my house of worship and nearby food distribution. I’ve stood up a Silicon Valley startup across the street from Palo Alto City Hall, including COA and converting bathrooms to all-gender and disabled accessible within Federal and California requirements.

As a stroke survivor and type 2 diabetes patient, I understand the role food plays in society and the unhealthy options being pushed on us. Through diet, exercise, and now medication, I’m winning the battles, but I see those who are not.

I want to see more whole foods (not the store) and minimally processed foods, as well as pushing for lower sodium content. I want to ensure Deep Roots Co-op not only acts locally, but uses the Voice of Ownership to lobby our suppliers.

My involvement with Deep Roots included a customer service and grocery clerk role where I would check the dates on all the food to make sure nothing was spoiled. I also completed the rest of the requirements during my role as a grocery clerk, including, but not limited to restocking, and keeping the store clean.

My broader role in the Deep Roots community is to become an example of what healthy food can bring. As a former athlete, I know there's a huge benefit in eating healthy. As many people don't have access to food that can promote well-being and health, I am able to be an anchor in the community to make sure I reach out to the most affected people in our community through love and knowledge.

I believe in community and in Greensboro, we are facing so many issues with homelessness and crime in our downtown community. Being a trustee on the board allows me to directly combat these issues by problem-solving and figuring out the answer to a lot of these questions we have, as Greensboro is currently expanding and becoming one of the fastest-growing cities in NC.

My involvement with Deep Roots Market began in 2018 as a customer and cooperative owner, driven by a commitment to organic, farm-fresh foods and holistic wellness. This connection has evolved into active leadership; for the past year, I have served as the Board Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair. In this capacity, I monitor fiscal health, review financial statements, and support strategic decision-making to ensure transparency and accountability.

Currently, I serve as Treasurer for the House of Re-Awakening Minds, where I prepare financial reports and support organizational sustainability. Additionally, as the owner of Smith Tax and Business Center, I provide accounting and financial support to individuals and small businesses.

Deep Roots Market is more than a grocery store—it is a hub for health, education, and community connection. It supports local vendors, promotes wellness, and strengthens the local economy through cooperative ownership.

I am a regular and engaged shopper at Deep Roots Market, typically visiting two or more times each week. I shop intentionally, with a focus on finding local produce and North Carolina–made products that reflect the co-op’s mission to support regional farmers, producers, and food systems.

Deep Roots has become one of my primary places to discover what is being grown and produced across our state. I enjoy seeing the seasonal changes in the produce department and the variety of products from North Carolina vendors throughout the store. Shopping here allows me to support local agriculture while bringing home high-quality, thoughtfully sourced ingredients.

Professionally, I have spent many years working in the food and beverage industry, particularly in wine sales and distribution across North Carolina. That background naturally draws me toward stores like Deep Roots that emphasize transparency, local sourcing, and curated product selection. When I shop, I often pay attention to product origins, merchandising, and how local vendors are represented in the store.

Because I shop several times a week, I experience the store regularly as a member-owner—from product selection to the overall customer experience. My involvement has primarily been through consistent patronage and support of the co-op’s mission through my purchasing choices, and I see board service as an opportunity to deepen that involvement and contribute my professional experience to the continued success of Deep Roots Market.