HANOVER — The Hanover Co-op board and interim General Manager Paul Guidone on Friday ended a three-week impasse over terms of employment and averted his resignation, which was to take effect on Sept. 25.
The Co-op announced on Friday that Guidone — who took over as interim general manager on March 8 just as the coronavirus pandemic was shutting non-essential businesses — will instead stay on the job as general manager, and no longer in the interim capacity.
The agreement healed a rupture that would have destabilized one of the Upper Valley’s deepest-rooted businesses at a time when customers are depending upon it the most.
Striking a tone of conciliation, Jessica Saturley-Hall, acting board president, said the directors were “very pleased” that Guidone was staying on, given his leadership during the pandemic.
“The grocery business also faced a number of new and novel challenges. Paul has successfully navigated us through the obstacles our organization has faced so far, and we believe he is the right person to manage the business going forward,” she said in a statement.
Saying he was “very proud” of how the Co-op’s has navigated the pandemic, Guidone in a statement described the past six months as “a very satisfying and humbling experience.”
“I look forward to continuing to help the organization confront and overcome the challenges posed by a pandemic-affected world,” he said.
For a full report on the Co-op, see the Sunday Valley News.
