Welcome Lydia Hatfield – CCE’s New Cooperative Development Intern

We are thrilled to welcome Lydia C. Hatfield (they/them) to Carolina Common Enterprise as our new Hybrid Intern for Cooperative Development. Lydia brings a wealth of experience in food justice, organizational development, and democratic workplace transformation—and we couldn’t be more excited to have them on board as we continue to grow a more equitable, community-rooted cooperative ecosystem in North Carolina.

Originally from North Carolina, Lydia will join us from Harrisonburg, Virginia, with a rich professional history spanning farming, nonprofit leadership, REDI initiatives, and communications. Most recently, they served as Co-Director for Strategic Initiatives at the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, where they helped lead and resource the organization’s transition to a sociocratic governance model, championed hiring equity, and strengthened impact reporting and systems. Lydia’s work has consistently emphasized inclusive structures, accountability to workers, and operational excellence—from supporting CSA sliding scale implementation to facilitating cross-departmental working circles.

Lydia is currently a masters student studying the management of cooperative businesses with Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada. They have a Graduate Certificate in Workplace Democracy and Community Ownership from the CUNY School of Labor & Urban Studies, which they completed while immersing themselves in Spanish language and Mexican culture studies through the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. A High Honors graduate from the University of Virginia School of Architecture, Lydia was recognized for their public service and leadership early on.

Lydia will support CCE in co-op development, fee-for-service transition strategies, and broader organizational ecosystem initiatives. From project management and training to outreach, communications, and fundraising support, they are already proving to be a dynamic presence on our team.

Please join us in giving Lydia a warm welcome as they dive into this exciting chapter with us!