to grow and eat up market share, which is already 70-80% in some product categories... They have in the past and present, undertaken decisions and policies that will aggressively protect their own interests. “Lead pipe” capitalism is alive and well at MEC." The petition succeeded. Rebranding In 2012, when MEC had 15 stores, its marketing name was changed from Mountain Equipment Co-op to just MEC, to reflect the changed focus of the organization. On 18 June 2013, Mountain Equipment rebranded their logo, replacing the twin mountain peaks with a green square containing the text "MEC" in bold. In 2013 the "earnings before patronage return and income taxes" was $10 million, and in 2014 was $8 million, on sales that year of $336 million; cost of sales was $226 million and cost of administration was $105 million. Board governance changes Over the four-year period to 2011–2015, the board of directors made it increasingly difficult for members lacking specific educational and experience qualifications to run for board membership. Former board chairman Anders Ourom, who had been a member of the MEC board for nine years, was even disqualified for election in 2012, as unqualified. Former board chairman Chris McNeil, who had served on the board for 20 years, said, "if there are too many people with sophisticated backgrounds, they will have a mindset or bias there because of the type of person you're asking for." MEC co-founder Jim Byers, observed, "they've become captured by the very retail structures that we fought against." Governance consultant Mark Latham said, "I don't think members' interests are well protected by the governance as it is now." By this time the board was able disqualify board candidates and disregard member resolutions it disliked. In 2013, "the board required that director candidates have board or senior management experience 'in a complex organization'. For the 2016 election, the board requires directors to have that experience 'in an organization of comparable complexity to MEC'." MEC CEO David Labistour said that pre-selection of board candidates "offers [the] membership an informed election" that is both transparent and "in line with the health of the organization." Concurrently, the board was given a hefty pay raise. In 2015, the chair made more than $58,000, as compared to 2011 when he was compensated $30,500. Democratic remedies available to MEC members were curtailed during the same period. In 2013, "the board increased the number of signatures