What Happens at a Cooperative Annual Meeting?
Democratic member control is at the core of how electric cooperatives conduct business.
In this episode of the “Inside the Grid” podcast, co-op leaders from Southeastern Electric Cooperative and Sioux Valley Energy discuss the importance of cooperative annual meetings and other member outreach events hosted by the two cooperatives.
Listen in below:
The annual meeting of an electric cooperative is an essential part of the cooperative business model. However, each cooperative and every annual meeting is unique. Both cooperatives held their annual meetings in June.
“Our annual meetings are an overview of the business that happened over the year and gives members the chance to ask any questions they may have and to interact,” said Dan Leuthold, president of the Sioux Valley Energy board of directors.
Southeastern Electric Cooperative held its 87th annual meeting June 5 in Freeman with more than 650 members attending. Three directors were up for election for three-year terms. Robert Wollmann of District 2, John Ostraat of District 5 and Steve Holmberg of District 8 were re-elected to the board.
More than 1,100 people attended Sioux Valley Energy’s annual meeting, which was held simultaneously June 10 at Hartford, Volga and Luverne, Minnesota. Elections for directors are held at district meetings during the late winter/early spring months.
“Attending the annual meeting is a great way for our members to meet the employees and board members of Southeastern Electric,” said Steve Holmberg, president of the board of directors. “As president, my goals are to continue to implement our strategic plan, focusing on talent management, so we can continue to provide excellent member service, manage power supply to keep rates affordable and increase the ways we communicate and engage with our members.”
“The annual meeting is a wonderful opportunity for our members to meet us in person and share their thoughts and concerns with us,” said Erica Fitzhugh, Southeastern Electric’s communications and public relations manager. “Member appreciation events in the fall are another place members can share their thoughts.”
“Democratic member control – that’s the cooperative difference,” said Carrie Vugteveen, vice president of public relations at Sioux Valley Energy. “That’s what makes co-ops so special – that members get a chance to be a part of that process, and it’s an important process. Their engagement, that’s what co-ops are all about: the members.”
Sioux Valley Energy serves almost 30,000 members in the South Dakota counties of Minnehaha, Lake, Moody and Brookings and part of Kingsbury and the Minnesota counties of Rock and Pipestone.
Southeastern Electric Cooperative serves more than 24,000 members in the South Dakota counties of Hutchinson, Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha and Turner.
