Patrons May Petition for WVEC Board of Directors

Patrons May Petition for
WVEC Board of Directors
Patrons of the Whetstone Valley Electric Cooperative (WVEC) may take out nominating petitions and file for the upcoming election in which three board positions will have open seats. The election will be conducted during the 83rd annual meeting of the organization on Thursday, March 27, at 6:30 p.m. at the Milbank High School theatre.
The board seats that will be up for election are those held by Joel Adler, representing District 7, including Grant Center and Alban Townships; Krista Atyeo-Gortmaker, District 8, Stockholm, Madison and Vernon Townships, and Paul Nelson, District 9, Adams, Waverly, Troy, Antelope Valley and Georgia Townships. All are three-year terms. It is not yet known if the incumbants will seek reelection.
Director nominations are by petition only. Petition forms are available at WVEC headquarters at 1101 E. 4th Ave. in Milbank.
A candidate must be a bona fide resident of the district and return a petition with at least six signatures from current members of the same district to the WVEC office by February 14.
Because of publication deadlines, to have a candidate profile published in the March issue of Cooperative Connections, petitions should be submitted before January 31.
The process for becoming a director for WVEC is contained in the cooperative bylaws Article IV. Each candidate for a director position should carefully read the bylaws and understand the procedures. The bylaws can be found on the website, whetstone.coop or by contacting the office.
The WVEC board serves on behalf of the membership to provide oversight and strategic governance, while day-to-day operations are led by the cooperative general manager. The board is responsible for sending representatives to the associations of which the cooperative is a member.
Directors are expected to attend education seminars and may be asked to serve on other associated cooperative boards. Directors may be asked to lobby and remain informed on pertinent legislative issues. Reading and studying is necessary to keep informed of current issues and how they may affect the co-op. It is the responsibility of the board to evaluate and develop long-term strategic plans to assure the financial and operational stability of the cooperative. Directors should expect to commit about 30 days per year for cooperative related activities.
In addition to the rewards of being a director, there are some important responsibilities. A director must be prepared to abide by and uphold the bylaws of the cooperative, open to new ideas and have a desire to learn, be able to understand and engage members as their expectations change and be adept at analyzing complex options to make sound decisions.
Those interested in learning more about what it means to be director, should contact a board member or Dave Page, general manager at WVEC.