Part of being a democratically governed electric cooperative involves gathering annually and establishing the structure of the board of directors for the upcoming year.

During these annual meetings, cooperatives elect the directors — new and old — to their seats on the board and hold elections for board officers.

At the Great River Energy annual meeting on April 6, Great River Energy’s member-owners elected 24 individuals to serve a one-year term on the Great River Energy board of directors.

During the board of directors’ reorganization meeting following the annual meeting, Bob Bruckbauer (Lake Country Power, Cohasset) was re-elected board chair; Dale Anderson (Kandiyohi Power Cooperative, Spicer) was re-elected board vice chair; Audrey Hjelle (Runestone Electric Association, Alexandria) was re-elected secretary, and Lee York (Nobles Cooperative Electric, Worthington) was re-elected treasurer. 

Craig Olson of Lake Country Power was also elected to serve a one-year term on the GRE board.

“Electric cooperatives serve members 24 hours a day, seven days a week — and the directors make consequential decisions that affect the membership throughout the year,” Bruckbauer said. “What makes cooperatives special is they are governed by their member-owners, who truly want to make the best decisions for their friends and neighbors.”

Each Great River Energy director is a member of the board of directors of one of Great River Energy’s Class A member-owner cooperatives.

“Cooperatives are designed to represent the values and expectations of their membership,” said Great River Energy President and Chief Executive Officer David Saggau. “The election of the Great River Energy board by our member-owner cooperatives and the board’s oversight of Great River Energy ensure that our member-owners have all have a voice in the decisions that guide our company.”