Rather than ask our 14-county service area to travel to Braham, we held our 86th annual meeting on Thursday, April 21 via live broadcast for online viewers as well as those gathered at Milaca High School, Hinckley-Finlayson High School, and ECE’s Superior Operations Center.
With “Adjusting Our Sails” as the theme, the executive report highlighted how 2021 required an all-hands-on-deck approach. President/CEO Justin Jahnz commented that the year “tested our adaptability, resilience, and leadership.” He thanked retiring District 1 director Diane Zimmerman for her 23 years of service, and recognized North Star Family Advocacy Center as ECE’s winner of the 2021 Touchstone Energy® Community Award.
Executive Assistant Wendy Leibel described the cooperative’s new direction thanks to an updated strategic plan, which charts a new course for the co-op. “No individual is an island,” she stressed. “Steering the cooperative in the right direction requires dedicated efforts from every employee and director.” Focus areas include an approach that enhances our collaborative culture while improving the quality of our members’ lives.
VP/COO Andy Olson shared the exciting news that 2021 was our best year on record in terms of average member interruption. He underscored our commitment to safety, explaining, “Safety begins before the storm arrives. We work hard to maintain our infrastructure, train employees, and embrace safety as a way of life.” This includes pole testing, creative solutions during outages, and effective vegetation management measures.
“We made waves with innovative projects,” mentioned VP/CIO Ty Houglum during his report. He shared our work regarding the Grand Casino Hinckley Solar Array, the board’s consideration of broadband, and the sale of Coal Creek Station. Other activities included a new website, $518,000 in residential rebates, and our participation in a new national electric vehicle charging network.
Closing out the executive report was VP/CFO Lisa Prachar, who shared the co-op’s expanded focus on community engagement as well as our year-end financials. Lisa noted, “Staying aboveboard is important when it comes to the financial integrity of your cooperative. Because we exist to serve you, we take our financial obligations very seriously.”
This year, in voting Districts 1 and 3, only one candidate was nominated by petition for the available seat on the board of directors. Voting by ballot was not necessary. Shelly Nault will serve the four-year term in District 1. Wayne Eller will serve the four-year term in District 3. Members from District 6 elected Ron Volker to represent them for the next four years. All candidates and election results were confirmed by the ECE Credentials and Election committee and ECE’s legal counsel.
2021 Annual Report
Please contact us at 1-800-254-7944 if you would like an annual report mailed to you.
The board met to elect officers for the coming year. Elected to their positions were Chair Linda Laitala, Vice Chair Jerry Tvedt, Secretary-Treasurer Joe Morley, and Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Greg Kvasnicka. Joe Morley and Lonnie Johnson represent ECE on the Great River Energy Board of Directors. Jerry Tvedt represents ECE on the Minnesota Rural Electric Association Board of Directors.