Plan To Attend Your Annual Meeting

Mylo Einarson, President & CEO

Most of us lead busy lives. We find ourselves multitasking, constantly checking phones and emails to keep up with the demands of modern life. Thanks to technology, we can accomplish tasks electronically and remotely to be more efficient. With such busy lifestyles, we tend to protect our “spare time,” so in-person meetings and gatherings are weighed carefully as we decide whether our time and effort to attend is beneficial. In other words, “what’s in it for me?” You may think attending your cooperative annual meeting would be easy to lump into the “no benefit to me” category; however, I ask you to think again.

Nodak Electric exists to provide safe, reliable and affordable energy to you, our member-owners. We also exist to enrich the lives of our members and serve the long-term interests of our local communities. This is where you can help.

As a member of the community we serve, you have a perspective that is valuable, and we invite you to share it with the co-op. At our annual meeting, co-op leaders discuss priorities and challenges, and discuss the financial health and priorities for the coming year. The annual meeting is also the time to vote for board members who will represent you, the members of the cooperative. Each year, three of our nine directors are elected for three year staggered terms. Although you may vote prior to the meeting by mail, the annual meeting is your chance to hear the candidates before you make your choice.

The annual meeting gives you the chance to be part of the business meeting once a year and see your directors in action. It also gives the membership the opportunity to ask questions of the board and management. You may feel that you have nothing to add to the discussion, so there’s no need to attend the meeting. However, every energy bill you pay to the cooperative helps ensure better service and reliability for everyone. Your dollars are reinvested locally into improvements that impact the reliability and affordability of your energy, and Nodak wants to hear from you to better inform our decisions as we plan for the future.

While your cooperative provides convenient electronic options for bill paying and communication, there are times when there is no substitute for in-person engagement. When members of our community come together for a common purpose, we improve the quality of life for all of us.

If you’ve never attended our annual meeting, or if it has been a while, please stop by. Our cooperative family looks forward to visiting with you! We will have food, fun and door prizes, so mark your calendar for the annual meeting on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks.