Each year, the third Saturday in March is slated for Missoula Electric Cooperative’s (MEC’s) annual meeting. This year is no different when the Cooperative hosts their 87th annual meeting on Saturday, March 18. This meeting is not just important to the Cooperative’s Board of Trustees and employees, but it is also important to the Co-op’s owners, who are more commonly referred to as members.
When a consumer signs up for electric service at MEC, they become a part-owner of the Cooperative –these consumers are known as members. Because MEC is a member-owned cooperative, the members have a voice in how the Co-op operates. Whether a member runs for a seat on the democratically elected Board of Trustees, or instead, chooses to vote for a member to represent their district on the Board, each member’s voice is equally important.
Trustees are elected to three-year terms on a seven-member board, totaling one member per district. This group of elected officials sets policies and guides the Co-op’s direction during their term(s). Customarily, the election of board members takes place leading up to and during the Annual Meeting. Before the Annual Meeting, members are sent a mail-in ballot every three years to place their vote for a district representative. If preferred, members may choose to vote in person at the meeting. This year, District 5, which includes the Seeley Lake community, will vote on a new trustee to represent them.
In the days ahead, members will receive a ballot and Candidate Statements and Qualifications in the mail. If you are a member, you are encouraged to let your voice be heard and place your vote.
The Annual meeting is an important business event that celebrates the unique electric cooperative business model while providing updates to members and sharing the many ways the Co-op works to serve them. Every spring, the Co-op hosts an Annual Meeting and invites members to cast their vote for district representation, review financials and celebrate accomplishments from the year prior.
The hope is that members also leave with a better understanding of the Co-op’s programs and future plans. Additionally, it’s an opportunity for members to meet the employees and Trustees who work hard to keep their lights on.
It may sound like a business meeting, but it’s also a celebration. Members enjoy refreshments and snacks and can walk away with a prize (or two).
For those in attendance, this year’s prizes include an outdoor patio set with a fire table valued at $1250, a $450 Yeti Tundra Haul cooler, a $250 power certificate.
Members are welcome to attend the annual meeting on Saturday, March 18. Event registration will open at 9 a.m. and the meeting will begin at 11 a.m. in the University Center Ballroom at the University of Montana.
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