I’m still pretty new here. I made quite the drastic career change and joined the wonderful world of cooperatives back in June. Let me start by saying I genuinely love it. However, the change came with a steep learning curve.

For some reason, in my nearly 31 years on this planet, no one ever taught me about co-ops, how they work, and why. That got me thinking that if I have questions about the cooperative business model, some of you might have those same questions. Thus, “Co-op 101” was born. A way for me to periodically explore the different aspects of co-op life, and share my findings with you to provide a greater understanding of your electric co-op.

We begin with your board of directors.

Seven members serve 3-year terms as directors, all elected by you, the membership! Four are considered “at-large” directors, which means they can be elected from any territory we serve. The other three represent Grand Traverse/Kalkaska, Benzie/Manistee/Wexford, and Leelanau counties. No matter what seats are up for election, the entire membership votes on who will serve on the board.

The board has a lot of responsibility. They establish co-op policies, make big picture decisions on behalf of the membership, and are responsible for looking forward and planning for the future while maintaining the co-op’s core values.

Those directors employ a general manager for the cooperative. That person (in this case, Tony Anderson) is the vital connection between the board and the working operations of the co-op.

Once a month, our board meets with Tony and co-op department heads to discuss current projects, goals, and potential future challenges. This “meeting of the minds,” if you will, serves a very important purpose. Since the directors are members living in areas spread out across our membership, they can advocate for the specific needs of the members they represent. It also allows for open communication between co-op management and our membership.

Members are able to share their thoughts and ideas with the board via e-mail, phone, or in person during the member input session of the meeting. Meeting minutes and agendas are also available on our website, along with our bylaws, if you’re interested in taking a deeper dive into co-op policy.

Another thing—probably the most important thing to note—is that cooperatives are member-owned and member-governed. Any member who meets director qualifications can run for a seat on the board of directors. Then members get to choose who represents them by voting in the election every year, which starts on May 1 and culminates with the Annual Meeting in June.

The nominating period starts the first day of March and runs through 4 p.m. on the last business day of March. Members interested in running for a seat on the board will need to fill out the Board Candidate Interest Form found on our website. In 2022, there will be three seats up for election, two at-large seats, and the Benzie/Manistee/Wexford county seat.

Maybe serving on the board is a little much for you right now, but you still want to learn more about your co-op. We started an Emerging Leaders Program that’s designed to give members a closer look at what co-ops are all about, how we operate, and industry challenges and opportunities.

The beauty of the co-op is your involvement can be as big as serving on the board to as simple as a quick vote in the election. Our goal is to serve you the best way we can and give you a say in how we do that. To me, that’s the core value and biggest benefit of having a board of directors.