A large crowd attended Grundy Electric Cooperative’s Annual Membership Meeting held on August 4, 2022, at Trenton High School in Trenton, Missouri. Over 240 members and guests began the evening with dinner served by Grundy County 4-H Members. Entertainment was provided by The Marks Family from Jefferson City.
Members browsed the information booths and visited with employees of Grundy Electric Cooperative and Mid-States Services, LLC. The GEC Community Foundation, Inc. booth included a display of previously funded educational grants and information on Operation Round Up. Christopher Marlow, Director of Investor Protection, Education, Vulnerable Citizen Services displayed fraud protection information. Joe Wilkerson, Senior Vice President and Chief Member Relations Officer of Associated Electric Cooperative visited with members regarding the mix of generating resources and technologies used to provide member-owners with safe, reliable electricity at the lowest cost possible.
Before the business meeting, GEC Community Foundation President Cliff Addison discussed the Foundation and encouraged members to participate in Operation Round Up. Foundation Trustee Joe Hartley presented fourth quarter grants to area schools totaling $9,576.00.
Pastor Shawn O’Brien of Honey Creek Chapel Christian Church offered the invocation. Boy Scout Troop # 97 led the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag. Corporate Development Manager Peggy Boulware acknowledged special guests.
Grundy Electric Cooperative Board President Dan Lentz presided over the business meeting. Lentz welcomed and thanked members for their attendance and participation in the Cooperative’s Annual Business Meeting. Lentz introduced Grundy’s Board of Directors. He thanked members that participated in the Triennial Members Satisfaction Survey.
Data from member responses were calculated and presented to members. Lentz also informed members that a Key Ratio Trend Analysis report showed that GEC’s reliability index last year was 99.93%. President Lentz announced that the Board of Directors approved a capital credit refund for the year 1989 and 25% of 2021 totaling $ 451,696.26. Capital credit checks will be provided to members later this year.
General Manager Scott Wilson expressed his appreciation to members for their commitment to the cooperative by attending their Annual Membership Meeting. Wilson discussed the delivery of safe, reliable, and affordable power through a diligent right-of-way plan and continued maintenance by changing poles and reconductoring efforts. He discussed renewable resources and the fact that they are often not dispatchable when needed, thus the need to keep coal and natural gas units for baseload generation. Wilson also discussed nationwide supply chain issues. He informed members that Arkansas Electric was doing an excellent job managing the cooperative’s inventory by keeping material stocked and available.
Members elected two directors to each serve a 3-year term. Board incumbents Eric Woodard of rural Trenton, representing Area 1, and Joe Hartley of rural Mercer, representing Area 4 were re-elected.
During the business meeting, Peggy Boulware presided over the prize drawings which included six $200 electric bill credits.
Grundy Electric Cooperative directors held a re-organizational meeting in which the following officers were elected: Dan Lentz, President; Joe Hartley, Vice President; Marvin Harding, Secretary; Richard Moore, Treasurer, and Eric Woodard, Assistant Secretary. Other board members are Rodney Ewing, Alan Guernsey, and Adrian Cox.
