On Saturday, June 14, Crow Wing Power held its Annual Meeting at the Brainerd Curling Club, bringing together cooperative members to celebrate another year of progress, participate in elections, and learn about important programs and initiatives that support our communities.
The event kicked off with a complimentary meal for members, followed by a variety of educational displays. One highlight was a booth focused on Crow Wing Power’s Right-of-Way program, including a new energy-saving tree initiative developed in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation. Members learned how thoughtful tree planting can contribute to long-term energy efficiency and improve the safety and reliability of electric service by minimizing interference with power lines.
During the business portion of the meeting, Board President Mark Ronnei provided an update on cooperative governance, and members had the opportunity to meet and hear from new CEO Tim Thompson, who shared his vision for the cooperative’s future and commitment to member-driven leadership.
A major part of the meeting included the results of this year’s director elections, with 4,500 total ballots cast—representing 11.18% of our membership. Here are the results:
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District 1B: Incumbent Giles Radtke re-elected with 3,067 votes; challenger Byron Bacon received 1,374 votes.
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District At-Large: Director Mark Ronnei re-elected unopposed with 4,014 votes.
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District 3A: Incumbent Paul Koering re-elected with 2,545 votes, defeating Sherry Habighorst with 1,913 votes.
Members also voted to approve restated Bylaws, which passed with 3,646 votes in favor and 608 against. These updates included:
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Reducing the threshold of members required to call a special meeting from a higher number down to 5% of the membership.
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Requiring incumbent directors to complete a Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) certification or similar training through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in order to qualify for re-election. This new requirement ensures that board members remain educated and up-to-date in their duties, though it does not apply to first-time candidates.
New this year was the option to livestream the Annual Meeting, giving members another way to stay informed and engaged. Members could access the livestream by logging into their online account.
At Crow Wing Power, we are proud to be guided by the seven cooperative principles, including democratic member control, education, and transparency. We thank every member who participated—either in person or virtually—and look forward to serving you in the year ahead.