Members gather at 80th Annual Meeting
An overcast morning with a comfortable breeze provided the perfect setting for catching up with friends and neighbors at Northfork Electric Cooperative’s 80th Annual Membership meeting on Saturday, August 17. Members came out strong in numbers to voice their support on a bylaw amendment, also voting to retain District 1 and 2 Trustees, Bandy Silk and Larry Smith.
Registration began at 9 a.m. and Board of Trustees President, Jimmy Taylor, announced that a quorum had been met by 9:32 a.m. in order to conduct business. Fourteen percent of NFEC’s membership were present for the annual event. The invocation and pledge of allegiance were led by Charles Hickey, Vice President, followed by a welcome address from General Manager Scott Copeland.
Lisa Dailey, Director of Office and Administrative Services, introduced the 2019 Youth Tour winners, Cheyenne students, Callee Lester and Breanna Woodard. Lester spoke briefly to the members of her experience at Washington D.C. in June, and expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to attend. Woodard was not present to speak due to a scheduling conflict.
After all special guests and the Board of Trustees were introduced, Copeland announced that, during their August board meeting, the Board of Trustees had voted to designate Dailey as NFEC’s Chief Operating Officer. Dailey has been employed at NFEC since August 2012 when she was hired as office manager. In May of 2017, she was promoted to Director of Office and Administrative Services. Dailey has over 16 years of experience working in a rural electric cooperative, having previously been employed at Kiwash Electric for nine years.
To kick off official membership business, Secretary Ransom Snowden read the Notice of Meeting. Minutes from the 2018 Annual Membership Meeting were reviewed and approved and NFEC Attorney Brendon Atkinson took the podium for the election of trustees and bylaw amendment.
Western Farmers CEO, Gary Roulet, gave his annual report, and Chris Meyers, CEO of Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives gave the featured address.
Special recognition was given to Laverne Tucker from Sweetwater, for being declared the oldest member present at 96 ½ years old.
Almost 70 prizes were given away to registered members during the annual event, including the grand prize, a Kubota Z100 Kommander mower, made possible by Lindley Farm Equipment and NFEC. Sayre member Marlin Johnston was the winning name drawn for the mower. A Generac Portable Generator donated by Culver Electric was given to Justin Rosser from Elk City. Everett Fairless from Sayre claimed the 65” Samsung UHDTV. Roger Parr from Reydon was the winner of the HP laptop, donated by Ionix and Mike Carnahan from Sayre won the $500 cash prize provided by R&R Powerline Construction. Aracele Ramirez from Elk City was drawn as the winner of the Traeger Pellet Grill donated by Great Plains Bank-Sayre.
The number of members registering this year was 445 which was only a slight decrease from the 458 who registered in 2018. An additional 715 folks attended for food and fellowship. Registered members were thanked for their attendance with an NFEC cap and a heavy-duty steak knife. One hundred and fifty seven kids registered for prizes including four bikes, a drone, and a pair of beats headphones.
Those in attendance enjoyed a delicious barbecue meal from Dyer’s and western swing music by Sons of the Sage.
The annual meeting is held every year, not only to conduct necessary business, but to show the Coop’s appreciation for the members. While many times it seems that the same folks come out year after year for the annual meeting, it is interesting to note that 174 members registered this year that did not register the previous year. If you have not attended an annual meeting in the past, or if it has been a few years, why not think about joining us for the 2020 event? Look for your registration card in the mail next August!