Northland Connection: July 2025

Protecting Our Cooperative’s Values

I want to begin by extending a heartfelt thank you to every member who took time to vote in this year’s cooperative election. We’ve wrapped up another successful election and annual business meeting, and your participation is what keeps our cooperative strong, transparent, and rooted in local values. Every vote cast is a reminder that this cooperative belongs to you and that your voice truly matters.

This year’s election also included some important proposed bylaw amendments. One, in particular, received overwhelming support from our membership and passed with 95% approval. This amendment adds new qualifications for candidates running for the board of directors. From now on, all candidates will be required to disclose any campaign contributions or support they receive from third parties.

During this year’s election, we actually saw an example of this very issue play out. Some of our members received a postcard in the mail from Renew Missouri, a lobbying organization based in Columbia, Mo. The postcard endorsed one of the candidates running for the board. While the candidate in question did not win, the situation raises important questions about outside influence in our local elections.

I want to be clear, I have no quarrel with the cause Renew Missouri represents. But what I do take issue with is the idea of any outside third-party — one that’s not part of our community — attempting to influence the governance of our cooperative. That goes against the very principles that make electric cooperatives different.

Our cooperative was founded on a set of core values, and one of the big ones is local control. We’re not like large investor-owned utilities, and we’re not subject to the interests of outside shareholders. We are member-owned and governed. Our board is made up of individuals who live and work right here in our service territory. When outside groups attempt to influence elections, they undermine that sense of local accountability.

The 95% approval of the amendment tells me that our members agree. You want to know who is supporting candidates for your board of directors. You want transparency, and you want confidence that the decisions being made at your co-op are driven by your values — not by an organization located hours away with no direct stake in our community and whose actions could potentially be harmful to the people who live here.

Campaign postcard received by a PCEC member with return address from Renew Missouri highlighted (recipient’s name and address have been removed for privacy).

Now that the amendment has passed, our board of directors is working thoughtfully to develop sound policy to formalize these new requirements by the next election cycle. Our goal is to ensure that future elections remain fair, transparent, and rooted in the cooperative principle of democratic member control. We’re committed to protecting the integrity of our elections and the trust of our membership.

What does this mean for you going forward? In next year’s election, you’ll be able to see any outside support a candidate has received, whether financial or in-kind. You’ll have better information to make informed choices, and you’ll be able to cast your vote knowing that your co-op is standing up for transparency, fairness and local governance.

As we look ahead, this change marks a new chapter in how we protect the integrity of our cooperative. By shining a light on outside influence and standing up for transparency we’re reaffirming who we are. This is your cooperative, guided by your values and grounded in your voice. I’m proud of the example we’re setting, and even more proud to work alongside a membership that’s so deeply invested in keeping our co-op strong, local and accountable.

2025 Membership Election Results Announced

Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative (PCEC) revealed the results of its 2025 membership election during the organization’s annual meeting held May 29 at its headquarters in Kearney, Mo.

As a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, PCEC is governed by a board of nine directors elected by the membership to serve three-year terms. Each year, one director seat from each of the co-op’s three districts is up for election.

Members were able to cast their votes online, by mail-in ballot, or in person. An independent third-party administrator oversaw the election process and certified the results to ensure transparency and integrity.

West District Results
Larry Leachman was re-elected in the West District (Buchanan and Platte Counties), receiving 525 votes. Janet Cosner received 197 votes and Tiffany Perdomo received 174 votes. Leachman is a retired buyer from General Motors and has served on the board of directors since 2013.

North District Results
Mark Baker was re-elected in the North District (DeKalb, Clinton and Caldwell counties), receiving 482 votes. Ray Ivy received 424 votes. Baker is an insurance agency owner and farmer and will enter his second term as a director.

South District Results
Kim Goepferich was re-elected in the South District (Clay and Ray Counties), receiving 460 votes. Other candidates included Jim Shrimpton, who received 138 votes, and Rick Yoder received 305 votes. Goepferich works in accounts payable for the Kearney School District and has served on the board since 2016.

Following the meeting, the directors voted to keep the board officers unchanged. Davis will remain the board president. Wren will remain the vice president. Larry Leachman will remain the treasurer and Kim Goepferich is the secretary.

Bylaw Amendments
All three bylaw amendments were approved by the membership.

Bylaw amendment 1 changes the bylaws to eliminate proxy voting. It was approved with 768 “yes” votes to 123 “no” votes. Bylaw amendment 2 changes the bylaws to add new director qualifications that include disclosing any campaign contributions by third-party support. Amendment 2 was approved with 857 “yes” votes to 44 “no” votes. Amendment 3 changes the bylaws to require all director candidates to submit at least 15 member signatures nominating the director by petition within 100 days prior to the annual meeting. Amendment 3 was approved with 706 “yes” votes to 161 “no” votes.

Link to annual CEO message to members: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZXWNeWnozQ

Link to PCEC 2025 annual report: https://pcec.coop/annual-report/

Your Voice Shapes Our Co-op’s Future

Kendall Davis
Board President

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s annual cooperative election. Whether you voted by mail, online, or in person, your voice helped shape the future of our cooperative. Member participation is at the heart of what makes rural electric cooperatives so unique. Your involvement is a vital expression of cooperative democracy, and we are grateful for your engagement.

Our members voted to keep the continuity of our board leadership steady, as all incumbent directors were reelected. We thank you for your confidence in these individuals who have demonstrated deep commitment and thoughtful leadership over their years of service. Stability on the board ensures we can continue moving forward with the cooperative’s long-term initiatives while remaining grounded in the values that guide us.

The board of directors plays a fundamental role in our cooperative. These individuals are not just names on a ballot, they are your neighbors, community leaders, and member-owners just like you. They work closely with our general manager and management team to provide direction and oversight, ensure financial integrity, and help set the vision for the co-op’s future. Our directors are stewards of your trust and advocates for your interests in all decisions we make.

Looking ahead, the board and management team are preparing for an important event in August. We’ll be attending our triennial strategic planning meeting. This will be a two-day workshop-style session where we bring in an experienced outside facilitator from the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) to help guide our process. These meetings are a cornerstone of our governance, where we come together to re-evaluate our current strategic goals, assess where we’ve made progress, and determine if any new priorities need to be added or existing ones adjusted.

What makes this process especially meaningful is that it is grounded in feedback from our members. We’ll be using the latest member satisfaction survey results and other input gathered throughout the year to inform the discussions. Your comments, concerns, and suggestions help us set the “marching orders” for the cooperative’s leadership team for the next few years. In this way, strategic planning is not just a top-down process, but a collective conversation involving the board, staff, and most importantly, the membership.

Why is a strategic plan so important for a cooperative like ours? Simply put, it ensures that we are working toward clearly defined goals that align with our mission and your expectations. It helps us anticipate future challenges, such as changes in energy demand, technology advancements, or staffing needs and succession planning—and make thoughtful, proactive decisions. A strong strategic plan guides our investments in infrastructure, member programs, employee development, and operational efficiencies. It allows us to stay focused on what matters most: delivering reliable, affordable and safe electric service to the communities we serve.

We look forward to sharing highlights from the strategic planning process with you later this year, including any updates to our priorities and key initiatives. In the meantime, we remain committed to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement. Your feedback is always welcome, and we encourage you to stay engaged by attending member events, reaching out with your questions, or simply staying informed through our newsletter and social media.

Thank you again for your trust, participation, and support. With your continued involvement and the steady leadership of our board and management team, I’m confident we will meet the challenges ahead and seize new opportunities to serve you even better.