July 2022 | Volume 84 | Issue 7
Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative Announces Results of Annual Membership Election
Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative recently announced the results of its 2022 membership election following the co-op’s annual meeting.
PCEC is a democratically controlled, not-for-profit electric cooperative governed by nine directors elected by members to serve three-year terms. One seat per district is up for election each year.
This year, members had the option to vote electronically, by mail-in ballot or in person. An independent third party was responsible for administering the election and certifying the results.
WEST DISTRICT RESULTS
Larry Leachman was reelected in the West District (Buchanan and Platte Counties), receiving 735 votes. He was unopposed in the election. Leachman is a retired businessman.
NORTH DISTRICT RESULTS
Mark Baker was elected in the North District (DeKalb, Clinton and Caldwell counties), receiving 740 votes. He was unopposed in the election. Baker is an insurance agency owner and farmer.
SOUTH DISTRICT RESULTS
Kim Goepferich was reelected in the South District (Clay and Ray Counties), receiving 733 votes. She was unopposed in the election. Goepferich is an Administrative Assistant with the Kearney School District.
NORTH DISTRICT SPECIAL ELECTION
David Edwards was elected in a special election to fill a North District vacancy, receiving 750 votes. He was unopposed in the election. A Regional Director at a cybersecurity firm, Edwards was previously appointed by the Board to serve in the North District position following the resignation of former Director Debi Koechner.
SOUTH DISTRICT SPECIAL ELECTION
Ed Barger was elected in a special election to fill a South District vacancy, receiving 519 votes. Chris Shipley received 319 votes, coming in second place. The position became vacant following the passing of former South District Director Gary Shanks. Barger is a retired firefighter and Battalion Chief.
Reliable Energy Isn’t A Choice, It’s Essential
Dave Deihl, General Manager
From the General Manager
Our modern world runs on electricity. From the cell phone in your hand to the tools you use to cook dinner, most of the basic staples of our lives rely on electricity to be charged or utilized.
Hospitals, fire stations, schools and grocery stores all need reliable electric service to meet the most basic needs of those in the communities they serve. Without electricity, it would be impossible for them to function.
Rapid shifts toward intermittent power sources like wind and solar energy have left our national grid on the edge of collapse anytime temperatures approach record highs or record lows. We’ve become accustomed to hearing about the potential for rolling blackouts on the nightly news – just a few years ago that would have been unimaginable.
Supply chain issues that started with the pandemic have extended into much deeper problems in our manufacturing and transportation sectors. Now, supply shortages have become a threat to providing electrical service.
At Platte-Clay, we’re fortunate to have a strong business relationship with Arkansas Electric Cooperative that allows us to leverage warehouse space for extra supplies, but not every cooperative is as lucky.
Just last month, the White House was forced to invoke the Defense Production Act, an emergency measure, to speed up the manufacturing of transformers.
These issues all underscore a bigger problem in the energy industry: the reliable delivery of electricity to consumers is not treated with nearly enough urgency. Reliable energy is not a choice, but an essential part of our modern infrastructure.
When outages occur, we often think of the inconvenience of not being able to use the internet or watch TV. Those are certainly unfortunate consequences of power disruptions, but even more devastating are the impacts to food storage, water treatment plants, medical facilities and our ability to maintain liveable indoor temperatures.
Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative is committed to doing everything in our power to ensure those basic needs are met with a reliable supply of energy – as is N.W. Electric, our transmission partner. That commitment is also shared by our generation provider, Associated Electric Cooperative, which maintains a diverse and resilient power supply to keep the lights on even when the power market is strained. We’re proud to power homes and business across the Northland and we’re grateful for the trust you place in us by being members of our cooperative.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns you can reach me directly via email at GeneralManager@PCEC.coop.
Platte-Clay Moments
CEO Dave Deihl delivers remarks updating the membership on the status of the cooperative during the livestream of this year’s business meeting.
Left: The Touchstone Energy hot air balloon could be spotted in Cameron during the first annual Hot Air Affair event in June. Right: Facilities Foreman Bob Stephenson celebrates his retirement after 27 years of service to the cooperative.
Northland Students Participate in Youth Tour
Ninety-three high school students participated in Missouri’s 59th annual Missouri Electric Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., June 13-19. Jane Pemberton of Excelsior Springs High School and Nolan Pestano of Smithville High School participated on behalf of Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative.
After two years of virtual tours, the Youth Tour headed back to Washington this year. The seven-day tour provides an action-filled week for high school students, offering opportunities to learn firsthand what it is like to be involved in politics, leadership positions, community service and today’s pressing issues.
The Northland Connection is published monthly by Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc., 1000 W. 92 Highway, Kearney, MO 64060. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Northland Connection, PO Box 100, Kearney, MO 64060 or mail@pcec.coop.
Platte-Clay is an equal opportunity employer.