Submitted by Orcas Power and Light Cooperative
OPALCO’S uncontested election drew 1,373 voters, a good 12% of the membership—and a quorum. Members elected Vince Dauciunas to a three-year term with 1,270 votes; and Mark Madsen to a two-year term with 1,186 votes. The staggered terms were created so that, starting in 2022, there will be candidates from multiple districts on each year’s ballot.
Howard Barbour of the OPALCO Election & Governance Committee opened the official results that were sealed and sent by overnight post from our election vendor, Survey and Ballot Systems. “We’ve re-elected two incumbent directors this year – and they have both proven themselves as excellent stewards of the Co-op,” said Barbour. “However, the EGC is looking for new people interested in serving on the board and it’s not too soon to let us know if you’re interested in running in 2021 for the Orcas District.”
The EGC is a voluntary member committee that is charged with cultivating and selecting qualified candidates for OPALCO’s Board of Directors—and, on occasion, reviewing co-op governance issues. The EGC works throughout the year to identify potential board candidates and is most active from November through January when nominations are open. The EGC needs a few good new members! If you are interested, please contact Kelly Koral at kkoral@opalco.com.
OPALCO thanks all who voted in the election. Cooperatives are representational democracies and member voting is critical. To recognize voters, OPALCO drew 20 names from all 2020 voters and the following co-op members will receive a $50 bill credit: Tim Judkins, Margaret Kaplan, Jorg Reinholt, Joann Otto, Lawnie S. Bailey, Michael A. Clark, Douglas W. Davidson, Morley Drive HOA, Valerie Turner, Tod G. Collins, Coleen O’Brien, Dorothy Plaister, Stephen B. Combellick, Stewart Andrew, Teri Linneman, Andrew L. Vandenberg, Duane Bordvick, Amy J. Wynn and Helen Machin-Smith.
The annual meeting was canceled due to the pandemic, but the OPALCO Board will meet remotely on Thursday, April 23rd to conduct the annual member business meeting and elect officers. Members can participate in the first part of the meeting via Facebook Live (no Facebook account required – just say no when asked to create an account). The meeting begins at 8:30 am @OrcasPower.
Orcas Power & Light Cooperative is our member-owned cooperative electric utility, serving more than 11,400 members on 20 islands in San Juan County. OPALCO provides electricity that is 97% greenhouse-gas free and is generated predominantly by hydroelectric plants. OPALCO was founded in 1937. Follow OPALCO @OrcasPower on Facebook and Twitter.
