Annual meeting is canceled
Dakota Electric Association® will hold its board election as usual with ballots being mailed on April 12, but the annual meeting will not be held due to COVID-19.
Members can vote online (www.dakotaelectric.com) using the electronic passcode included with the ballot, or by mailing the ballot in the postage-paid envelope to Survey and Ballot Systems. Ballots must be received by noon on April 29 to be counted. Ballots should not be dropped off or mailed to Dakota Electric Association’s office.
Following are the candidates running for four seats on the board of directors:
District 1
Jerry Pittman, Lakeville, incumbent
Kevin Grass, Burnsville
District 2
Clay Van De Bogart, Lakeville, incumbent
Michael Hanninen, Lakeville
District 3
Kenneth Danner, Apple Valley, incumbent
Jarod Griswold, Apple Valley
District 4
Judy Kimmes, Hampton, incumbent
Vijendra (VJ) Agarwal, Inver Grove Heights
Michael Cahn, Rosemount
Philip Hernick, Eagan
Paula Overby, Eagan
All directors are elected by membership vote to serve three-year terms on the 12-person board of directors. Also, on the ballot is a bylaw change that provides guidance for the removal of a director who passed away or is incapacitated.
This year, ballots will not be able to be brought to the annual meeting since the annual meeting has been canceled due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. The election results will be available on Dakota Electric’s website in the afternoon on April 29.
“As a member-owned cooperative,” Board Chair Jerry Pittman said, “we hold an annual meeting as a way to communicate with our members about the operation of the cooperative. Fortunately, our bylaws do not stipulate that a meeting must be held each year, so given the current situation, we are able to cancel the meeting and still follow our bylaws.”
The cooperative will make annual meeting reports available online through video so that members still have access to the information. Members should watch the cooperative’s website and social media channels to access the reports at the end of April.
