Great River Energy leadership traveled north and south to share information, discuss strategies with hundreds of member-owners
Great River Energy is owned by 26 member-owner cooperatives. Each one of them is governed by a local board of directors that is elected from and by the membership.
Hundreds of those leaders of Minnesota’s electric cooperatives gathered in Mankato and St. Cloud earlier this month for annual regional meetings, which feature business updates and strategy discussions about Great River Energy.
“This entire membership benefits when we gather to discuss challenges, share information and spend time getting to know each other better,” said Great River Energy Board Chair Bob Bruckbauer, who opened both events. “That is precisely why we host regional meetings. They provide a forum to hear member feedback and answer questions.”
Leadership from every Great River Energy division presented reports on the cooperative’s 2024 performance as well as forward-looking strategies.
What sets regional meetings apart from other company events is the dialogue between member-owners and Great River Energy, as all attendees gather for social events and educational opportunities.
“Regional meetings have become our premier event for engaging with the people who operate and govern our member-owners,” said Great River Energy Chief of Staff Louy Theeuwen.” The conversations we have and relationships we build help us learn what matters to members and demonstrate member focus.”
A cooperative principle in action
Included among the seven principles that guide cooperatives like Great River Energy is a commitment to “education, training and information.”
Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives.
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