Manager’s Message – July 2023
Dear Co-op Members:
On May 24, Lane Electric held its annual meeting at the cooperative’s headquarters. The event followed a return to district meetings, which had been on hold throughout the pandemic. In addition to announcing the results of the election of board members and ballot measures, the 2023 scholarship recipients and member of the year were also announced at the meeting.
Members elected incumbents Susan Knudsen Obermeyer, Kathy Keable, and J. Ingrid Kessler to board positions representing the Oakridge, McKenzie, and Central districts. Members also approved a ballot measure to ensure the cooperative’s bylaws agree with our articles of incorporation.
One of my favorite parts of the meeting was announcing the recipients of Lane Electric scholarships. This year, we were pleased to award more than $21,000 in scholarships, including 2 for the Vocational Outside Line Training Academy. We also selected one high school junior to join more than 2,000 delegates and staff from electric cooperatives across the country for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Youth Tour. Held last month, participants traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet elected officials, tour Capitol Hill, visit America’s historic monuments and museums, and hear featured speakers discuss the important roles electric cooperatives play in our communities.
At our Oakridge district meeting, board president Susan Knudsen Obermeyer announced the 2023 Member of the Year, Sarah Altemus-Pope. Sarah is the director of the Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative and an active community organizer in Oakridge.
We look forward to sharing more of her story and our scholarship winners in upcoming Ruralite features.
Sincerely,
Debi Wilson
