Members of Wheatland Electric Cooperative, Inc., will receive ballots by mail later this month to vote for trustees for the first time in cooperative history.
Ballots will be mailed March 29 and must be returned by mail by April 19, which is at least five days prior to this year’s annual meeting on April 24, 2024, as established by cooperative bylaws.
Co-op members are encouraged to complete and return their ballots in a timely fashion through postal mail via postage-paid business reply envelopes which will be included in the ballot mailing. Ballots will not be accepted at Wheatland Electric offices.
Members (all Wheatland Electric account holders) are encouraged to vote for one trustee per district and can vote for any trustee candidate in any district location. Board seats in the following districts are up for election this year:
· District 3 (Greeley County in Kansas; Kiowa and Cheyenne counties in Colorado)
· District 6 (Great Bend, Kansas)
· District 7 (Harper, Kingman, Sumner, and Sedgwick counties in Kansas)
The following candidates have been nominated by the nominating committee for the position of trustee: John Niehues – District 3 (612 Haskell St., Tribune, KS); Kevin White – District 3 (1682 Road Q, Tribune, KS); John Sullivan – District 6 (5906 16th Street Ter., Great Bend, KS); and Mark Arnold – District 7 (203 S. Market St., Caldwell, KS).
The 2024 nominating committee consists of the following cooperative members: District 1, Ed Cupp; District 2, Milan D. Reimer; District 3, Dale Wetzel; District 4, Pat Riley; District 5, Jason Dougherty; District 6, Lane Moore; and District 7, Troy Dierking.
Results of this year’s trustee election will be announced at the 2024 Annual Meeting in Great Bend, which will be held at the Great Bend Events Center, 3111 10th St., on April 24, 2024. The meeting will be simulcast in real-time at seven other remote meeting locations, which include the following:
· District 1, Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center, 212 E. Fifth St., Scott City, Kan.
· District 2, Wheatland Electric Warehouse, 103 West F, Leoti, Kan.
· District 3, Wheatland Electric Warehouse, 310 Broadway Ave., Tribune, Kan.
· District 4, VFW Building, 609 N. Main Street, Syracuse, Kan.
· District 5, Wheatland Electric Office, 2005 W. Fulton, Garden City, Kan.
· District 7, Westview Lodge & Apartments, 1300 N. Westview, Harper, Kan.
· District 7, Caldwell Community Building, 119 E. First Street, Caldwell, Kan.
Co-op members (account holders) are invited to attend any meeting location to LEARN co-op news and updates, VOICE any concerns, CONNECT with cooperative staff and trustees, and WIN door prizes, including a grand-prize giveaway: a backyard/patio party package which includes an outdoor television box, large-screen television, backyard lights, and more.
Wheatland Electric is governed by a 10-member board of trustees elected by the cooperative’s membership and who play a significant role in setting the policies, strategic direction, and making financial decisions. They also shape the co-op’s priorities and initiatives, influencing everything from rates and services to community engagement and sustainability efforts.
The cooperative’s mail-in voting is being conducted and managed by Survey and Ballot Systems, a national data solutions company based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
Members with questions about mail-in voting or this year’s annual meeting are welcome to contact their local office, send a message to [email protected], or visit www.weci.net for more information.