Dale Farrier GLE Director, Focused On Clear Paths
A
s office manager for the Antrim County Road Commission, Dale Farrier knows the importance of keeping roads clear and maintained at a reasonable cost so people can get where they need and want to go. The same holds true for his role as a director for GLE. He realizes the cooperative’s road ahead needs to be welldesigned and kept free of obstruction so the company can move forward in the best interests of its members. Dale has been a GLE member since 1984 and a GLE director for 30 years. Dale also works for a board in his “day job” with the road commission. He appreciates the advantage of being able to apply what he learned from interacting with that board to his board role at GLE. Dale holds all certifications available to GLE directors through voluntary training courses offered by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). He has served as secretary and chairman of the board during his years as a director. He also serves on GLE’s audit committee and represents his cooperative on the board of Wolverine Power Cooperative, GLE’s power supplier. He notes that time invested by directors in training and simply learning about co-ops and best practices comes back to the co-op membership in effective governance and wise choices. “This board of directors, with a lot of help from a great staff and willing membership, has built GLE into a very successful company,” Dale observes. “Our electric rates are competitive and often lower than those of the larger investor-owned electric utilities, and we return any excess revenue to our members in the form of capital credits.”
Personally Speaking Dale and wife Lisa live three miles east of the village of Kalkaska on the Boardman River. They have five children, six grandchildren, “and another on the way.” They belong to the Kalkaska Church of Christ, where Dale is involved as a member of the Board of Elders. When not working, serving as a GLE director, or spending time with grandchildren or on church-related duties, Dale enjoys gardening, hunting, and making maple syrup.
On Being A GLE Director Dale feels the cooperative principle of “Democratic Member Control” serves GLE members well. He supports
the concept of members electing representatives to their GLE board on a “one member, one vote” basis, regardless of how much or how little electricity they use. “If the membership isn’t pleased with their GLE board’s decisions or actions, they can elect different representation,” Dale notes. “We have to make decisions on multimillion-dollar projects and improvements. Making sure we spend our members’ money wisely is a top priority. Keeping the financial path clear and in good shape so that GLE can offer safe, reliable, affordable, and essential products and services—such as Truestream, our high-speed fiber internet company—is vitally important to our continued success.” Dale is running for re-election as GLE’s District 5 director (Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Manistee, Missaukee, and Wexford counties) in 2020. His main focus will continue to be keeping GLE financially sound as it travels the roads ahead.
“ Keeping the financial path clear and in good shape so that GLE can offer safe, reliable, affordable, and essential products and services is vitally important to our continued success.”
MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES 13