GRAND VALLEY POWER LINES
Cooperatives: Built to Serve BY TOM WALCH || CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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We seek to find new and better ways to serve our members and communities. This is one of the guiding principles recently identified and adopted by our Grand Valley Power team. Our cooperative business model is designed to help us follow through on this pledge. Our core purpose and mission is to provide safe, reliable and affordable power to our members. As a cooperative, we are motivated by more than just profits. Earnings above our annual expenses are Tom Walch invested into the cooperative and the wider community. We depend on the guidance and perspective of our members and board to help set priorities for our business and guide governance decisions. Our board of directors is comprised of members who live and work in our service area. This puts them in position to know where investments are most needed. Grand Valley Power’s board believes that the best thing that we can do for our community is to support the education of future generations of our cooperative’s members. That’s why we participate in the Washington, D.C., Youth Tour and take local high school students to the nation’s capital to meet with lawmakers, enabling students to learn firsthand how our democracy works. We provide valuable leadership lessons closer to home as well, with our sponsorship of Colorado’s Cooperative Youth Camp held every summer near Steamboat Springs. We understand the importance of education. We support local elementary and middle school students with contributions to the expansion of the John McConnell Math and Science Center. Our linemen host one of the most popular exhibits at the annual Mesa County Safety Fair. Our robust scholarship programs boost graduating high school seniors in our service territory. And our financial support of Western Colorado Community College and Colorado Mesa University help these local institutions of higher learning thrive. The support that we provide for these programs is funded by unclaimed capital credits. It’s difficult to picture a better use of this money. We are putting it to work here at home, where it can benefit all our members. Our efforts in the field of education help us with the challenging task of passing on our rural roots and values to our children and grandchildren. These efforts will help ensure that our area enjoys a bright future. The way I see it, that’s a great way to serve our members and communities.
COMMENTS TO THE CEO You are a member of a cooperative and your opinion does count. If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please let me know by writing to Ask the CEO, P.O. Box 190, Grand Junction, CO 81502, or send an email to me at twalch@gvp.org. Check out our website at gvp.org.
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Board of Directors Petitions Due June 19, 2017 There are three director seats up for election at Grand Valley Power’s annual meeting in August. Nominating petitions are available at the Grand Valley Power office, and the petitions must be signed and returned no later than close of business on June 19, 2017. A couple of reminders for those running for the board: 1. T o be eligible to become or remain a director, a person must be a Grand Valley Power member for at least twelve (12) consecutive months prior to the election and receive electric service from Grand Valley Power at the member’s primary residence. 2. A director cannot be engaged in a competing enterprise or in other businesses involving a conflict of interest. Grand Valley Power’s bylaws provide in-depth information on director qualifications, terms, elections, meetings and officers. Election procedures for the board of directors are governed by Colorado statute and the cooperative’s bylaws and election policy. These documents can be accessed on the internet, with the bylaws and election policy found on GVP’s website at gvp.org. Upon request, these documents can be picked up at GVP’s headquarters or mailed to you. As a cooperative member, each Grand Valley Power eligible account holder or spouse has the right to vote for up to three directors to be elected. Members have only one ballot per election, regardless of the number of accounts with Grand Valley Power. The Annual Meeting of Grand Valley Power and the election of directors will be held on August 3, 2017 at Colorado Mesa University.
BOARD MEETING NOTICE Grand Valley Power board meetings are open to the members, consumers and public. Regularly scheduled board meetings are held at 9 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at the headquarters building located at 845 22 Road, Grand Junction, Colorado. The monthly agenda is posted in the lobby of the headquarters building 10 days before each meeting and posted on the GVP website. If anyone desires to address the board of directors, please let us know in advance and you will be placed on the agenda.
JUNE 2017
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