Governance. Does It Matter?
“We do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.”
— Thomas Jefferson
by Janie VanWinkle, GVP Board President
GRAND JUNCTION, COLO. - (July 8, 2024) The group of respected farmers and ranchers who came together 88 years ago and began the process of bringing electricity to the outer reaches of rural Mesa County believed, with all their might, they had the power to change the world. They knew their urban counterparts were seeing the benefits of electrification and knew they needed to bring power to their farms and ranches, to their businesses and small communities, and to their families. They also knew if they didn’t do it, no one else was going to.
It was too expensive for the utility companies to go the “last mile” to reach down the long lanes of the farm and ranch homes speckled across the area. These utility companies were focused on the cities and towns where it would be most beneficial to their profits, not the dotted landscapes of the far flung reaches of western Colorado agriculture.
Knowing how these resolute folks operate, I am sure they started putting poles in the ground and stringing wire. That is how things get done.
Somewhere in that process, I am assuming, they determined the makeup of the cooperative and how they would govern themselves. They, and their neighbors, were invested in the success of this new cooperative venture. They knew they would need a system of governance. At some point in time, a set of rules was designed to ensure the longevity of this endeavor. Over the years, this has been modified to what we currently use as an operating system known as the Grand Valley Power Bylaws.
The GVP bylaws state: “Each member of the cooperative … shall be entitled to vote in the election of directors on the Board of Directors …”. You will have the opportunity to exercise this right next month, same as every year. It is a right and privilege. It is also an enormous responsibility. We all lead busy and exhausting lives. We lay aside that ballot and think, “I will do it tomorrow” … and tomorrow never comes.
In the past, I have shirked my responsibility in several co-ops in which our family holds memberships: the farm supply cooperative, the farm financial cooperative, and even a credit union that is managed under a cooperative system run by the members. Typically, we receive a service from these organizations, as well as a dividend or patronage capital at some point in the year.
And then, when things change in a manner inconsistent with my thinking and beliefs, I begin to complain about how the business of the cooperative is being done. Suddenly, I am not happy with the impacts on me and my family from that cooperative. Who is responsible for management of that organization? The members. But many of us failed to vote for directors on the board. In the past several years, I have begun to see even more clearly why my vote matters.
The Grand Valley Power board has a responsibility to ensure safe, affordable, and reliable power to our membership.
The list of values that hangs on the wall in the GVP boardroom reminds us:
- We are committed to the safety of our workforce and the general public.
- We strive to do the right thing, holding true to our values and principles.
- We seek to find new and better ways to serve our members and communities.
- We are dedicated to delivering value to all we serve.
The last line states “delivering value to all we serve.” If you believe this is true, as I do, you will participate and vote to ensure that all views are represented. As members of the cooperative, we need directors willing to look at the interests of all members, not a director beholden to a special interest group only focusing on a certain segment of the membership.
All voices need to be represented and heard. This happens only if votes are cast by all the membership. You are a member. You choose to live in a rural area served by a rural electric cooperative. Take advantage of all the perks of membership … vote!