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Ready to cast your vote for cooperation?
Voting is open for five seats on Pioneer Utility Resource’s Board of Directors, including two seats added to represent more utilities nationally.
“As a co-op, we want to ensure every utility member — whether they provide electricity, broadband or telephone service — has a voice,” says Pioneer CEO Michael Shepard. “Expanding our board and redrawing districts helps the board represent all Utility Pioneers in light of our recent growth.”
As a utility-owned communications cooperative, Pioneer Utility Resources depends on members to guide the co-op. Pioneer’s Board of Directors meets throughout the year to oversee the co-op’s strategic plan and financial health. Any member utility CEO/general manager or board member is eligible to run for board seats, and nominations were held in March. Voting closes at 11 a.m. Pacific / 2 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, May 23, with results announced May 25 at Pioneer’s 2023 Cooperative Member Meeting.
Expanded Board Reflects Growth
Historically, Pioneer’s board consisted of seven people, with three at-large positions and four seats focused primarily on representing Northwest utility members. As telcos and more electric utilities across the nation began using Pioneer’s solutions and joining the cooperative, the board and co-op leadership looked for ways to better reflect the growing diversity and reach of the co-op.
In 2020, after Pioneer added ARC Media and WordSouth to the family, the board decided two new districts were needed. The redistricting proposal and addition of two board seats was approved by the board Feb. 27, 2023. Before expanding the board, two membership campaigns helped utilities new to Pioneer learn about the benefits of joining the communications co-op. Between 2020 and 2022, 77 utilities joined the co-op and gained the right to vote on board leadership.
District 7, held by Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative CEO John Bartley, once represented all states east of the Mississippi River. On the expanded board, Bartley will support members in the Southeast. Two new board seats will represent Utility Pioneers in the Midwest and Atlantic.
Meet the 2023 Board Nominees
Five board seats are up for election in 2023. Three of the positions (Districts 3, 5 and 6) are existing seats. Incumbents Dave Lock and Lisa Johnson are running for reelection. Pioneer members are also voting on two new board seats, Districts 8 and 9. All board nominees are running unopposed, but we still need votes from our members to make it official.
- District 3 (at large): Carrie Huckeby, Tennessee Broadband Association (TN)
- District 5 (Mountain West): Dave Lock, Grand Canyon State Electric Cooperative (AZ), incumbent
- District 6 (at large): Lisa Johnson, Seminole Electric Cooperative (FL), incumbent
- District 8 (Midwest): Kevin Beyer, Farmers and Federated Telephone (MN)
- District 9 (Atlantic): Marshall Cherry, Roanoke Cooperative (NC)
How to Vote
Only one vote is allowed by each Pioneer member utility. Unless otherwise requested, the CEO or general manager is the delegated voter. They should have received a unique six-digit voting verification number via email on May 9. Voting will be online using the Pioneer Votes platform, at pioneer.coop/vote. Voting closes at 11 a.m. Pacific / 2 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, May 23.
If your designated voter did not receive the code, please reach out to us at hello@pioneer.coop.
Register for our Member Meeting!
As a utility-owned communications cooperative, Pioneer Utility Resources depends on members, Utility Pioneers, to guide the co-op. We share the story of your co-op annually at our member meeting. Everyone is invited to join us online to:
- Hear Utility Pioneer stories
- Learn about the health of your communications cooperative
- Discover cooperatively-created solutions to meet common challenges
Pioneer’s 2023 Cooperative Member Meeting
Thursday, May 25
11 a.m. Pacific / 2 p.m. Eastern