full width paragraph

BYLAW AMENDMENT
& CANDIDATE ELECTION RESULTS

85th Annual Meeting, you are an important piece of the Cooperative

NOTE:

Farmers’ Electric Cooperative (FEC) is governed by its membership. Each year, at the Annual Meeting, members elect individuals to represent them on the Board of Directors. The Board meets monthly, sets policy, and helps ensure decisions are in the best interest of the entire membership.

The service territory is divided into seven districts, with one member representing each district. Each board member is elected for a three-year term. 

Directors play a vital role at FEC by giving members a seat at the decision-making table through LOCAL representation.

The Nominating Committee, which is made up of seven FEC members, has nominated candidates for the three director seats up for election:

  • District 1 (Daviess, Harrison, Gentry, & DeKalb counties)

  • District 4 (Livingston & Grundy Counties)

  • District 5 (Carroll & Lafayette Counties)

Also on the ballot, the current Board of Directors have reviewed all of the Cooperative Bylaws and freshened up several. Please view the bylaw amendments proposed below. Approval of the amendments will be considered all or none. If you would like a paper copy of the bylaw amendments, please call the Cooperative at 660-646-4281.

full width paragraph

PROPOSED BYLAW AMENDMENTS:

Please click the button below to view the amendments proposed in full.
When voting, approval of the amendments will be considered all or none.

     

full width paragraph

DISTRICT NO. 1 BOARD CANDIDATE:

Daviess, Harrison, Gentry, & DeKalb Counties

Toni Cox | Jamesport

Toni Cox, current Secretary on the Farmers’ Electric Board of Directors, serves District 1, covering Daviess, Harrison, Gentry and DeKalb counties. Toni grew up living at Lake Viking and attended the Gallatin Schools. She married her husband, David, in 1988 and they have lived near Jamesport on a farm ever since. They have raised their three daughters on the farm and maintained a cow/calf operation and row crops. Toni retired in 2018 after 30 years in education as a principal and teacher working in the Jamesport, Trenton and Gallatin school districts.

Toni has always been active in the community in ways meaningful to her, mostly with youth programs. But as a member of Farmers’ Electric since 1988, she recognized a way to serve the entire community as a board member. She is charged with representing the members of her district and acts as a voice for them. Toni recognizes that Farmers’ Electric is important to the success of all our families, farms and businesses. She embraces the cooperative principle of “Concern for Community” and appreciates being able to participate in the decisions that positively influence her community. When asked what her guiding principle was when making decisions for the Cooperative, Toni replied, “Recognizing the members are the most important part of the Cooperative. All decisions must revolve around maintaining that mindset.”

full width paragraph

DISTRICT NO. 4 BOARD CANDIDATES:

Livingston & Grundy Counties
(VACANCY)

Sherry Jones | Dawn

Sherry Jones has been a citizen of rural Livingston County and a Farmers’ Electric Cooperative member her entire life. Owning and operating their family farm, Sherry and her family know how important it is to have an electric co-op that meets growing needs. With a degree in Marketing/ Finance and a long history of attending MIC (Missouri Institute of Cooperatives) annual meetings and trainings, Sherry is confident she has the capabilities to represent Farmers’ Electric members in evaluating pertinent issues, exercising independent judgment and making prudent decisions to maintain a strong, financially sound Cooperative. She knows our rural community depends on the quality services of Farmers’ Electric to sustain, grow and prosper. When asked why she was interested in being a Director for Farmers’ Electric Cooperative, Sherry replied: “I believe I am a huge proponent of the Cooperative model and believe such a structure best meets the needs of our rural community. It allows members to participate in the decision-making process through their vote. I believe I can help meet the needs of a technologically savvy generation while continuing to provide a superior quality of service seasoned members expect and deserve.”

Sherry currently serves as a Board Member for FCS Financial, Livingston County Farm Bureau (Vice President), and MASBDA (Missouri Agriculture & Small Business Development Authority. She has also previously served on the Missouri State Fair Commission, Missouri Farm Bureau board, and the Grand River Vocational-Technical School Advisory Board.

Tony Figg | Chillicothe

Tony Figg and his family have a long history with Farmers’ Electric Cooperative, and he looks forward to continuing that legacy. Tony has 40 years of experience in the Information Technology (IT) field, and he feels that will prove valuable to the Board of Directors at Farmers’ Electric Cooperative as strategic direction is set and the role technology will play in that. He has worked directly with all types of businesses, large, and small, and feels that he can represent those interests as well. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Chillicothe Area Christian Builders – a Christian based home building group that builds simple, decent, affordable homes. Tony believes that a board needs to have a view of the business that ensures all interests are represented, whether that pertains to members, employees, or management.

When asked what his vision was for the future of the electric industry and Farmers’ Electric’s role in that industry, Tony responded with “I’d like to see the electric utility industry focus on providing reliable, cost-effective power to our homes and businesses. Farmers’ Electric’s role in that is to make sure our system is maintained to industry standards, recruit and retain the best employees as possible, and continue our role as community leaders.”

full width paragraph

DISTRICT NO. 5 BOARD CANDIDATE:

Carroll & Lafayette Counties

Glen Waters | Norborne

Glen Waters, current President on the Farmers’ Electric Board of Directors, serves District 5 covering Carroll and Lafayette counties. Glen has served on the Board for 8 years. He lives in rural Norborne with his wife, Kyla, and their two children, and raises cattle and some row crops. In addition to the farm, Glen has worked for Purina Animal Nutrition as a Sales Specialist for over 30 years.

Glen has participated in board member trainings sponsored by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and offered locally by the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives every year since he joined the Board. He says the time spent serving as a Board member can vary from 10 hours a month, to several days a month, just depending on what they are doing. However, Glen believes the opportunity to participate in the process of making life better each day for Farmers’ Electric members and their communities is certainly worth his time. Being a Member of Farmers’ Electric himself, Glen says “I take this responsibility seriously, as do all my fellow board members. I draw upon several experiences and influences as I go about the decision-making process, as well as my trainings I have had the opportunity to participate in. Meetings and conferences that provide insights through speakers help offer perspective also. I do my very best to consider what would be best for our members first and foremost, both short term and long term.”