Embracing new technologies has played a big part in that success, said Geckler. Looking ahead, MVEC recently completed a $24 million three-year work plan for future construction and upgrades within the cooperatives nine county service area.

Geckler outlined three new member programs launching in 2013: the Beat the Peak Energy Challenge (featuring $20,000 in team and individual cash prizes), a WiFi programmable thermostat project and a payback component to the Pay as you Go pre-pay program.

Financially, the cooperative is in great shape, according to Gerry Mareck, vice president of finance. Increased kilowatt hour sales, holding distribution costs flat and well-managed wholesale power purchases allowed the cooperative to give a $1.5 million refund to the membership in December 2012, in addition to a Capital Credit refund this March for $751,000.

Prizes were awarded at the conclusion of the meeting with Roger Boettcher of Le Center going home with an iPad and Leon Kukacka of Le Center winning the LED smart TV.

Winners of $200 bill credits were Duane Krautkremer of Shakopee, Gerald Poppler of Chaska, Patricia Tagtow of New Prague, Vernon Morschen of Chaska and Roland Menke of Jordan.

Erickson was unopposed in District I, receiving 682 votes.

1,843 ballots were cast in District III. Connelly received 859 votes. His challengers were Jean Murphy of Henderson with 369 votes, Kris Bowring of Jordan with 363 votes and Lloyd Erbaugh of Prior Lake with 252 votes.

Haberman was elected with in District II with 883 votes to replace retiring Director Tom Graham of Henderson.

District I

Deborah Erickson (incumbent), Savage

Years as MVEC member: 10  Family:  My husband Vern and I have four sons, two daughters-in-law and one granddaughter.

Occupation:  Financial Advisor, New Market Bank – working with individuals and local businesses.

Education:  Ridgewater Community College and Southwest State with a focus on Marketing and Economics.

Civic groups/community involvement/clubs/organizations: 2009 and 2011 2nd Congressional District Appointee to the MN Compensation Council, Shakopee Rotarian, 2009 Rotary President, Past District 5950 Leadership Team, Former Living Water Guide – Shepherd of the Lakes, Former Shakopee Chamber Ambassador, Past Development Council Member Saints Foundation (St. Francis and St. Gertrude’s) and Rotary Youth Exchange Host Family.

Goal as a Director:  To maintain our strong financial position. To continue to provide reliable service at the lowest rates possible. Continue to offer options to help members manage their electrical consumption in a more effective manner, while exploring technology advancements and cost efficiency. It has been a privilege to serve on the MVEC board the past three years.  I have obtained my NRECA Credentialed Cooperative Director Certification and currently serve as MVEC board vice president. I grew up in greater Minnesota. I now find myself living in a rapidly growing area and appreciate MVEC’s very diverse member base whose expectations and needs of the cooperative are varied.  MVEC has some unique challenges and opportunities as it moves forward in the future, serving one of the fastest growing population areas in the state.

District II

Gary Haberman, Chanhassen

Years as MVEC member: 14   Spouse: Phyllis

Occupation:  I have been employed in the credit and financial management area for 35-plus years and have earned the Certified Credit Executive (CCE) designation. I managed my father’s rental farm for five years until his passing in 2010. Presently, I work part time for a ceramic tile distributor.

Education: BS degree in Agriculture Economics from South Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D.

Civic groups/community involvement/clubs/organizations: Member of the 1,600-member National Association of Credit Management of Minneapolis for 33 years; served on the board of directors for eight years and chairman for one year. Presently 1st Vice President of the Chanhassen Lions Club. Lector at St. Edward’s Church of Bloomington. Member of Toastmasters International for 25 years.

Goal as a Director:  To be the voice of its members and make sure that a high quality of service is maintained at reasonable rates. My background in credit and finance gives me the skills and opportunity to add immediate value.

District III

Kris Bowring, Jordan

Years as MVEC member: 6   Spouse: Cassie.

Occupation:  I am Vice President of Navitas Partners, Inc. a management consulting firm specializing in strategy, administration, and energy efficiency program development for the utility, retailing, manufacturing industries and supporting governance organizations. Navitas serves these companies and industries with extensive experience in utility and retail markets, consumer products, services, energy efficiency technologies and services.

Education: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI. MBA (current), Crown College, St. Bonifacius, MN. Civic groups/community involvement/clubs/organizations: I have served on the board of directors for both the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative and the Continental Automated Builders Association, both are non-profit research organizations funding and supporting research on Smart Grid, Home Controls and Automation, Energy Management technologies, alternative energy generation, all through the lens of customer insights and attitudes around energy consumption and energy efficiency. I also served as Industry Advisor to the Smart Grid ecosystem project, Pecan Street Project.  I served as the retail and consumer advocate within the ecosystem experiment. My family and I are regular attendees of Friendship Church in Shakopee for over three years.

Goal as a Director:  My goal as a Director is to bring the wealth of experience I have across the utility, telecommunications, and retail industries to MVEC.  It is about keeping MVEC customers at the center of the conversation.  Energy consumption and generation is transforming and MVEC will transform, however, keeping the MVEC customer involved will be paramount in helping MVEC businesses and customers using less while still have the same comfort and level of service expected from MVEC.  I hope to be a catalyst for new and creative ideas and options for the leadership within MVEC and use my broad utility industry network to bring new opportunity to MVEC.  Leadership about preserving the MVEC brand and community aspect of MVEC, and continuing the vital role MVEC plays in our neighborhoods, cities and service territory.

Jim Connelly (incumbent), Belle Plaine

Years as MVEC member: 38   Family: Four children and 10 grandchildren.

Occupation:  Minnesota territory sales rep for Elliott Equipment Company of Des Moines, IA.

Education:  Associate Degree in Sales & Marketing and Credentialed Cooperative Director. Civic groups/community involvement/clubs/organizations: Member of St. Thomas Church, Belle Plaine Rural Fire Board, Ancient Order of Hibernians and Sons of the American Legion.

Goal as a Director:  It’s great to see our customer surveys continue to rank us in the very top percentile in the country. My #1 goal as a Director would be to continue to keep customers satisfied and happy with MVEC.  I feel typically the best way to do this is to provide good rates and very reliable electric service. However, in today’s times, this has become more challenging. But, with our great staff providing good input, along with my three terms as a Director and a good feel for the members and common sense, I believe we can continue to accomplish that goal. Also, I feel we need to continue to pursue safe, efficient technology and resources that will assist us and respect our environment. This will always be a balancing act. My input as Director will always be what is best, overall, for our members.

Lloyd Erbaugh, Prior Lake

Years as MVEC member: 4  Spouse:  Lois.

Occupation:  I learned the value of hard work and self-reliance growing up on our farm. Helping people achieve their personal and career goals is my passion. At QUEST/USWEST, I encouraged women and men to give great customer service with a smile. Now that I am retired, I have the time and energy to help MVEC. I enjoy managing new technologies and business practices. At QUEST and other technology firms, I led teams working with data communications, engineering, and human resources.

Civic groups/community involvement/clubs/organizations: I am currently a member of the Prior Lake Economic Development Advisory Committee and volunteered for the broadband committee to create customer choices and improve reliability. Previously, I served as board chair of our homeowners association, volunteered for civic and church boards/committees, helped with school activities, and am excited to serve MVEC Cooperative members.

Goal as a Director:  We all appreciate the reliability and efficiency of MVEC. I believe we can hold down costs and improve operations, while meeting conservative financial and regulatory goals. I have experience helping teams work through difficult issues. We are all learning about new ways to generate and deliver power; we can embrace new operations, reduce impacts on the environment, while innovating for the future. MVEC is a great organization and I will work to improve accountability and performance as we build a better community. Thanks for your vote.

Jean Murphy, Henderson

Years as MVEC member: 20  Spouse:  Joe.

Occupation:  Along with my husband, I own and operate a dairy supply business, and we have beef cattle as well as farm land.

Education:  Belle Plaine High School and studied communications at St. Thomas University.

Civic groups/community involvement/clubs/organizations: Chaired annual church festival at Our Lady of the Prairie in Belle Plaine, coached daughters sports teams, member of the Belle Plaine Half Marathon committee and the Post Prom committee.

Goal as a Director:  Energy policy and rising energy costs will continue to be an issue both locally and nationally. As a Director, I will work to meet the challenge of providing both reliable and cost-effective power to our members. As a small business owner and operating our family farm for 20 years, I have the knowledge and skills to represent the rural aspect of District 3.

The annual meeting format change comes after nine years of holding a large-scale event at the Scott County Fairgrounds. “Event surveys showed that while the Scott County Fairgrounds is centrally located within our service area, attendance was for the most part very local, and membership from outlying areas did not attend as we had hoped,” said Board President Michelle Morrison. “With that in mind, the Board asked staff to redefine the event with community outreach and cost savings as the focus.”

The annual meeting will move to April, rather than in June, and each year will rotate to a different community within MVEC’s service area. “With over 35,000 members, we hope bringing the annual meeting to the communities will effectively spread the word of everything MVEC offers its members,” said Morrison.

MVEC will continue to hold a member appreciation-type event every five years on the cooperative’s milestone anniversaries. MVEC celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 2012.

MVEC energy specialist Diane Schoenbauer, left, worked with Trudy Smith, director of the Jordan Food Shelf, in purchasing the new refrigerators.

Trudy Smith, director of the Jordan Food Shelf, opens a gleaming, stainless steel commercial refrigerator to reveal rows of milk cartons and a few dozen cabbages. “Isn’t it pretty?” she asks.

The Energy Star rated commercial refrigerator, as well as an energy-efficient residential refrigerator was installed at the food shelf Feb. 1, thanks to a donation of $4,557 from Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative.

Smith says she is thrilled with the new appliances, which allow the food shelf to have more perishable food on hand when clients come to choose food to supplement the cupboards and refrigerators in their own homes. The Jordan Food Shelf serves approximately 130 families a month, who are eligible to have 23 pounds of food a month per family member.

Smith has been the volunteer director since she was asked by Jordan churches and city officials to spearhead the creation of the Jordan Food Shelf in 2009. There are over 100 volunteers who take turns as well, either by helping when donated food deliveries arrive from Second Harvest on Tuesdays or by taking a shift during the Saturday shopping hours. Smith said some former recipients gladly come back to volunteer as a payback for the help they received.

“I truly believe the hand of God put this food shelf here,” said Smith, recalling the incidents that led her to take up the challenge. “We started out with no building, no money and no vehicle, so I’ve seen many miracles done here.”

The food shelf, located at 131 East 1^st Street in downtown Jordan, is open to income-eligible families with Jordan addresses every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This year, the Board has authorized $580,000 to be distributed. The cooperative retires Capital Credits on a first in- first out basis; this year’s payment of $580,000 represents Capital Credits from 1991 and part of 1992. MVEC retains Capital Credits for a period of time to maintain the equity required by its lenders before returning money to the member-owners.

Capital Credit payments will be applied on the March bills to current members; former members are issued a check. MVEC also has a program for Seniors and Estates (age 70 and older), where members can choose to receive a discounted settlement of their Capital Credit account. For further information, contact Darlene or Joan at 952.492.2313.

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