VMDAEC Annual Meeting

One of the defining differences of an electric cooperative is that its members have a voice. Through locally elected boards of directors, member-owners help guide the policies and decisions that shape their cooperative and address the challenges facing the energy industry and the communities they serve. 

Each of VMDAEC’s 16 member electric cooperatives is governed by a board of directors elected by local members. Together, those cooperatives also govern the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives through a 32-member board consisting of each cooperative’s CEO and one elected director from each co-op. 

Every year, these leaders and key cooperative staff gather for the VMDAEC annual meeting to conduct association business, share ideas and best practices, discuss industry issues, and help chart the course for the year ahead. This year’s meeting was held July 26-28 at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort in Cambridge, Md. 

The annual meeting also celebrates the people who strengthen the cooperative community. This year, attendees raised more than $80,000 for the VMDAEC Scholarship Foundation, helping provide scholarships for students from cooperative communities entering college or trade school. 

The association also recognized two outstanding cooperative leaders. James "Jim" Guy of Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative was honored posthumously with the Distinguished Service Award, which was accepted by his family. Rusty Brown of Northern Neck Electric Cooperative also received the Cooperative Leadership award for his longtime leadership and service to the cooperative community. 

From electing local directors to shaping association priorities, cooperative governance reflects one of the principles that sets electric cooperatives apart: Member owners have a voice. The annual meeting is one of the many ways that voice is heard, helping ensure cooperatives remain locally led, member-focused and committed to serving their communities.