2026 WVEC Upcoming Director Elections
Whetstone Valley Electric Cooperative is making plans for its 84th annual membership meeting. The 2026 annual meeting will be held on Thursday March 26, 2026 at 6:30 pm at the Wilmot School.
This year, three members must be selected to serve on the board of directors, all for three-year terms. The districts with open seats are as follows:
District 1: Drywood Lake, Goodwill, Easter, Agency, Lawrence Townships
District 2: Becker, Lee, Lake Townships
District 5: Twin Brooks, Kilborn, Osceola, Mazeppa, Leola Townships
Director nominations are by petition only. Petition forms are available at our headquarters at 1101 East Fourth Avenue in Milbank. A candidate must be a bona fide resident of the district and return a petition with at least six (6) signatures from current members of the same district to the Whetstone office not less than 40 days prior to the annual meeting.
Because of publication deadlines, to have a candidate profile published in the March issue of Cooperative Connections, petitions should be submitted on or prior to February 16, 2026.
The process for becoming a Director for Whetstone Valley Electric Cooperative, Inc. (WVEC) is contained in the Cooperative bylaws Article IV. Each candidate for a director position, should carefully read the bylaws and understand the procedures. The bylaws can be found on our website, www.whetstone.coop or by contacting our office.
The Whetstone Valley Electric Cooperative board serves on behalf of the membership to provide oversight and strategic governance, while day-to-day operations are led by the cooperative general manager. The board is responsible for sending representatives to the associations of which the cooperative is a member. Directors are expected to attend education seminars and may be asked to serve on other associated cooperative boards. Directors may be asked to lobby and remain informed on pertinent legislative issues. Reading and studying is necessary to keep informed of current issues and how they may affect the co-op. It is the responsibility of the board to evaluate and develop long-term strategic plans to assure the financial and operational stability of the cooperative. Directors should expect to commit about 30 days per year for cooperative related activities.
In addition to the rewards of being a director, there are some important responsibilities. A director must:
- Be prepared to abide by and uphold the bylaws of the cooperative
- Be open to new ideas and have a desire to learn
- Be able to understand and engage members as their expectations change
- Be adept at analyzing complex options to make sound decisions
If you are interested in learning more about what it means to be director, please feel free to contact a board member or our General Manager.