The Annual Meeting Goes Virtual!
While held virtually, the Annual Meeting had record-high registrations from our members.
On Thursday, April 29, 2021, Choptank Electric Cooperative Board of Directors and staff welcomed members virtually at the Denton Headquarters to conduct the 83rd Choptank Electric Cooperative Annual Meeting. The meeting was held virtually due to COVID-19 protocols.
At 5:45 p.m. the Cooperative began with an informational video loop, and the business meeting started promptly at 6:00 p.m. There were 340 registrants for the virtual meeting, with 206 of those being members.
The business meeting began with Jeffrey Rathell, Chairman of the Board, introducing fellow board members and staff and proceeding with the election.
The Credentials and Elections Committee Chair, William Edwards, announced first that the petitions for each of the three incumbent candidates had been approved by the Credentials and Elections Committee.
Because there is only one approved Director candidate for each district, the Committee invoked Bylaws section 4.06(b). This section states that in the event of an uncontested election, Choptank Electric may forgo the balloting process. Director Bob Thompson, Ocean Pines District, oversaw the election of the following board members: Olin Davis, Kent County; Doug Scott, Dorchester County; and Bob Arnold, Queen Anne’s County. All three were elected to a 3-year term.
Mike Malandro, President and CEO of Choptank Electric Cooperative, reported to the membership about the Co-op’s accomplishments in 2020 and plans for the future regarding broadband and continued service to members.
“Choptank is stepping in, to solve the rural broadband problem like we did with electricity,” said Malandro. “We continue our work to seek out federal, state, and local grant funds to expedite our broadband deployment as we steadily connect new customers. Updates on our progress and general information can be found at www.choptankfiber.com. Our motto is ‘No home left behind.’”
The meeting ended with the drawing for door prizes that were bill credits ranging from $100 to $500 and the “Luck of the Draw” scholarship, which awarded ten $1,000 scholarships to randomly selected students. Twenty-seven members submitted scholarship applications.
The Annual Meeting was a huge success. Details concerning the 84th Annual Meeting will be announced in September and will be published in the 2021-2022 Member Guide.