May 2021 Back Page – Your Votes Have Been Counted
Posted: April 23, 2021Thank you to all the members that completed and returned the mail-in voting documents. The three incumbent Directors, Helena Jones from Ambler, Phyllis Clough from Old Harbor; and Peter Demoski from Nulato were all re-elected for three year terms. The ballots were received and compiled by BDO, Inc., an independent accounting firm in Anchorage, and announced at the end of the AVEC Board meeting on April 7, 2021. The Board held an organizational meeting and elected the following Officers, Fred Sagoonick, Chair; Robert Beans, Vice Chair; Helena Jones, Secretary; and Peter Demoski, Treasurer. Phyllis Clough, Robert Hoffman and Bryan Rookok make up the rest of the seven member board. All board members are elected at large and represent all the members of the cooperative, not just their community or region.
The membership also approved the two proposed bylaw amendments, aligning our bylaws with the laws of Alaska that allow cooperatives to hold “virtual” meetings using telephone and internet, and to allow notification for meetings to be sent via text and email. Many people have been attending virtual meetings over the last year due to travel restrictions and social distancing requirements. These amendments acknowledge that these types of meetings are valid and meet the rules of the cooperative.
We are all looking forward to being able to meet in person again. Virtual meetings have served a need allowing AVEC Board meetings and several village meetings to take place in the past year. The Board has announced their intent to meet in Anchorage for the next board meeting on June 11 and has set the dates for the AVEC Annual Meeting with all the village Delegates for October 12 and 13, 2021 in Anchorage. The ability to meet in-person on either of these dates will depend on the course of the pandemic. It is hoped that the continued vaccination of all eligible adults will help minimize the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the risk of travel and gatherings. After getting my two shots and passing the two weeks for full immunization, it has been a relief to know that I am substantially protected from getting or shedding the disease, even if I do still have to wear a mask and wash my hands.
Inside this issue of Ruralite you will find AVEC’s Annual Report, outlining our 2020 financials and the major projects we have been working on. You will also find a shout-out to long-time, Mountain Village Power Plant Operator David Peterson, who is retiring soon. David has done a great job keeping his plant operating efficiently and has been a reliable point man when weather or equipment failure conspires to make the lights go out. I have spoken with David over the phone to troubleshoot issues a handful of times over the years. His knowledge and experience will be missed. Thank you for your service, David.
