Connexus Energy Annual Meeting and Election Results

Since its founding in 1937 as one of the nation’s first 100 electric cooperatives, Connexus Energy has been governed by a Board of Directors elected by its members. Members cast their vote online and via mailed ballot proactively provided to each member. Members gathered in the cooperative’s large community room as well as watched the proceedings streamed online.

2023 Election Results

In 2023, Board elections were held in District 1, District 2, and District 3.

In District 1, Michael Cady was re-elected to the board. In District 2, Michael Thews was elected to the board, taking over for retiring board member Donald Holl. In District 3, Shelly Peterson was re-elected to the board.

Survey and Ballot Systems, an independent and national expert third-party cooperative election administrator, managed all member votes. Here is the breakdown of the voting:

District 1

Michael Cady – 6,738 / 77.4%
David Mol – 1,965 / 22.6%

District 2

Jaime Barthel – 3,930 / 45.2%
Michael Thews – 4,767 / 54.8%

District 3

Shelly Peterson – 8,350 / 100%

Recognition of Retiring Board Member Donald Holl

In addition to recognizing a fifth consecutive year of no rate increase, this year was also special due to the retirement of Board Member Donald Holl following 25 years of service. Holl’s service was formally recognized in remarks of Connexus Energy Board Chair Fran Bator. Holl represented Connexus Energy’s District 2.

2022 Annual Review

The 2022 Annual Review and audited financials are available online. Printed copies of the Annual Review were mailed to all Connexus Energy members before the Annual Meeting. In addition, videos of the CEO and CFO’s 2022 business reports have been posted online.

In lieu of a single guest speaker, Connexus Energy hosted brief presentations on Minnesota’s recently enacted 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 law. The presenters were energy advisor and former Minnesota Public Utilities Commissioner Dan Lipschultz and Brian Burandt, Connexus Energy’s vice president of power supply and business development.

Connexus Energy is Minnesota’s largest electric cooperative and one of the 20 largest retail electric cooperatives nationwide, serving more than 144,000 members in parts of eight Minnesota counties north of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Connexus Energy is nationally and regionally recognized for its innovation, affordability, and providing reliability in the top five percent of all utilities nationwide.

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