Special announcement
May 6, 2022
Farnham, Alexander, Allen elected to WEC Board of Directors
Steven Farnham of Plainfield, Susan Alexander of Cabot, and Betsy Allen of Plainfield won election to Washington Electric Cooperative’s (WEC) member-led Board of Directors. Farnham was the sole incumbent running for re-election; Alexander and Allen were newly elected to the Board.
The results were announced Thursday night by Board President Stephen Knowlton at WEC’s annual meeting, which was held virtually. Each board member serves a three-year term, effective immediately. All WEC directors serve at-large.
2022 brought a historic number of candidates interested in serving on the electric cooperative’s Board, as seven candidates vied for three seats. The remaining candidates were Olivia Campbell Andersen of East Montpelier, Pat Barnes of Vershire, Rachel Onuf of Washington, and JJ Vandette of Middlesex.
Knowlton thanked the candidates for their time and consideration. He was gratified by how many members chose to run, he said, and hoped to see them run again in coming years. “Your willingness to learn how a cooperative utility works and how we can serve our fellow members, to have power owned by the people, for the people, is something we don’t find every day,” he added.
“A sincere thank you to each candidate for their interest and their commitment, and congratulations to Steve, Susan and Betsy,” said WEC General Manager Louis Porter. “I look forward to working with our new Board members and our full Board on the many challenges and opportunities our co-op faces, including climate change resilience and supporting members as they implement energy efficiency and beneficial electrical technologies, and to work together to fulfill our mission of bringing reliable, affordable power to our members in an equitable way.”
Read newly elected directors’ and candidates’ policy statements here.
Bylaw amendment passes
WEC members voted to approve a bylaw amendment to allow for electronic (online) voting. Previously, members could vote only in person or by mailed ballot.
The bylaw amendment also allows notice of member meetings to be delivered electronically, at a future time when the Board of Directors determines available technology can reach members reliably, efficiently, and equitably.
Finally, the amendment updates language to use gender-neutral terms and clarifies omissions and ambiguities in the text of Article II. Members may request a copy of the bylaws anytime or read them here.