The meeting was opened with the pledge of allegiance, followed by the invocation and national anthem, offered by board member Sharon Lembke. Board chair John Lund welcomed attendees to the meeting and introduced the cooperative’s board of directors. The meeting agenda included a financial update from Director of Finance and Corporate Services, Arlene Hogquist, as well as a cooperative update from President and CEO, Jared Echternach. Kay Mack, board president of the Beltrami Electric Cooperative Trust for Operation Round Up presented on the program's success in our local communities. Beltrami Electric’s Youth Tour Delegate for 2024, Hunter Wright, spoke about his experience in Washington, D.C. Many fairgoers enjoyed the free concert in the grandstand featuring Figuring It Out, the Abello Family Acoustics Band.
Despite the rain showers, more than 1,700 members and guests attended Beltrami Electric’s Night at the Fair.
Director Election Results:
The director election results were as follows: In District 3, candidate Kevin Geerdes received 1,438 votes, and candidate Sarah Hokuf received 971 votes. Incumbent District 6 director John Lund ran unopposed and received 2,460 votes. In District 9, candidate Don Evans received 1,134 votes and incumbent director Sharon Lembke received 1,252 votes.
In addition, the 2023 annual meeting minutes were approved by a majority vote of the members. Next year’s meeting is tentatively scheduled for August 6, 2025.