MECA News

Energy Optimization Program Participants Selected as Finalists for Governor’s Energy Excellence Awards

MECA2017-08-09T14:25:27-04:00August 9th, 2017|Uncategorized|

Lansing, Mich. (June 28, 2017) – Four Michigan businesses that completed large-scale energy efficiency improvements with the help of the Energy Optimization program are finalists for the coveted 2017 Governor’s Energy Excellence Awards. The four finalists include: Ewen-Trout Creek School District (Ewen), Friske Orchards (Charlevoix), Don Earl Heating & A/C (Sault Ste. Marie), and Sklarczyk Seed Farm (Johannesburg). Now in its third year, the [...]

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Wolverine Purchases New Home For Apprentice Education

MECA2017-08-08T14:02:43-04:00August 8th, 2017|MECA News|

Wolverine Power Cooperative announced today an agreement to purchase Baker College of Cadillac’s Center for Transportation and Technology (CTT). The facility, located at 4800 S. Morey Road (M-66) in Lake City, Mich., will become a state-of-the-art electric utility training center, and house the Joint Michigan Apprentice Program (JMAP). "Michigan electric cooperatives have a rich tradition of training utility apprentices spanning the last 30 years [...]

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Cherryland Doubles Voter Participation With Online Voting

Cherryland Doubles Voter Participation With Online Voting

MECA2017-06-27T09:59:11-04:00June 26th, 2017|MECA News|

Cherryland members were introduced to a new voting option for the 2017 board election. In addition to voting via a mail-in ballot or in-person at the annual meeting, members could cast their vote using any device with an internet connection. Cherryland partnered with Survey & Ballot Systems of Minnesota to administer the voting. The outcome? The 2017 board election had the most ballots cast [...]

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Ontonagon Annual Meeting Highlights

Ontonagon Annual Meeting Highlights

MECA2017-06-26T13:20:17-04:00June 21st, 2017|MECA News, Uncategorized|

Chassell High School was the setting for the 2017 Ontonagon County Rural Electrification Association’s (OCREA’s) Annual Meeting held on Saturday, June 17. Approximately 150 members from the co-op’s five county service area attended the event which featured food, prize drawings, reports from the co-op manager and the board of directors and seating of new directors. According to General Manager Debbie Miles, “This is [...]

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Thumb Electric Cooperative Holds 80th Annual Meeting At New Venue

Thumb Electric Cooperative Holds 80th Annual Meeting At New Venue

MECA2017-06-15T09:25:29-04:00June 14th, 2017|Uncategorized|

Louis Wenzlaff, president of the board of directors, opened the 80th Annual Meeting of Thumb Electric Cooperative (Thumb) members on June 10 at the Thumb Octagon Barn- a brand new venue for the annual meeting. "The Octagon Barn is a very fitting venue for our event," explained Brad Essemacher, member services manager at Thumb. Built in 1924, the historic Thumb Octagon Barn stands today [...]

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Members Make Alger Delta’s Annual Meeting A Success

Members Make Alger Delta’s Annual Meeting A Success

MECA2017-06-14T15:33:43-04:00June 14th, 2017|Uncategorized|

A beautiful, sunny Upper Peninsula day provided the perfect backdrop to Alger Delta’s 79th Annual Meeting held on Saturday, June 10, at the U.P. State Fairgrounds. More than 400 members attended the event which featured a picnic-style cookout, games and activities for the whole family and many prize drawings. “This event gives us a chance to show our members how much we appreciate [...]

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Fall Training Registration is Now Open

MECA2017-05-25T10:31:51-04:00May 25th, 2017|MECA News|

Online registration is now open for both the Electric Co-op Foundations and Member Services training sessions this fall! Member Services Training About the course This course focuses on customer communication skills and is designed to help each service provider understand the importance of providing positive “moments of truth” through each and every encounter he or she has with customers. An emphasis will be [...]

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Tom Sobeck Appointed Chief Executive Officer of PIE&G

MECA2017-05-25T09:01:28-04:00May 25th, 2017|Uncategorized|

Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op board of directors has appointed Tom Sobeck as chief executive officer. Sobeck succeeds CEO Brian Burns, who retired on May 5, 2017. “We are delighted to have Tom in his new role and leading PIE&G forward into the next chapter of the co-op’s history,” said John Brown, board chairman. “We’re pleased to have successfully completed the CEO [...]

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Bob Hance Testifies in Front of Senate Agriculture Committee

Bob Hance Testifies in Front of Senate Agriculture Committee

MECA2017-05-10T13:20:38-04:00May 9th, 2017|MECA News|

Midwest Energy Cooperative’s CEO, Bob Hance, was invited by U.S. Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas to testify before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee in Frankenmuth last Saturday, May 6. Mr. Roberts is the Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman and hails from Kansas. The title of the hearing was "Growing Jobs and Economic Opportunity: Perspectives on the 2018 Farm Bill from Michigan." Both MECA and [...]

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Brian Burns, PIE&G’s CEO, Retires After 32 Years of Service to the Co-ops

Brian Burns, PIE&G’s CEO, Retires After 32 Years of Service to the Co-ops

MECA2017-05-01T12:09:33-04:00April 27th, 2017|MECA News|

After 32 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Michigan electric cooperative family, Brian Burns, CEO of Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op (PIE&G), will retire on May 5, 2017. “Brian has been a tremendous asset to our team,” said Craig Borr, CEO of the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association. “Over the years his integrity and insights have been invaluable. He will be [...]

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