Eligible members need to complete the petition form and return it to our office located at 1399 Business Park Drive South, North Baltimore, Ohio, and all signatures on petitions will be verified at that time by a member services representative. Members on Kelleys Island will submit completed petitions to the HWE island employee(s) for verification. Upon receipt, review, and approval of all completed petition signatures, the petitions will then be passed onto the election committee for certification.
Please download and complete the following forms in order to run for a board seat:
- Code of Regulations and requirements for the petition process
- Bio sheet (please complete and return with petition)
- Election Timeline
- Official Petition
The basic timeline of the election process: (dates subject to change)
- February - Members are notified of districts up for election via company publications.
- March - Members in each district up for election who are interested in running for the board will complete a petition. The president & CEO then contact any member who completed the petition by the deadline.
- May - Election ballots are mailed to each district.
- Late May - Ballots are returned, and then counted.
- June - Election results are announced at the virtual Annual Meeting.
For more information on the election process, simply contact us.
The Hancock-Wood Board of Trustees typically meets once per month to establish basic business policies and rates. The board employs a President and CEO responsible for day-to-day business operations and employee issues.
Hancock-Wood members vote for these nine trustees, each of whom represents a district.
Some cooperatives use the term director instead of trustee as "one who guides the course of action." This is key, because the role of a trustee is not to be involved in daily decision-making, but to guide, point and direct. This is why trustees normally come to the Cooperative office only once per month. Trustees are entrusted to focus on the financial well-being of Hancock-Wood.
Trustees are not involved in specific employee or service, precise departmental or staffing plans or issues. They look at the business from a macro point of view, so, the daily decision-making is left to the President and CEO and employees.
A trustee should have the best interest of the cooperative at heart, without placing his or her own interest or agenda first or serving on the board solely to assist the cooperative or for any personal gain. They should have the capability to guide the President and CEO through the formulation of sound policies, which protect the financial and operating integrity of the cooperative as well as protect the rights of the membership.
Member-owners of Hancock-Wood have a voice in the service they receive. Trustees represent the member voice. One way a member can exercise that ownership is by expressing opinions and concerns to your own trustee representative.
In order to fulfill duties, HWE trustees who have varying levels of certification through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association receive higher fees than those who do not. HWE encourages all of its trustees to earn these certifications because the coursework required dramatically broadens a trustee’s knowledge of the electric cooperative industry, thereby enhancing his or her value to all of HWE’s member-consumers. All electric cooperatives in the U.S. utilize similar training.
The fist required certificate is the Credentialed Cooperative Director Certificate (CCD), which covers director duties, board operation, strategic planning and more. After receiving the CCD, the trustee then goes on to the Board Leadership Certificate (BLC) which specializes in power supply, the cooperative business model, technology and more. The final certification is the Director Gold Credential, which is required to be completed every two years. The graphic below shows each of the certifications and requirements.
Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative’s trustees receive compensation for serving on the board. Why? Trustees are responsible for providing strategic direction to the management of HWE, setting policies, and approving budgets. HWE has more than 11,200 member consumers and operates 1800 miles of electric line and highly technical equipment in portions of 10 counties. The responsibility of governing the cooperative is a serious one, and it requires industry-specific training certifications, in addition to extensive knowledge of the electric industry and political issues including knowledge of legislation at the federal and state level.
The breakdown of trustee fees can be found here. If you’re interested in running to become an HWE trustee, or you have questions about board compensation, please call HWE at 800-445-4840.