Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative elected directors by mail-in ballots after the in-person annual meeting was not held due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The co-op’s bylaws permitted the change, said Richard Schlosser, Edgeley, board president.
The results of the mail-in director elections are as follows:
West Region: Trish Gehlhar, Ypsilanti, was elected over Jeff Piehl, Marion, to fill the director position in the cooperative’s West Region. Gehlhar fills the position formerly held by Schlosser, who chose not to run for reelection after 26 years on the board.
Central Region: Connie Bitz, LaMoure, retained her seat on the board, winning over candidate Peter Awender, Oakes, to represent members in the cooperative’s Central Region.
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East Region: Neil Olerud, McLeod, who has represented the East Region since 2017, ran without opposition.
Each director will serve a three-year term.
Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative is a rural electric cooperative providing electric service to just over 4,000 members in southeastern North Dakota in a service area that includes all of Dickey, LaMoure and Sargent counties and parts of Richland, Stutsman, Logan and McIntosh counties.
