Northern Lights 90th Annual Membership Meeting
PrintBy Elissa Glassman
On April 21, Northern Lights, Inc. (NLI) hosted its 90th Annual Membership Meeting and barbecue at its Sagle headquarters.
Members received a complimentary gift bag, a $25 energy credit, and enjoyed barbecued Wood’s smokies, fresh cookies, and coffee. Members visited with Board President Steve Elgar and other board directors.
Many gathered to watch NLI lineworkers demonstrate a life-size electrical display. There were also informative display booths regarding electrical safety, 811 call before you dig, and vegetation management, plus a photo booth and games.
The Sandpoint High School Choir performed the national anthem at the beginning of the business meeting.
The purpose of the meeting was to hear and pass upon reports covering the previous fiscal year, and to transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting. Pursuant to NLI Bylaw Section 4.04(d), only 1 candidate was nominated for District 2 (Jill Vandegrift), and District 4 (Steve Klatt), therefore, no election was held in those districts.
NLI General Manager Annie Terracciano gave an annual meeting message regarding recent projects and successes that enhance NLI’s system in each of its districts.
NLI Board President Steve Elgar discussed the co-op’s excellent financial growth and future projects. Elgar explained Bonneville Power Administration’s rising power costs and how this will affect NLI rates.
He also commended the students who won this year’s educational and lineworker scholarships and thanked NLI employees for all their hard work preparing for NLI’s 90th Annual Meeting.
NLI awarded 8 $1,500 educational scholarships and 1 $3,000 lineworker scholarship. Those in attendance were presented with a scholarship certificate.
The educational scholarship winners are:
- Rianna Atencio, Sandpoint
- Calie Bailey, Sandpoint
- Samuel Burgess, Heron
- Jamie Herrick, Clark Fork
- Damon Madson, Bonners Ferry
- Brady Packer, Sandpoint
- Bell O’Day, Troy
- Ricky Williams, Noxon
The lineman scholarship winner is Mitchell McFadden, of Sagle. Congratulations to all NLI scholarship winners.
90 years ago, NLI was organized to bring electricity to rural areas that investor-owned utilities would not serve. When it was established in 1935 as the Northern Idaho Rural Electrical Rehabilitation Association, it was the first rural electric cooperative west of the Mississippi River. Today, NLI is 1 of the largest cooperatives in Idaho with more than 24,000 accounts.
