Local Electric Cooperative Partners with Community for Health and Job Fair
GRANTS, N.M. – Continental Divide Electric Cooperative members will gather Saturday, April 25, at Grants High School for the cooperative’s annual meeting, an event that this year carries added significance with contested board elections, proposed bylaw changes and a possible reapportionment of voting districts.
According to CDEC Member Relations Manager Mac Juarez, members will vote in three trustee races and consider a proposed set of amended and restated bylaws.
A vote on redistricting would only be counted if a quorum is reached and the bylaw package is approved. The cooperative’s official notice states that registration and voting will take place from 8 to 11 a.m., with the business meeting beginning at 11:15 a.m. at the Grants High School auditorium.
Juarez said the annual meeting is the cooperative’s most important opportunity for members. He explained that this meeting allows members to directly shape how the organization is governed.
He said CDEC has about 18,028 members and needs 541 registered members present in order to establish a quorum and conduct official business. Without that threshold, he said, the meeting cannot proceed as an official meeting of record.
Quorum matters especially this year because of the at-large race and the bylaw questions. Juarez said the at-large trustee represents the entire service area, meaning all members are eligible to vote in that contest, but those votes can only be validated if quorum is met.
Three seats are up for election this year.
In District 2, incumbent Wes Malcolm of Bluewater is facing Joel Lister of Milan.
In District 7, incumbent Joe Hoskins of Thoreau is running against Anthony N. Begay of Smith Lake.
In the at-large race, incumbent Keith Gottlieb of Cubero is contested by Toby Walter Jaramillo, Daniel Mandagaran, and Ruben Sandoval, all of Grants.
The cooperative’s notice explained that members will receive ballots for their district race and a separate ballot for the proposed amended and restated bylaws.
The bylaw proposal is being presented largely as a re-statement and modernization of existing language, but the booklet mailed to members says several changes would go beyond wording cleanup.
Changes include stricter qualifications for trustees, possible redistricting to more evenly represent membership, and an amendment that would allow capital credits to be returned for services beyond electricity, including Red Bolt Broadband.
Juarez said the trustee qualification changes are intended to set clearer and more consistent standards for those seeking to serve on the board. He pointed to provisions involving felony convictions, recent employment with the coop, and good standing as a member. The proposed language in the booklet would also require candidates to be permanent, full-time residents receiving cooperative service for the previous 12 months, provide proof of residency, remain current on payments during that period, and avoid certain employment or family conflicts involving the cooperative or related vendors.
The proposed reapportionment would reshape how the cooperative’s service area is divided.
The member booklet says the new map is intended to ensure voting districts “equitably represent the membership.”
Under the proposed map, District 1 would include Grants city limits and have an estimated 3,311 members. While District 6 would include communities such as Zuni, Black Rock, Ramah, Timberlake, Pinehill and Candy Kitchen and have an estimated 3,096 members. District 7 would include communities such as Thoreau, Continental Divide, Mariano Lake, Pinedale, Churchrock and Rehobeth with an estimated 2,821 members.
Juarez said the annual meeting is not only about ballots and bylaws, but about participation in a cooperative model that differs from investorowned utilities.
He said members of CDEC do not just buy electricity; they also have a voice in governance and may benefit from the cooperative through scholarship programs and capital credits when margins allow.
Juarez explained the broader community aspect of the event, explaining that CDEC is again partnering with Cibola General Hospital to host a health and job fair alongside the meeting, a relationship Juarez said has existed for nearly 20 years. He described the arrangement as a “one-stop shop” that benefits both organizations while opening the door for the public to participate in the health care and job fair components even if they are not cooperative members.
For Juarez, the event carries personal meaning as well.
He said the cooperative is at a “critical moment in time” as the energy industry continues to respond to broader economic and policy shifts, both domestically and globally. Juarez called this year’s contested races a positive sign that members are paying attention and want to help move the co-op forward.
A nearly 20-year employee, Juarez spoke passionately about the annual meeting and what it represents. He said he is from the Cibola community and believes the cooperative works best when local members show up, take part and help guide its future. Juarez added that he and other longtime staff members have put their “heart and soul” into the work because they believe members should have a real say in the coop’s direction.
Juarez said CDEC staff are from their community, and because of that, they believe in giving local members a real say in the cooperative’s direction. He said members should plan to arrive early as CDEC is expecting an uptick in members this year due to the number of candidates for office.
Members are encouraged to bring their certificate of membership and a valid photo ID to register. If they forget the mailed certificate, the cooperative says registration staff will provide one on site.
Members must be present in the Grants High School Performing Arts Center at the 11:15 a.m. April 25, business meeting to be eligible for prize drawings.