GRANTS, N.M. – Continental Divide Electric Cooperative was unable to conduct official business at its 2026 Annual Meeting. A total of 517 members registered, falling short of the 541 needed to proceed with votes on proposed updated bylaws, voting district reapportionment, and the at-large trustee election.
The bylaw amendments could be brought before the membership at a future annual meeting.
Current Board President and incumbent Keith Gottlieb of Cubero will continue to serve as At-Large trustee, and current Secretary/Treasurer and incumbent Joe Hoskins of Thoreau will continue to represent District 7, as those elections lack the needed quorums to proceed with votes. District 2 voters, meanwhile, elected Joe Lister of Milan over the incumbent Wes Malcolm.
During his presentation, Gottlieb thanked those in attendance for their active participation in the Co-op. “This cooperative is owned by the people we serve—you.”
He said Continental Divide remains focused on delivering value, reliability and long-term benefit to the members and communities it serves. “We continue to invest in grid reliability, advanced infrastructure and system resilience,” Gottlieb said.
During the Continental Divide Education Foundation report, he announced a first-year pilot program to award scholarships to students seeking certifications and associate degrees. The Co-op will work with New Mexico State University-Grants to award $1,500 scholarships, $750 per semester. The goals are to build a stronger local workforce and assist those students who are not interested in pursuing a traditional four-year degree.
Gottlieb also announced the recipient of this year’s $5,000 “Sharing Success” grant, the Grants MainStreet Project, which will use the funds to light up businesses along Historic Route 66 (Santa Fe Avenue) with LED string lights.
Vince Martinez, the Chief Executive Officer of the New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperative Association, assured Co-op members that Continental Divide remains solid as it begins a search to replace Robert E. Castillo, who resigned April 21, 2026, after 16 years as CEO.
Nathan Paden, a partner at auditor Bolinger, Segars, Gilbert & Moss, LLP, reported a clean bill of financial health for Continental Divide, with total revenue of $64.4 million in 2025, compared to $67.9 million in 2024. Total expenses last year were $65.1 million, compared to $68.3 million in 2024.
The Co-op’s annual report can be accessed online at cdec.coop. It will also be published in the July edition of enchantment magazine, which is mailed to the coop’s membership.