Local Businesses Get Boost from DMEA

$35,000 in grants awarded at DMEA Annual Meeting

On June 17, 2021, DMEA held its virtual Annual Meeting, with attendees logging on at 3:00 p.m. for the opportunity to hear from DMEA’s Board President, Bill Patterson, and acting CEO, Virginia Harman about the co-op’s accomplishments over the past year.

“Thank you to all who joined us this afternoon. With everything taking place online over the past year, many of us are experiencing a little virtual fatigue. We truly appreciate you taking time out of your day to spend it with us,” expressed President Patterson.

While the meeting covered many meaningful DMEA milestones, it also marked the announcement of the recipients of DMEA’s Powering Connections Business Grants. DMEA awarded $35,000 total, split among nine local businesses. The following recipients were selected from approximately 80 eligible applications:

Creative Corner, Montrose - $3,000

Olathe True Value Hardware, Olathe - $3,000

Paonia Laundromat, Paonia - $3,000

Fox Theater & Cascade Entertainment, Montrose - $5,000

Black Canyon Motel, Montrose - $5,000

Guru’s Restaurant, Montrose - $5,000

Surface Creek Valley Historical Society, Pioneer Town, Cedaredge - $3,000

Ollie’s Ice Cream, Paonia - $3,000

Ladybugs Daycare, Montrose - $5,000

“Congratulations to our grant recipients. We are honored to be able to support these organizations. As we began the review process it quickly confirmed what we all already suspected—our local businesses were hit extra hard by the pandemic. I urge our members to join us in supporting local businesses by buying local when possible,” stressed Patterson.

Continuing in their efforts to promote local shopping, DMEA concluded the meeting by awarding more than $3,000 in gift cards to local businesses as door prizes for the meeting attendees. 

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Election Results‍

The meeting also marked the conclusion of DMEA’s 2021 Board of Directors Election. DMEA’s legal counsel, Jeff Hurd, facilitated the elections using Zoom’s polling feature, and members were asked to cast their vote on the following: As a member of DMEA in good standing, I submit this vote for the 2021 Board of Directors: Bill Patterson for District 1, Kyle Martinez for District 2, and Chris Hauck for District 5. One hundred nine members participated in the vote with 92% voting YES and 8% abstaining. All three directors retained their seats for another three-year term. At the time of the vote, 127 members were in attendance with attendance peaking at 149. 

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Other Highlights‍

DMEA Board President, Bill Patterson and acting CEO, Virginia Harman, reported on the co-op’s achievements in 2020. They discussed DMEA’s strong financial condition, which was due in part to a $2 million reduction in wholesale power costs after beginning a new power supply contract with Guzman Energy. It was also noted that DMEA held rates steady through 2020 and 2021. In addition, no rate increase is scheduled for 2022 either. President Patterson highlighted the continued growth of DMEA’s fiber internet subsidiary, Elevate, stating that almost 54% of DMEA members now have access to high-speed fiber internet. Harman highlighted DMEA’s efforts to maintain high reliability, noting that trees and vehicle accidents are the two biggest causes of power outages.

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About DMEA‍

Delta-Montrose Electric Association is a member-owned and locally controlled rural electric cooperative, incorporated in 1938. Located in Southwest Colorado, DMEA energizes and serves 28,000 members in Montrose, Delta, and Gunnison counties. DMEA is a progressive and forward-thinking electrical distribution cooperative. Learn more about the value of cooperative membership at dmea.com or by calling 877-687-3632.