2024 Tipmont Annual Meeting Recap
Tipmont welcomed more than 1,000 cooperative members to its 84th Annual Member meeting on Saturday, Sept. 21 – both from our in-person location at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, as well as drive-thru locations at the fairgrounds and at Tipmont offices in Linden and Battle Ground.
This allowed more members to vote in this year’s elections for Tipmont’s Board of Directors and engage in the way they preferred. All members attending received a 2023 Tipmont Annual Report, as well as popcorn from Richelle in a Handbasket, Tipmont pens and other gifts.
Members attending in person visited various Tipmont displays and information centers to learn more about residential internet, engineering, energy transformation initiatives, operations, business solutions, the Indiana Connection magazine, energy efficiency, our Operation Round Up and EnviroWatts® grant programs, and vegetation management.
Tipmont attorney Brian Garrison read the notice of the 2024 Business Meeting, announced a quorum and called the meeting to order at 10:10 a.m. A motion was made, seconded and carried to approve minutes from the 2023 Annual Meeting. District 1 Director and Secretary-Treasurer Kirk Alter then delivered the 2023 Financial Report.
Garrison then introduced candidates for election in districts 2, 5 and 7: Tom Cutter, Daphene Koch and Ken Walton for District 2; incumbent Larry Carlson and John Dale for District 5; and incumbent Robert Baker for District 7. Each candidate in a contested district was given three minutes to address those gathered in person for the meeting before in-person voting began. Candidates spoke in alphabetical order of their last names. Several weeks earlier, Tipmont had provided and promoted candidate platform videos on its website and YouTube channel so those voting in the drive-thru could learn more about the candidates on their ballots.
After candidates in districts 2 and 5 addressed the crowd, a motion was made, seconded and carried to cast a unanimous ballot for District 7, as Baker was running unopposed. Garrison then directed members to vote for District 2 and District 5 seats, providing instructions on how to submit ballots, and Tipmont staff collected in-person ballots.
Communication Director Rob Ford then introduced President and CEO Ron Holcomb to join him in updating the membership on the closing phases of ensuring broadband access across Tipmont’s service territory, offering a historical overview of the process, and highlighting how fiber services will evolve in the future. Ford and Holcomb also updated the membership on the status of Tipmont’s effort to pursue a more fair and flexible power supply, the distinctions in definitions of energy delivery, and future aspects of energy reliability and market performance.
Garrison then announced final results from ballots submitted for the District 2 and District 5 director elections. Tom Cutter was announced as the winner for District 2, and Larry Carlson retained his seat in District 5.
Ford then observed the accomplishments of District 2 director Jan Harlow, who is stepping away from the board after nine years of service. He asked the membership present to join him in recognizing, and thanking, Harlow for her service to the cooperative.
With no further business, a motion was made, seconded and carried to adjourn the 2024 Business Meeting at 11:01 a.m.
Four grand prizes of $1,000 were then drawn, available in cash or as an electric bill credit and with one for each voting location. Winners were Joni Deno of Battle Ground (Battle Ground drive-thru), Donald Huff of Battle Ground (in-person), Frank Korshnick of Romney (Linden drive-thru) and Rolland Rhine of Lafayette (fairgrounds drive-thru).
