Cooperative Network Elects New Board of Directors
 MADISON, Wis. (November 23, 2009) Cooperative Network, the trade association for Minnesota and Wisconsin cooperative businesses, elected a new board of directors at its annual meeting last week in Bloomington, Minn. Delegates of the 2008 annual meeting approved governance changes adjusting the size and composition of Cooperative Network's board of directors to better serve the broad membership. These changes took effect at this year's board election.
“Minnesota and Wisconsin are the two leading cooperative states in the nation and our new board of directors reflects the considerable strength, diversity and vitality of our cooperative community,” said Bill Oemichen, Cooperative Network president & CEO. “Our board members truly reflect the cooperative principle of cooperation among cooperatives and they will work hard to advance member-owned businesses in both states.”
The following cooperators were elected to the 2009-2010 board:
- Sam Skemp, Sun Prairie, Wis., general manager of Frontier FS Cooperative, as Cooperative Network board chairman
- Curt Eischens, Minneota, Minn., a grain producer and member of the CHS Inc. board of directors, as Cooperative Network board vice chair
- Bob Topel, Waterloo, Wis., dairy producer and a member of the Foremost Farms USA board of directors, as Cooperative Network board secretary
- Jim Drogue, Sun Prairie, Wis., Wisconsin Credit Union League, as Cooperative Network board treasurer
- Dave Hischke, Suring, Wis., Oconto Electric Cooperative board member, as a member of the Cooperative Network Executive Committee
At Large Directors
- Jerry Hasnedl, St. Hillaire, Minn., CHS Inc.
- Tom Hayes, Lafayette, Minn., Brown County Rural Electric Association
- Cheri Gibeaut, Endeavor, Wis., Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative
- Jim Kinzie, Drummond, Wis., Bayfield Electric Cooperative
Sector Directors
- Terri Dallas, Shawano, Wis., Genex Cooperative, Inc.
- Max Michaelson, Black River Falls, Wis., Co-op Credit Union
- Jim Hathaway, Menomonie, Wis., Dunn Energy Cooperative
- Lynn Peterson, Barron, Wis., Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association
- Bob Gadwill, Altoona, Wis., Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association
- Alan Albers, Plain, Wis., Merrimac Mutual Insurance Co.
- Brad Welp, Blue River, Wis., Richland-Grant Telephone Cooperative
- Neil Christy, St. Paul, Minn., Minnesota Credit Union Network
- Dennis Hunwardsen, Jackson, Minn., FCA Co-op
- Steve Schlangen, Albany, Minn., Associated Milk Producers Inc.
- Dave Hoelmer, Mankato, Minn., AgStar Financial Services
- Al Wearing, Madison, Wis., Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin
- Greg Sacia, Holmen, Wis., Dairyland Power Cooperative
- Bill Zuhlke, Beaver Dam, Wis., Land O’ Lakes
- Matt Brandrup, Madison, Wis., RESCO, Inc.
- Harlan Lanz, Mankato, Minn., BENCO Electric
Bill Buending, of Gramercy Park Cooperative Northwest in Minneapolis, Minn., was appointed by the board to represent housing cooperatives. |
