Palmer, AK –  This year nearly 3,500 members in the Matanuska and Eagle River Districts voted in the 2021 MEA election with a 12% voter turnout among eligible members. The 2021 MEA election included two district board seats: Matanuska and Eagle River. The election will be certified by the MEA Board of Directors in a Special Meeting on Monday, May 10, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. prior to the regular board meeting.

The preliminary results of the election were shared at the virtual Annual Membership Meeting on Tuesday, April 27 and are as follows:

Matanuska District Board Seat

·        Mark Masteller (Incumbent) - 1,433 votes, 75%

·        Brandi Burchett - 469 votes, 25%

Eagle River District Board Seat

·        Mark Hamm, 420 votes, 27%

·        Dan Flodin, 389 votes, 25%

·        Jackie Endsley, 366 votes, 24%

·        Stephany Jeffers, 252 votes, 16%

·        DonnListon, 104 votes, 7%

A total of 59 votes were received with no candidate selected. There were no bylaws or advisory votes for members to vote on in the election. Members could vote either online with their SmartHub account or by mail. At the regular meeting in March, the Board voted to have the April Annual Meeting virtually to follow COVID-19 health and safety guidelines for large gatherings.

Members can watch a recording of the virtual Annual Meeting by clicking here. Members may also watch the pre-recorded President and CEO Report video that includes information about the co-op’s 2020 achievements, financials and future priorities. The 2020 Annual Report is also available online, and printed copies are available at MEA offices.

Next year’s membership election will include two Board seats: an At-Large seat and the Eagle River District (this year’s seat was for a one-year term due to a 2020 Bylaw change). If you are interested in running for a Board seat, please look out for our call for candidates ads and application in late December.

Voting Grand Prize Winner

District members who voted in the 2021 election were entered to win the grand prize drawing for a year of electricity (up to 10,000 kWhs).The grand prize winner was Peter and Judy Scorup of the Matanuska District. Congratulations and we would like to thank all of our members who voted.

MEA Announces 2021 Scholarship Recipients

MEA is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Scholarship Awards:

• Margaret Ludwig – $7,000 – Mat-Su Career &     Technical High School
• Samuel VanderWeele – $3,000 – Palmer High School
• Hailey Olson – $2,000 – Twindly Bridge Charter School

The MEA Scholarship Committee reviewed 86 applications this year. The Scholarship Committee is made up of MEA members from various professions and communities that review and select scholarship recipients based on their applications. Scholarship applicants are asked to complete a financial plan and a short essay regarding the importance of member-owned cooperatives to both the student and the community. MEA would like to congratulate this year’s recipients and wish them the best in all their future studies.

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Matanuska Electric Association, Inc., Alaska’s oldest existing and second-largest electric cooperative, is owned and operated by itsover 53,750 members. MEA’s service area covers more than 4,500 miles of powerlines in Southcentral Alaska.

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