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Cooperative IT Professionals Connect on Cybersecurity and Innovation Each October, information technology professionals from Michigan’s electric cooperatives come together to exchange ideas and explore emerging trends. This year's IT Conference was hosted by Midwest Energy & Communications (MEC) at its Cassopolis headquarters. The event brought together 23 staff members representing seven cooperatives: Cherryland, HomeWorks, Great Lakes, Presque Isle, Wolverine, [...]

Training Opportunities Strengthen Cooperative Leadership and Financial Insight Michigan’s electric cooperatives continue to invest in professional development that strengthens financial expertise and board leadership through hands-on training from national cooperative partners. The Michigan Electric Cooperative Association (MECA) recently hosted a CFC Workshop to help cooperative accounting staff sharpen their financial planning and analysis skills. Twenty-six employees from seven distribution [...]

From Elmira to D.C. and Back Again: Youth Tour Creates a Lifelong Co-op Advocate When Alex Mason boarded a plane to Washington, D.C. in 2016 as a home-schooled high school junior, he couldn’t have imagined how much the trip would shape his future. Representing Great Lakes Energy (GLE) as a student delegate on the NRECA Youth Tour, the high [...]

Michigan Delegation Unites to Support Federal Disaster Relief After Devastating Ice Storm In late March, an unprecedented ice storm tore through northern Michigan and parts of the Upper Peninsula, leaving behind a trail of downed trees, damaged power lines, and widespread outages that affected tens of thousands of electric cooperative members. Months later, the physical cleanup may be mostly complete, but [...]

LANSING, Mich.—After an extensive executive search, the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association (MECA) Board announced today that John Kran will succeed Craig Borr as MECA’s next Chief Executive Officer. Borr, set to retire on March 14, has served as CEO of MECA since 2012 and has been a fierce co-op advocate for over 40 years. John Kran most recently served as the National Legislative [...]

The Michigan Electric Cooperative Association (MECA) is excited to provide innovative safety training by leveraging virtual reality (VR) to provide zero-risk, immersive learning experiences for Michigan's electric cooperatives. As electric co-ops continue to prioritize safety and efficiency, MECA's VR training program is setting a new standard for preparing lineworkers for the challenges they face in the field. A New Approach to Safety Training [...]

MECA Safety Director, Joe McElroy, was recently presented the Leroy M. Vanderpool Recognition Award at the January Quad State Instructors Winter Conference.   “I am beyond humbled to receive this award,” McElroy said, “there are multiple people within the Quad States group who are more deserving to be chosen.”  Leroy Vanderpool was a pioneer in safety at the co-op level. His contributions to Quad [...]