MECA News

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 Students Find Inspiration in Nation’s Capital on 2025 Youth Tour Eighteen high school students from across Michigan took part in a life-changing journey this June, representing their electric cooperatives on the 2025 Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. The annual event, coordinated by the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association (MECA) in partnership with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), offers student [...]

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 [...]

After ten days of travel and hard work in Florida, Michigan’s co-op lineworkers have safely returned home. They were part of a national response, with over 15 states sending crews to help restore power in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Nearly 30 Michigan lineworkers answered the call, joining their counterparts to bring electricity back to communities devastated by the storm. The [...]

As Hurricane Milton churns toward Florida, bringing with it the threat of fierce winds and power outages, help is already on the way. Over the weekend, Florida Electric Cooperative Association reached out to MECA and other cooperatives across the country asking for help in anticipation of Hurricane Milton. More than 15 states answered the call, with some coming as far away [...]