North Dakota Association Of Rural Cooperatives

Safety Training Services:APPRENTICESHIP- Administered apprenticeship and instructional programs to develop the workforce in the trades of lineworker, meter technician and substation technician.- Received approval from the U.S. Department of Labor to add a substation technician and relay technician apprenticeship program. These programs will support the growth and complexity of maintaining a skilled workforce.- Administered scholarship dollars to eligible apprentices and supported veterans in receiving GI Bill benefits.TRAINING- Provided safety meetings for North Dakota and Montana members at 296 locations, reaching 3,053 employees.- Coordinated the 60th annual Apprenticeship, Training and Safety Conference, which attracted 297 attendees. Awards from six categories were presented to cooperatives and individuals.- Provided specialized training in hotline work, tree trimming and grounding/bonding to 468 participants.- Conducted dielectric truck testing on 150 trucks at 29 locations for members in North Dakota and Montana.- Obtained certification to host digger derrick and crane operator certification at central (Mandan) and western (Williston) locations.- Delivered NDAREC's first underground school.SAFETY/LOSS CONTROL- Monitored restoration efforts of electric cooperatives impacted by North Dakota wildfires and Hurricanes Helene and Milton.- Facilitated a disaster preparedness discussion with cooperative staff in core service areas, including general managers, finance managers, member services representatives and line superintendents.- Influenced a cooperative culture of safety through the Rural Electric Safety Achievement Program (RESAP). All North Dakota distribution cooperatives and Minnkota Power Cooperative participate in the RESAP program.- Conducted RESAP on-site observations for six cooperatives.- Represented North Dakota's electric cooperatives on the Certified Loss Control Professional Commission.- Engaged in the redesign of the leadership commitment portion of RESAP. Several North Dakota cooperatives are represented in the CEO self-reflection and orientation videos.

Government Relations & Communication Services:GOVERNMENT RELATIONS- Engaged member-cooperatives, congressional members and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) to promote achievable and sensible public policies related to energy, electricity and the environment.- Worked with member-cooperatives to coordinate educational and relationship-building opportunities with local legislators.- Facilitated North Dakota's participation in NRECA's Legislative Conference and the fall fly-in in Washington, D.C.- Represented North Dakota's electric cooperatives on "Keep It Local," a statewide coalition against an initiated ballot measure which sought to abolish property tax in North Dakota.- Coordinated Rural Electric Political Action Committee (REPAC) meetings and provided support to statewide and legislative candidates who support electric cooperative issues.COMMUNICATIONS- Emphasized key themes on social media, including energy efficiency, cooperative philosophy, the electric cooperative network and community building. Key posts included opposition to Measure 4, job openings, employee highlights, events, awards and workforce training programs. Posts also promoted smart thermostats, energy-saving technologies and highlighted Co-op Month in October.- Produced additional communications, including the Cooperative Power pamphlet, the bimonthly Know What's Happening e-newsletter, the NDAREC Annual Review, and a statewide brochure and values statement, initiatives established through the NDAREC board's strategic planning process.- Created videos for rural development, education, safety and government relations.- Developed special school materials, presentations, a rural development brochure, annual meeting materials, educational brochures and materials for the ND REC Benefit Trust.- Sponsored a one-day software training course for co-op communicators focusing on Touchstone Energy Cooperative's SHiNE platform.- Worked with the media to promote issues important to electric cooperatives and their members, appearing in more than 45 news stories and interviews.- Earned a gold Spotlight on Excellence Award in the Best Wild Card category for the Cooperative Center corridor displays, which showcase the rich history of North Dakota's electric cooperatives.