Board of Directors
The business and affairs of the Cooperative shall be managed by a board of nine directors. All directors shall be elected by secret ballot and shall hold office for a term of three years. These are your directors for Graham County Electric Cooperative and Graham County Utilities.
Director Election process
The process for becoming a Director for Graham County Electric Cooperative, Inc. (GCEC) or Graham County Utilities, Inc. (GCU) is contained in the Cooperative bylaws Article IV. The summary below is not intended to replace the bylaws but only to help the interested person understand important deadlines such as when petitions are due and a general understanding of the overall process. Each candidate for a director position should carefully read the bylaws and understand the procedures. See below for GCEC and GCU Bylaws.
STEP 1: Determine if the candidate is qualified.
- Must be a member of the Co-op. GCU director candidates must be a member of both GCU and GCEC.
- GCEC candidates must be a bona fide resident in the area served meaning that you must receive electric service from GCEC to your place of residence in the district you wish to be a candidate. There are three districts and three directors for each district.
- GCU does not have districts and elections are not restricted to specific geographic areas.
- Other qualifications are listed in the bylaws under Article IV (Qualifications).
Service Territory
STEP 2: Sign the "Code of Ethics For Candidates for Board of Directors".
- Click on the links for a sample of the Code of Ethics forms.
- A list of member names and addresses for campaign purposes only may be obtain from the cooperative for $10 but is not required. The attached form must be returned to obtain the list.
Code of Ethics
Member Address List
STEP 3: Complete a nomination by petition.
- All candidates must be nominated by petition, in writing, containing the signatures of at least twenty-five (25) current members. GCEC candidates must have signatures from members who live in the district in which the proposed candidate desires to serve as a Director.
- Please refer to the bylaws for details about write-in candidates.
- Nominating petitions will be available 60 days prior to the annual meeting of the cooperative and must be obtained in person. Petitions are due back not less than thirty-five (35) days prior to the annual meeting. The GCEC annual meeting is always on the 2nd Saturday in February each year. The GCU annual meeting can vary but is usually a Saturday in June each year. As a general rule, GCEC petitions are available mid-December and are due back early January. GCU petitions are available late April and are due back mid-May. Please look for notices in your utility bill and/or currents magazine for exact dates or refer to the bylaws to determine when petitions are available and due.