Structure and governance
Grassroots governance strengthens Associated Electric
Associated Electric Cooperative is member-owned, member-governed. This continues to be a key strength that keeps it focused on its mission of providing an economical, reliable power supply to member cooperatives.
The Associated Electric board of 12 directors is comprised of the CEOs from each of its six owner transmission cooperatives, who are skilled executives with extensive experience in the electric utility industry, and six directors who serve on the boards of their G&Ts and are elected to represent their distribution cooperatives. These directors also bring a wide range of experience in other industries.
Our board tests our business strategy, approves key investment decisions, works with the executive team to determine the strategic direction for Associated Electric and sets the wholesale power supply rate to ensure we meet our financial responsibilities and stay focused on our mission.
Informed and involved member-owners are a key strength for Associated Electric and are the foundation of our business strategy. One of the most important ways members are involved in our electric cooperative system is through member governance.
This goes back to the cooperative principle of one member, one vote.
Adherence to the seven cooperative principles is what makes cooperatives different.
Our board president exemplifies member representation and governance. Associated Electric President Emery Geisendorfer is a fourth-generation farmer in northeast Missouri who has represented members like him and his family more than 20 years.
In 1996, he was elected to serve on the board of the transmission cooperative that supplies power to his local electric cooperative.
He brings these members’ voices to the board of Associated Electric, which he joined in 2004 and has served as president since 2009, and to external audiences also.
Member involvement has been a noted difference, and Associated is among the nation's top-rated G&Ts with an AA credit rating from Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, an Aa3 rating from Moody's and AA- from Fitch Ratings.
7 Cooperative Principles
- Voluntary and open membership
- Democratic and member control
- Members' economic participation
- Autonomy and independence
- Education, training and information
- Cooperation among cooperatives
- Concern for community
Our commitment, our responsibility
Associated’s first Environmental, Social and Governance report, designed to showcase the focus, work and accomplishments of our cooperative in these three key areas, is available on our website.