Print the registration form and fax it to 701.663-3745
Register online.
Touchstone Energy® Service Excellence — Committing to the Cooperative Difference Jan. 5—Bismarck Oct. 7—Jamestown Oct. 18—Grand Forks Brochure Register Online Registration Form
For REC employees and board members. This workshop will provide the necessary skills to manage challenging times and challenging members. By applying improved solutions to everyday situations, participants will learn communication skills that turn high-bill complaints into high-usage concerns, demonstrate Touchstone Energy® values, assist members with new and innovative customer-service solutions, and engage members by teaching them how to become better energy managers.The workshop is co-sponsored by the N.D. REC Member Services Association (NDMSA), and will be held in conjunction with the NDMSA winter meeting that is scheduled for Jan. 5 and 6.
Key Topics
Putting the “touch” in Touchstone — your role, your view, your turn
Communication styles, techniques and danger zones
The membership challenge — common complaints, concerns and behaviors
A service attitude for difficult times and difficult challenges
The new resolution: right answers, collaboration and compromise
Member advocacy and putting your skills to work
Instructor: Lynn Moore has worked in the electric cooperative industry for 10 years as the director of member relations and development for the Indiana Statewide Association. Her accomplishments include: educational design and program delivery for all employee groups, RELITE — a successful 15-year employee leadership program, Youth Leadership development both locally and nationally, and nationally recognized efforts for the “Our Energy, Our Future” campaign.
When Disaster Strikes — Continuity Management and Emergency Response Planning for Directors, NRECA #924.1 Jan. 21—Mandan. Brochure Register Online Registration Form
For REC board members. Cooperatives are subject to the ongoing challenges of providing continuous service to their membership in the face of natural and man-made disasters. Whether it’s a hurricane, tornado or employee sabotage, directors play an increasingly important role in monitoring the activities of management to ensure that physical and information-technology assets are secure and safe. This course focuses on the director’s role in disaster planning and recovery, showing how they can fulfill the responsibility they have to their members by ensuring the continuity of electrical and business operations.
Key Topics
Ways cooperatives currently handle emergencies
Factors that contribute to cooperatives’ needs to create emergency response plans
Elements of emergency response and business continuity plans
The director’s role in emergency response and business continuity plans
Available resources for emergency response and business continuity plans
Instructor: Bryan Singletary began his career with Florida Power Corporation, rising rapidly to the position of vice president before he was 30 years old. He has owned and operated Practical Energies, a utility consulting firm specializing in assisting companies in meeting the needs of their consumers, for the last 15 years.
For REC board members. This course helps directors understand the role of the board in financial planning, including identifying the basic documents used in financial planning and reporting; assessing the issues that drive financial decisions; balancing competing goals; and taking responsibility to monitor and evaluate results.
Key Topics
Key financial decisions boards must make
The uniqueness of the cooperative business model
Three key financial documents and three key financial ratios
The basics of allocating and retiring capital credits
Key elements of an equity management policy
Instructor: Scott Luecal.
Board Roles and Relationships, NRECA #2620 Feb. 3 (1 to 4 p.m.) —Mandan. Register Online
For REC board members. The success of the cooperative is based on its ability to nurture and maintain effective relationships with consumers, community leaders, media, public officials and others. This course explains how the director and the full board each play a key role in developing plans and implementing actions to maintain and manage these relationships.
Key Topics
Identifying the individuals and groups with whom the board must maintain effective working relationships
Understanding, working with and responding to members
How public officials and opinion leaders impact the cooperative and the board’s role in building and maintaining effective relationships
Lessons and guidelines regarding key internal relationships: with the chairperson, the attorney and with itself
Instructor: Bob Patton was formerly Senior Principal for Education Programs at NRECA before retiring in December 2010. His career spans 40 years working with electric cooperatives. He currently is a contracted instructor and counselor for NRECA’s Education and Training Department.
For REC board members. Boards are responsible for directing the affairs of the corporation. This course addresses the duties of loyalty, obedience and due care; and the need for directors to acquire the minimum knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill their responsibilities within the cooperative context.
Key Topics
The concepts and values that govern cooperatively owned businesses
Legal and regulatory concepts affecting public utilities
Key legal documents such as articles of incorporation and bylaws
The roles and responsibilities of the board of directors
Duties of care, loyalty and obedience
The role of management and guidelines for maintaining an effective relationship with the chief executive officer
The N.D. REC Engineering & Operations Association will hold its annual conference March 13 and 14
at the Prairie Knights Casino and Resort, 7932 Highway 24, Fort Yates. An exhibitor showcase will be
held in conjunction with the conference. 2012 Associate Members of the North Dakota Association of
Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) and other interested companies are invited to participate in
this event.
The N.D. REC Engineering and Operations Association collaborates with NDAREC every year to provide technical training at its annual conference. This year’s conference will feature a full-day session on March 13, “Major Changes and General Overview of the 2012 National Electrical Safety Code.
Key Topics
Introduction to Sections 1, 2, 3 and 9
Part 1: Electric supply stations
Part 3: Overhead lines
Part 3: Underground lines
Part 4: Work rules
Instructor: David J. Marne, P.E. is a registered professional electrical engineer and the author of McGraw-Hill’s National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) Handbook. He serves on the NESC Subcommittee 4, Overhead Lines-Clearances and is a nationally recognized speaker on the NESC.
For engineers and operations personnel. This session at the N.D. Engineering and OperationsAssociation Conference will focus on the benefits of smart-grid technologies, the significant technology research currently underway on behalf of electric cooperatives, NRECA’s Cooperative Research Network(CRN) Smart-Grid Demonstration Project.
Key Topics
System planning
Engineering applications and operations
The CRN Smart-Grid Demonstration Project
Available CRN resources and ways to contribute to the research program
Instructor: Tony Thomas recently joined the NRECA Energy and Power Engineering group as principal engineer. He comes to NRECA with nearly 30 years of experience in energy automation and control, and his expertise spans the range from distributed generation integration and control to AMI, SCADA and distribution automation.
Instructor: Tom Lovas is a senior program manager and consultant for CRN in generation and transmission technology and assists in developing and supporting CRN’s strategic alliances. He also serves as the principal investigator for the Smart Grid Regional Demonstration project coordinated by NRECA and the Cooperative Research Network, on behalf of the participating cooperatives. Lovas has been an active contributor to the cooperative research program, as both an advisory group member and consultant, for more than 20 years.
The Nuts & Bolts of Work Orders Aug. 15 & 16—Bottineau. Register Online
For REC office managers, accountants, engineers and employees involved in any aspect of the plant construction process. This course stresses the importance of each participant —involved in the plant construction process — focusing on their eventual impact on the cost of total utility plant and the recovery of that plant through the rates of the system’s customers.
Key Topics
The electric delivery system
Purpose of a work-order system
Sources of capital planning
Financing options
Work-order chain of events
Work orders, accounting and financing
Cost elements of a work-order system
Staking
Unitization and distribution to plant accounts
Contract construction
Special equipment
Continuing property records
Instructor: Kim Mikkelsen is the president of KW Consulting, a firm based in Yakima, Wash. For more than 30 years, she has served as a consultant and trainer across the United States in the areas of public power finance and accounting issues.
Current Issues in Policy Development, NRECA #929.1 Oct. 13—Mandan. Register Online
For REC board members. Policies, if developed and used properly, set the standardfor board behavior. This course encourages attendees to view policies as proactive tools to establish a standard of board behavior. Participants will take part in discussion about current issues facing rural electric cooperatives and how the governance function contributes to the cooperative and adds value. As these issues are addressed, a sample set ofpolicies will be used to show examples of policies relevant to today’s governance issues.
Key Topics
The role that policies play in effective board governance
Current issues facing rural electric cooperative boards
A suggested standardized policy structure and format
A successful approach for reviewing and updating policies
Instructor: Bob Patton
Under Scrutiny: The Board’s Role in the Age of Consumer Activism and Transparency, NRECA #945.1 Dec. 1—Mandan. Register Online
For REC board members. Everything the board of directors or the cooperative does sends a message. Directors must be prepared to deal with increased scrutiny from members, the public, news media,legislators, regulators and others. This scrutiny can come from any direction, and a failure to address it only produces more scrutiny. This course will help directors discuss and analyze how to best position their cooperative at a time ofpublic demands for accountability, ethics and transparency.
Key Topics
The increased demand for transparency and accountability
Reasons why electric utilities, including co-ops, are in the headlines
Steps to address the new challenges, including “getting your house in order” and identifying strategies to strengthen and communicate your position
Instructor: Pat Mangan serves as NRECA’s director of governance education and is responsible for strategic planning and development of curricula and educational programs to meet the needs of electric cooperative directors.
North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives| 1.800.234.0518 |PO Box 727, Mandan, N.D. 58554 |www.ndarec.com | Contact us
