Board seats up for election
Three board seats are up for election in 2026– District 6 (Morgan Township), District 7 (Hanover and St. Clair townships), and District 8 (Colerain, Crosby, and Harrison townships). Two board members have indicated they do not intend to run for reelection, leaving District 6 and District 8 vacant for the 2026 election. Board member Mike Tilton can run for reelection in District 7 if he chooses.

Who can become a board member?
Members living in Colerain, Crosby, Hanover, Harrison, Morgan, and St. Clair townships can run for, and be elected to serve on, the board of trustees. To be a candidate for the board, your account with Butler Rural Electric Cooperative must be in your name. This means your name must appear on your bill from the cooperative.

Board members responsibilities
Board members meet with the co-op’s attorney, general manager, and management staff each month and work together to make important decisions that impact our day-to-day operations.
Board members spend around 25 hours each month attending meetings and conferences. This includes attending board meetings on the last Wednesday of each month at Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s office in Oxford. The meetings begin at 9 a.m. and typically conclude by 1 p.m. To stay up-to-date on current and developing industry information, they also attend conferences in Columbus and national meetings with varying locations.

Board member qualifications
You do not need to have electric or utility knowledge to become a board member. An orientation is provided to newly-elected board members to learn about the cooperative business model and the electric utility industry. Board members complete training courses covering the roles, responsibilities, knowledge, and skills to govern Butler Rural Electric Cooperative. These courses address governance, financial decision-making, strategic planning, and current and emerging issues.

The co-op provides compensation (per diem) for serving on the board. The average annual compensation for Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s board members is $15,000. Board members do not receive health insurance through the co-op.

Nominating committee
18 members serve on our nominating committee. These members are responsible for finding board candidates each year.

The nominating committee began accepting candidate applications in August. Members who applied to become board candidates were verified as members in good standing and underwent background checks. Qualified applicants attended interviews with the nominating committee at the co-op’s office Nov. 18. The committee selected candidates to appear on ballots after the interviews.

Apply by Dec. 30
If you live in Morgan, Hanover, St. Clair, Colerain, Crosby, or Harrison township and meet the board candidate qualifications, you can submit a petition to the cooperative’s office by 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 30. The petition process requires members to collect 25 signatures from members. Contact Julie Abbott, Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s director of administration, at 513-867-4402 or juliea@butlerrural.coop if you would like a petition.

The petition process is an additional outlet for members to run for the board of trustees. Members who submit petitions will be interviewed by the nominating committee Jan. 12 if they weren’t interviewed in November to ensure they are qualified to serve on the board of trustees.

Get on the list for our nominating committee
If you’re interested in participating in your co-op, serving on our nominating committee is another great away to do so. Nominating committee members meet three to four evenings per year and receive $75 plus mileage reimbursement for each meeting.

Contact Julie Abbott at 513-867-4402 or juliea@butlerrural.coop if you would like to be considered by the board of trustees for our nominating committee.