In order to be eligible to serve as a director for South River EMC, a person must be loyal to the cooperative and not have conflicting commercial or personal interests; be able to represent all members impartially; be willing to devote the time necessary to manage the cooperative’s affairs; be willing to attend regularly scheduled and special meetings as well as be committed to ongoing education and training. Each director is a member in good standing and lives in the district which they represent and they are committed to serve in the best interest of the membership. Board meetings are typically held the first Tuesday of each month at the headquarters office in Dunn.
South River EMC directors are committed to a continuous regimen of learning and keeping abreast of good governance and industry issues. Cooperative directors take part in a credentialing program where they gain a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities, stay up-to-date on key issues and trends in the industry and prepare to meet the challenges facing electric cooperatives.
The Director Certificate Programs are offered in three parts, taken in progression from fundamental to advanced
1. The Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD)- The CCD, is a set of five courses that focus on basic governance and the essential skills required of cooperative directors. The CCD prepares directors to fulfill their fiduciary duty as elected officials serving on behalf of their membership. Upon completion of all five CCD courses, directors are awarded the Credentialed Cooperative Director Certificate.
2. The Board Leadership Certificate (BLC)- The second part of the director education program, the BLC program, consists of a series of courses focusing in greater depth on specific industry and governance issues. These include issues such as risk management, power supply, parliamentary procedure, technology and policy development. A director can earn the BLC if they have 1) completed the CCD 2) Earned 10 credits from a choice of over 20 BLC courses. Directors may attend BLC courses at any time but the BLC will not be awarded until the CCD program requirements are completed.
3. Director Gold Credential (DGC)- Director Gold credential recognizes directors committed to continuing their education beyond the CCD and BLC and who desire a tangible credential that demonstrates their ongoing commitment to advancing their knowledge and performing their fiduciary duty to the best of their ability.