Board of Directors

The Cooperative has a nominating committee, comprised of a member from each directorate district. Any member interested in serving on the board and who meets the qualifications, can contact any member of the nominating committee and ask that their name be presented for consideration by the members.

Alternately, any member who wishes to run for a seat on the board of directors and meets the qualifications, can be placed on the ballot by submitting an authorized petition form 40-business-days prior to the annual meeting. The petition must include the full name of the member and the district they wish to represent. The petition must also contain the printed names, addresses and telephone numbers of at least 100 South River EMC members. A petition form can be obtained by visiting sremc.com/annual-meeting or by calling 910.230.2966.

Any member interested in serving on the board of directors, must have the electric account at their primary residence in their name. This residence must receive electric service from South River EMC and be located in the directorate district, which the member plans to represent. They must have the capacity to enter legally binding contracts and be current on all payments to the Cooperative for at least 180 days prior to becoming a director. Finally, while a director and during the five years immediately prior to becoming a director, the member must not be nor have been, convicted of a felony, or plead nor have pled guilty to a felony.

Additionally, director candidates must not have any conflicts of interest, which include being a close relative to an existing director, Cooperative officer, employee, agent or representative or be employed by, materially affiliated with, or share a material financial interest with any other director. Director candidates are prohibited from being engaged in, or employed by, materially affiliated with or have a financial interest in any entity that competes directly with the Cooperative or sells electrical or plumbing appliances, fixtures, supplies or wiring in substantial quantities to the Cooperative or a substantial number of members. Any former employee must wait at least 10 years post-employment to be considered for a position as director.

All qualifications are outlined in the Cooperative Bylaws, Section 4.03.

Director elections are held in the first half of each calendar year. If any nominee has competition, an election will be held. Each member will receive a ballot per the Carolina County magazine, which can be returned by mail. Additionally, members can vote online. Directions are typically provided along with the ballot and a special access code is sent to each member via U.S. Mail. The election process is handled by a third-party balloting company. This company handles all ballots and certifies the election results. In the event that none of the seats up for election have more than one candidate, then balloting will be bypassed and each nominee named as director.

Directors are required to receive a Director’s Certificate or similar certification from NRECA within three years of being elected. Directors are expected to actively engage in the governance of the board and must attend at least two-thirds of all board meetings in any calendar year. Directors are expected to remain in good standing with the cooperative throughout their tenure as a director. Directors represent the Cooperative at several meetings and events throughout their tenure.

Each director represents a particular district of the Cooperative. However, they represent the membership as a whole collectively. Therefore, any member can contact any director with concerns or questions about the Cooperative. Although the directors are all actively involved and well known in their community, their email addresses are also listed on the Cooperative website.

Each director acts as a representative of the Cooperative’s members. The directors, together with Cooperative management, staff and the attorney, compile the bylaws to guide the business of the Cooperative. The electric utility sector is dynamic. The board members and Cooperative staff are engaged with local, state and federal organizations to ensure the bylaws are contemporary and flexible to meet the needs of the members and the utility.

Complete information regarding the Cooperative can be found in the bylaws, which are posted on sremc.com.

The South River EMC Board of Directors meet the first Tuesday of each month at the Cooperative headquarters office, unless changed due to unexpected conflicts.

Any member can get a copy of the minutes of a specific board meeting, by submitting a Member Information Request form. The form can be obtained by calling the HR Department at 910.892.8071. Once received, the form will be reviewed, and if the request is determined to be in good faith, the information requested will be provided. Full details can be obtained from Board Policy No. 606.

Yes. Any member who is interested in attending a meeting of the board of directors, can request to do so at least five days prior to the scheduled meeting date. If a member wishes to address the board of directors, there are 15 minutes prior to each meeting reserved to members to voice their concerns. Members who wish to address the board, must notify the VP of Corporate Services at least five days prior to the meeting. No more than five members can speak at any meeting and each comment is limited to three minutes. Once the 15-minute-comment period has expired, all member commenters will leave the board meeting, unless they have reserved a seat to observe the remainder of the meeting. All requests to attend a board meeting can be made through the VP of Corporate Services at 910.892.8071 or HR@sremc.com. Full information can be viewed by requesting a copy of Board Policy No. 630.