Adapting to the Circumstances
October 20, 2020
Written By Jon Ihler
The 2020 MFA Oil Annual Delegate Meeting is going to look a little different this year. Rather than hosting a centralized meeting with hundreds of attendees at a conference center in December, this year’s meeting is coming to an office near you and will be unlike any we have held in the past.
Like many other organizations, the MFA Oil Board of Directors and I felt it would be wisest to hold our annual meeting virtually this year so that our delegates can participate in a way that is both safe and easy. The meeting, which we were planning to hold in Columbia, Mo., is an important part of the governance of the cooperative and we carefully considered every option to conduct an in-person gathering. After reviewing our options and public health guidelines, we chose this alternate route out of an abundance of caution for the health and well-being of our delegates and employees. The meeting will now be presented via pre-recorded video presentation at designated local plant locations on Monday, Dec. 14, 2020.
While we will miss the opportunity to gather with our delegates, we will still be able to conduct all the business that would normally be part of the meeting, including elections for the MFA Oil Board of Directors. At the Sept. 3, 2020, meeting of the Board of Directors, a unanimous vote authorized the Delegates of MFA Oil Company to cast their ballots by mail for the following action items:
- Approval of the Minutes of the 2019 Annual Meeting of Members;
- Election of the co-op’s District 2 Director (Northeast);
- Election of the co-op’s District 4 Director (Southeast);
- Election of the co-op’s District 7 Director (East Central).
I realize this is all very different than how we normally go about our meeting, but don’t worry. Every registered delegate will receive all meeting information by mail, including a reminder of the meeting date, the nearest location where the video will be presented, a copy of the 2019 Annual Meeting minutes and a ballot requesting approval of said minutes. Delegates in Districts 2, 4 and 7 will also receive a ballot for director elections within their district. We will provide self-addressed, postage-paid envelopes to make it as easy as possible for delegates to perform their duties for the cooperative.
While the presentations for the 2020 meeting will be made via video, I want to assure you that we have already begun planning for an in-person 2021 meeting in Columbia, and we are hopeful that we will be able to reconnect with our delegates in a more typical fashion next year.