Electric Cooperative Director Bennetts Achieves Credential in Today’s Electric Utility Competencies

SDCEA Board of Directors President Joe Redetzke (left) presents director Blake Bennetts with his Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate at the electric cooperative’s monthly board meeting on January 25. Bennetts represents the Town of Buena Vista on the board.

Blake Bennetts, an Sangre de Cristo Electric Association (SDCEA) board director, recently received the Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. An ever-changing business environment has imposed new demands on electric cooperative directors, requiring increased knowledge of changes in the electric utility business, new governance skills and a solid knowledge of the cooperative principles and business model. SDCEA has committed to work through NRECA to sharpen this body of knowledge for the benefit of their electric cooperative members.

The NRECA Credentialed Cooperative Director program requires attendance and demonstrated understanding of the basic competencies contained in 5 core courses:

  • Director Duties and Liabilities
  • Understanding the Electric Business
  • Board Operations and Process
  • Strategic Planning
  • Financial Decision Making

SDCEA serves 14,000 member accounts in Chaffee, Lake, Fremont, Custer and Saguache counties. NRECA represents the nation’s more than 900 private, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, which provide electric service to more than 42 million people in 47 states.