On Friday, November 7, NEPPA will conduct its most important business day of the year. The first Friday in every November NEPPA conducts its Annual Membership Meeting. Why is it the most important day of the year? It is like 3rd Quarter Report Card day for those of you who have kids. We will attempt to explain how we performed in 2014 and decide on our course of actions for 2015.

If you are an active member of NEPPA you really need to attend this one-day meeting!

This year in addition to hearing about our 2014 operational, political and financial performances, you will hear about some very important changes:

• Mike Kirkwood will review the first ever overall comprehensive NEPPA Investment Policy & Strategy, which the Audit Committee and Board have approved. This policy shall provide guidance to a solid investment future;
  
  
• This summer a taskforce comprised of Calvin Ames, Mike Cloutier and Mark Kelly worked on the first bylaw revisions in 20 years. There are two significant changes that will be presented to the members for a vote. These changes affect the classification of a member type and the election process;
  
  
• On October 29, 2014, Sharon Staz conducted a Legislative and Regulatory Summit to review our issues, positions and actions of the past several years. The results are the future positions of NEPPA for the next several years on crucial issues. As she begins to turn over the Chairperson’s seat to Mike Kirkwood, she has provided him and the Legislative Affairs Committee a very clear road map;
  
  
• I will present on two new initiatives for 2015. We will unveil the first offering in our Certification Program for Managers and the new focus on providing more member services to members through our Professional Services Program;
  
  
• Mark Kelly will outline what may be the most exciting year at NEPPA in a very long time. He and his committee have planned an outstanding year of activities to celebrate NEPPA’s 50th Anniversary culminating at next year’s Annual Membership Meeting.

All of these important and exciting developments are going to be presented to you, the members, to review and in some cases vote to approve. They are essential to who we are as a community. Almost 50 years ago members of the public power community came together to create a home. Their goal was simple: create a place where the burdens of training, common threats and mutual assistance can be more easily managed.  For 49 years this has been done and Friday is your opportunity to uphold that tradition of participating and representing your interests.

Registration opens at 9 a.m. and I expect to see all of you exercising your say in the organization. Please RSVP to Colleen at cdelsignore@neppa.org. For those first-timers to the Training Center, tours will be provided. I look forward to seeing you.