A Conversation on Rural Electric Cooperatives

This September, the Rural Assembly hosted a conversation with national and regional practitioners about the history and utility of rural electric cooperatives as well as their role in the transition to more renewable sources of energy and the development of resilient rural communities. Panelists included: 

  • Doug O’Brien (Moderator), President and CEO of the National Cooperative Business Association;
  • Tony Anderson, NRECA Treasurer and General Manager of Cherryland Electric Cooperative;
  • Kristen Taddonio, board member, Mountain Parks Electric, Granby, CO;
  • Cornelius Blanding, CEO of Southern Federation of Cooperatives. 

You can read more about rural electric cooperatives and the potential of a transition to renewable energy in the Daily Yonder here

Drawing Resilience: Maureen Hearty

Maureen Hearty transforms objects, space, and community, seeing art as a tool for action, education, and opportunity. The majority of her community-based work today is on the eastern plains of Colorado, considered one of the most sparsely populated areas in the United States. In Joes, Colorado (pop. 78), she is activating space using art, music, and the collection of story. In 2020, Maureen and her friend Kristin Stoltz were awarded an NEA grant for a project titled “Arts for a Prairie Seas: Farming Fluxus.”

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