In: 2022 NRECA

PowerXchange, NRECA’s annual meeting of members, will be back in person March 6-9 in Nashville, Tennessee, after going entirely online last year because of COVID-19.

The cutoff date for hotel reservations is Jan. 26, which is also the last day for PowerXchange early-bird registration.

For those unable to travel, there will be a virtual option, PowerXchange Online. It will include livestreams of the three general sessions and access to the NRECA Annual Member Business Meeting and Proposed Resolution Forum in real time. Recorded replays of select breakout sessions will be available the following week and the presenters will be available live.

“We’re excited to be able to provide an online option for members who are not able or would prefer not to participate in person,” said Kristen Wheeler, NRECA’s meetings program manager.

Those attending the in-person meeting must comply with NRECA’s health and safety COVID-19 protocols, which follows guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

All of this year’s learning sessions—breakouts and smaller, interactive sessions—will focus on three themes: the future of electric power, co-ops at work, and shifting from reactive to proactive leadership. In addition, general sessions will include keynote speakers on the three themes.

This year, organizers have simplified scheduling to streamline the meeting experience for participants. Nine breakout sessions take place March 7, and the following day will feature 26 peer-to-peer interactive sessions in the form of Meet Ups, Spark sessions, Ask the Expert and Finish the Conversation.

With the exception of the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corp. and Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange, service member meetings will take place March 6, the day before the first general session. The annual meetings for CFC and Federated will be in June 2022 in Boston.

Representatives from ACRE®, Touchstone Energy® Cooperative, Homestead Funds, Voices for Cooperative Power and Co-ops Vote will be stationed in or near the NRECA booth inside the TechAdvantage Expo Hall. The NRECA booth will also feature a “Learning Center,” a dedicated space for interactive sessions.

As in previous years, PowerXchange will be co-located with the TechAdvantage® Experience. Each event will require separate registration, though a TechPlus registration option is available for those who would like to participate in sessions for both events.

Unlike recent years, the presentation of NRECA awards will be throughout the three days. But the Youth Leadership Council’s Parade of States, a meeting highlight, will be absent this year due to the cancellation of the 2021 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour.

The Next Generation Leaders Experience will return this year, and a few spots are still available. This program is designed for co-op employees with fewer than 10 years of work experience who demonstrate leadership and management potential.

The National Resolutions Committee will hold the Proposed Resolutions Forum on March 6 prior to the general sessions. The NRECA Annual Member Business Meeting, where voting delegates will take action on the 2022 Proposed Member Resolutions, will be on March 8.

Here’s a brief look at other PowerXchange highlights:

March 5: A few spots are available for Touchstone Energy’s 14th annual community service project, which will take place in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Projects will support the city’s school district, a local mobile food pantry and a community center.

March 7: NRECA CEO Jim Matheson will kick off the opening session, followed by the presentation of the Electric Cooperative Purpose Award. There will also be a series of TED Talks-style stories from members on their approaches to prepare their co-ops for the future.

The day also features a revamped NRECA International Luncheon, and there will be a fundraiser before, during and after the meeting to raise $85,000 to benefit health centers in Guatemala.

March 8: The morning kicks off with the ACRE Breakfast. The general session that day will feature remarks from NRECA President Chris Christensen as well as Forbes magazine contributor and future-of-work strategist Heather E. McGowan, who will discuss “The Future Company: Culture and Capacity.” Touchstone Energy’s annual meeting also will take place as well as the presentation of the Clyde T. Ellis Award. Entertainment Night takes place that evening, featuring 38 Special.

March 9: The day will begin with the presentation of NRECA President’s Award, followed by the third general session speaker, Daniel Burrus, author, business strategist and technology futurist. He will discuss “Anticipatory Leadership: Use Hard Trends to Accelerate Innovation and Growth.”

Article courtesy of: Victoria A. Rocha @ Cooperative.com

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