One of the things I appreciate most about living in Montana is that we still believe leadership should be earned through service, competence, and trust. Out here, people respect those who step forward with real knowledge and a willingness to shoulder responsibility for their community.
That’s why conversations about leadership on important local boards matter.
Organizations like Lincoln Electric Cooperative play a quiet but significant role in the future of Lincoln County. The decisions made there affect infrastructure, power reliability, economic opportunity, and ultimately the cost of living for families and businesses across our region. Because of that, the question of who serves on these boards—and why—deserves thoughtful attention.
Electric cooperatives were built on a simple democratic principle: the members own the organization, and the members elect trustees to represent them. Typically, trustees serve three-year terms, with those terms staggered so that seats regularly come up for election. That structure is intentional. It allows continuity while still ensuring that new voices and fresh expertise have a chance to step forward.
But when we look honestly at how those rotations play out over time, we see two very different patterns.
Some trustees rotate out as the system intends. Seats open, elections occur, and new candidates sometimes step forward to serve. Yet in other cases, individuals remain in those positions for decades. That does not happen because the rules are different. It happens because the same individuals continue to run, often without competition, and the cycle quietly continues.
This isn’t meant as criticism of anyone who has served. Many people who step into these roles do so because they care about the community, and that service should always be respected.
But healthy institutions require renewal.
Lincoln County is filled with capable people. We have electricians, engineers, contractors, ranchers, business owners, financial professionals, and tradespeople who understand infrastructure, economics, and the realities of rural life. Those perspectives are exactly what cooperative boards were meant to reflect.
When the same small circle of names continues to occupy leadership positions year after year, it can unintentionally send a message that those seats belong to a familiar few rather than the broader membership. Over time, people who might bring valuable skills and fresh ideas simply assume those positions are already spoken for.
That’s not how the cooperative model was intended to work.
The purpose of rotating terms is to ensure that leadership remains connected to the members it serves. It allows experienced voices to remain involved while still creating regular opportunities for others to step forward. When that balance disappears, the system may technically remain democratic, but it begins to lose the spirit of open participation that made cooperatives successful in the first place.
Strong communities thrive when leadership is based on skill, knowledge, and stewardship, not simply familiarity.
The people of Lincoln County deserve boards and institutions that reflect the depth of talent in this community. That means encouraging participation, welcoming new candidates, and remembering that no seat truly belongs to anyone—it belongs to the members who depend on the institution to serve them well.
In Montana, we’ve always believed that public service is not about holding a position indefinitely. It’s about stepping forward when you’re needed, doing the work well, and ensuring that the next generation has the opportunity to serve too.
That’s how strong communities endure. And that’s the spirit that built this place in the first place.
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