Search narrowed for co-op GM job
A special meeting that was set for 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 29, to interview three candidates for the job of general manager of Socorro Electric Cooperative has been canceled. The entire board of trustees was invited to take part in the process during their meeting last Monday.
However, Co-op President Paul Bustamante said in a phone interview Friday, that upon advice from the co-op’s attorney, Dennis Francish, “it was canceled due to legal opinion regarding the confidentiality of candidates.”
Trustee Donald Wolberg, who is on the screening committee along with Luis Aguilar, Priscilla Mauldin and Leo Cordova, said in a phone interview Friday that the committee thought the meeting set for Monday was premature and that they are still looking at all resumes submitted, as well as starting the process of looking at references and requesting official transcripts from the colleges attended by the applicants. And, once completed, they could pick a date for all finalists to interviewed on.
“We have to be real careful that confidentiality is maintained,” Wolberg said. “Dennis (Francish) concurs that the process requires confidentiality.”
Wolberg went on to say he would like to have the process completed by mid-December and that the committee will meet again on Monday, Nov. 29 to continue with the screening process.
“The committee has not said they are ready,” Wolberg said. “I don’t want to present anything to the board that’s not complete,” Wolberg said.
At the Nov. 22 meeting
Bustamante determined that the meeting (to interview candidates) will be held in private, as it is a personnel matter and to protect the identity of the candidates.
Board Secretary Luis Aguilar reported that the co-op had received 27 applications for the job, which became open when former General Manager Polo Pineda Jr. was fired from the position in August in the wake of an investigation into financial irregularities.
Aguilar said a screening committee had narrowed the list of applicants to three finalists. He said the committee was in the process of checking references and would make a recommendation to the board, listing the finalists in order of preference.
But Bustamante and others said they thought the whole board should take part in the interviews. He added that he’d also like to have Larry McGraw, a field representative with the USDA Rural Utility Service, sit in on the interviews.
“Then why have a committee?” protested trustee Prescilla Mauldin, who served on the screening committee.
Trustee Charlie Wagner said involving the entire board was “the right thing to do.”
Wagner wanted to know what criteria the committee used to narrow the list.
Aguilar said candidates were assessed based on their experience, education and references. Wagner also wanted to know if any current co-op employees had applied for the position, but did not receive an answer.
Bustamante said the names of the applicants should be kept confidential, since some of them held jobs and might not want their current employer to know that they were seeking employment elsewhere.
Trustee Donald Wolberg agreed that the identities should be kept secret and urged members of the board to sign a confidentiality agreement.
Richard Lopez, the co-op’s engineering and operations manager, is currently serving as interim general manager.
Merry Christmas
The board took action on several other matters involving personnel at Monday’s meeting. The board approved the hiring of a cashier, based on Lopez’s recommendation.
Lopez said there was a need for an additional person to serve in the position, since some employees were juggling roles. He said the position would probably pay in the range of $10 per hour.
Lopez also urged the board members to approve Christmas bonuses for employees, which they did after some debate.
Lopez said employees were accepting the news that there would be no Christmas party this year, but taking away Christmas bonuses could have an adverse affect on employee morale. He said employees had worked hard and have done a good job while the co-op has gone through a turbulent year that was no fault of their own.
He asked the board to award employees with a $350 bonus, which is what they received last year.
Wagner said employees might deserve even more than that, but he questioned whether that was in line with what other laborers in Socorro were getting.
“Do they have better benefits and pay than anyone else in the community? I think they probably do,” he said.
Mauldin noted that employees also receive a $48 energy credit on their electric bills each month.
“Isn’t that like a bonus?” she asked.
Wolberg did the calculation and determined that it would amount to a $13,300 expenditure by the co-op.
“Can we afford it?” he wanted to know.
Lopez said the co-op could and it was worth it to reward them in light of all the turmoil they’ve had to work through this year.
“Anytime these things are brought up, they wonder if benefits will be taken away from them. It brings morale down,” Lopez said. “I’m asking you as interim manager to back them up.”
Trustee Leroy Anaya said the board should do what it can for the employees.
“I don’t think it’s right to take away the Christmas party. They work hard for the SEC,” he said.
In the end, the board voted unanimously to approve the bonuses, with trustee Jack Bruton absent from the meeting.
Insurance Matters
The board accepted a new employee insurance plan that would allow for retired employees or trustees 65 and older to participate.
Local insurance agent Michael Olguin presented the board with options, presenting proposals from Presbyterian, Lovelace, United Health Care and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
Olguin said while some companies were increasing rates by as much as 15 percent, the Presbyterian Flex Care 15 plan the co-op is currently using was only increasing by 5.29 percent.
“That’s the lowest I’ve seen this year,” he said.
The current plan was a self-coordinated plan that required no deductable to be paid, he said, and added that employees were satisfied with the plan.
The plan would also cover trustees, he said. Currently, three of the 10 trustees are covered by the plan.
Olguin said Presbyterian also offered its Advantage plan that would provide insurance to trustees age 65 and over, but at least two people must be enrolled in order for the benefit to be offered.
Lopez pointed out that the insurance would be paid for by that person and not the co-op. He said he had talked to three people who would qualify for it and one was very interested and the other two were interested.
With the insurance set to expire at the end of the year, the board unanimously approved the Presbyterian Advantage Plan.
Contact T.S. Last