FFPC looking for two directors

Duane Hicks

The Fort Frances Power Corp. is looking for local residents with a knowledge of the electrical industry to serve on its board of directors.
FFPC CEO and president Joerg Ruppenstein said two of the five current directors’ terms soon will be up and the board is seeking applicants.
“We are a corporation that operates under the Ontario Business Corporations Act,” he noted.
“Our structure is that we have a board of directors that is the watchdog of this private corporation.
“The corporation belongs to the Town of Fort Frances, which belongs to the people, so the people are the shareholder,” Ruppenstein explained.
Directors have three-year terms and anyone is welcome to apply.
“Every three years we go through a selection process,” noted Ruppenstein.
“Town council appoints directors.”
The board of directors currently consists of Ruppenstein, Doug McCaig, Mayor Roy Avis, Glenn Witherspoon, and Larry Cousineau.
Witherspoon and Cousineau’s three-year terms will be up at the FFPC’s upcoming annual general meeting near the end of October.
There is no limit to the number of terms a director may serve, and directors whose terms are up also may re-apply.
The deadline to apply is 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25.
Town council’s director nomination committee then will review the applicants and make recommendations to appoint two applicants to be directors.
They recommend their tops picks to council for final approval.
Ruppenstein said council looks for “the best possible candidate to represent the people.”
The person’s age or gender doesn’t matter but it does help if they have a strong knowledge of the electrical industry, as well as the Ontario regulatory and business environments, he added.
Ruppenstein stressed that serving as a director is “a big responsibility,” as well as an honour.
“The Fort Frances Power Corp. is special,” he remarked. “We are unlike any other electrical utility in Ontario for a number of reasons.
“Part of it is you’re becoming a custodian of the 1905 historic power agreement,” said Ruppenstein.
“It’s a great way to serve your community and we have a lot to be proud of.
“We offer residents and small businesses the lowest the rates of electricity,” Ruppenstein noted.
“We’re one of the last utilities that operates on a not-for-profit basis—everyone else aims to maximize profit. . . .
“We are not like that.
“We truly do our best to run a viable business, keep up with necessary infrastructure replacement and all of that, while having the lowest possible electricity rates,” he stressed.
Ruppenstein said the industry is changing rapidly. There used to be 370 utilities in 2002 and now there are about 70.
“It’s turning into a survivor game,” he remarked.
“We operate under the guidance of our board of directors’ wisdom, and they’re tasked with some very important decisions that have a huge impact potentially on our community,” he added.
Applicants must be 18 or older. Applications will be screened on a merit-based process with regards to relevant qualifications and experience.
Application forms can be picked up at the FFPC office in the Civic Centre or downloaded from ffpc.fort-frances.com/careers.php
Applications, along with a résumé outlining qualifications and experience, must be submitted by 4 p.m. on Friday. Sept. 25.
These can be e-mailed to ffpc@fort-frances.com, faxed to 274-9375, or mailed to the FFPC.