Teamwork key to cooperative’s success
Cooperatives mean different things to different people. To Bernard Falkenstein,
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Bernard Falkenstein |
board director for Capital Electric, a cooperative is a good way of doing business.
“It’s togetherness,” he says. “One person can’t do it alone. But a cooperative can do what individuals can’t do by themselves.”
With 29 years of service on the Capital Electric board, Falkenstein exemplifies the Touchstone Energy® value of commitment to community. He says he finds the director work interesting and strives to make decisions based on what is best for the member-owners.
“It’s been interesting,” says Falkenstein regarding his work on the board. “I learned how to negotiate and work with people. When you work for a good organization like Capital Electric and it’s for a good cause, the work can be rewarding.”
If he finds cooperative work rewarding, Falkenstein must be a satisfied man. He also represents Capital Electric on the Central Power Cooperative board of directors, and represents Central Power on the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperative’s board of directors.
“It keeps me out of mischief,” he says with a smile.
A retired farmer, Falkenstein has been a member of Capital Electric for as long as he can remember. He and his wife, Alice, farmed for over 50 years in between Regan and Wilton. They started with milk cows and diverse crops, and narrowed the operation down to beef cattle and grain farming.
Married for 55 years, Alice’s resume included job duties as mother, housewife and partner.
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Bernard and Alice Falkenstein |
Bernard’s family tree is as extensive as his service and dedication to cooperatives. He and Alice have two grown boys and one girl, along with eight grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. One son works for John Deere in South Carolina. Another son works for 3M in Minneapolis. Their daughter and her husband are Slope Electric Cooperative members who operate a ranch near Amidon.
While they consider themselves retired, life hasn’t slowed down for the Falkensteins. They attend Sunne Lutheran Church, where he served as a council member for several years. He and Alice also volunteered as custodians for 13 years. They recently changed duties to serve on the building committee and take part in family community education.
When not volunteering or serving on boards, Bernard remodels and maintains the farm, with projects like painting outbuildings and fixing the roof. He says he enjoys shop work, and uses his own tools for woodworking projects.
After many years of hard work and volunteer service, Bernard says he hopes retirement from the Capital Electric Board is on the horizon. And after 29 years, he hopes he’s made a difference to the communities he’s served.
“My service has been good to me,” he says. “I’ve done the best I could do.”