jul-aug-2019

NEWS IN A NUTSHELL Blue Diamond Elections — Your Voice Matters Exercising your right to vote is one the greatest benefits of being a Blue Diamond grower-owner. Each year you — as a cooperative member — have the opportunity to elect members of the Board of Directors and Grower Liaison Committee. Through voting or representing your district by running for a seat on the Board of Directors, you are taking an active role in your cooperative and helping to shape policy. Member involvement is crucial to the success of any cooperative and is even more so to Blue Diamond as it competes in a fast-changing, highly competitive industry. Blue Diamond offers members several ways to be involved and affect policy: • Participation in the district and annual meetings; • Discussions with district directors and regional managers; • Voting in elections; and • Service on the Grower Liaison Committee, Advisory Committee or Board of Directors. Between now and the end of the year, you can participate in several of these activities. You will also have an opportunity to attend Blue Diamond ’s Annual Member Meeting in Modesto on Wednesday, November 20, 2019. Mark that date on the calendar and plan to attend! Be Active as a Board Director As a director on the board of Blue Diamond Growers , members are significant contributors to the ongoing success of the leading grower-owned cooperative and marketer of almond products. It’s an exciting time to consider running for a seat on the board of directors. Board directors represent the cooperative’s grower-owners and monitor the performance of the CEO. They also collaborate with the CEO and Blue Diamond ’s Leadership Team on strategic direction with the mission of maximizing the return of each grower who entrusts their almonds to Blue Diamond . Serving on the board is a significant responsibility — one that requires the time and commitment to fulfill the powers and duties of the position as defined in the corporate bylaws. Board directors must also actively participate in scheduled Blue Diamond meetings and events. Blue Diamond’s New Voting Process Your cooperative is democratically controlled and your voice matters. Over the last five years, less than 30 percent of grower-owners cast a vote to elect members of the Board of Directors and Grower Liaison Committees. To give you the best opportunity to cast your vote and make it count, Blue Diamond is implementing a new voting process starting with the 2019 cycle. This change will offer more voting options and convenience so we can reach more members and increase voter turnout. Members can now vote in one of three ways: • Paper Ballot; • Telephone; or •Online A third-party administrator, Intelliscan, Inc., will handle the balloting process. Watch your mailbox for election materials from Blue Diamond Growers . 1 2 A L M O N D F A C T S