During United’s 2025 Annual Meeting on Oct. 17, officials announced that co-op members chose Sharay Boynton to represent District 6 (Granbury Area and Northeast Hood County); and Dennis Hughes to represent District 7 (Northwestern Erath County, Lingleville).

“As a democratically run organization, United’s members have a voice in selecting board members,” said United CEO Cameron Smallwood. “Sharay and Dennis bring much talent and expertise to United’s board, and I look forward to their service, as well as the continued contributions by United’s entire board of directors. Their work in the name of the members they represent ensures we continue to provide exceptional service and value to the membership.”

Also in this year’s election, 83.5 percent of voting members chose to reduce the cooperative’s quorum requirement from 5 percent to 1 percent. United’s Board considered the amendment to reduce quorum to 1 percent in the best interest of the cooperative and the membership to reduce the risk of substantial cost and delay that would occur in the event the former 5 percent quorum requirement was not attained in the future.  

“With our membership continuing to grow, and the declining number of members taking time to vote, United’s staff and Board of Directors had very real concerns of not being able to certify elections as valid due to the quorum requirement of our Articles of Consolidation,” Smallwood said. “This will significantly reduce the possibility of future election certification issues.”

Board President Tommy Cantrell recognized the organization’s continued commitment to exceptional service and value in its 87th year of operation. He opened with remarks emphasizing United’s long-standing mission: providing reliable electric and internet service to nearly 80,000 member-owners and 33,000 internet subscribers across a rapidly growing region.

“For nearly nine decades, we have stayed true to our mission,” Cantrell said. “This board is committed to ensuring our cooperative remains strong and forward-looking. Our founders set out to improve lives by bringing power to rural Texas, and today, that same spirit drives our efforts in electricity, internet and community service.”

33,000 Members Now Connected to Fiber Internet
During the meeting, Smallwood delivered an extensive State-of-the-Cooperative that highlighted growth in both electric and broadband operations. United now serves more than 110,000 meter locations across its seven districts, making it the seventh-largest cooperative in Texas and among the largest nationwide, he said.

“United has now exceeded $1 billion in total assets,” Smallwood said. “That’s a milestone achievement reflecting our members’ trust and our commitment to responsible growth.”

Smallwood also discussed the ongoing expansion of United’s high-speed internet, which launched five years ago to bridge the digital divide in rural areas. 

When the project first started, about 87 percent of United members lacked access to high-speed internet. Today, more than 33,000 members now enjoy fiber-optic internet in their home.

“Our members gave us a 92 on the American Customer Satisfaction Index—the highest internet satisfaction score in the nation for three years running,” Smallwood said. “That’s not just a number—it’s a reflection of how deeply we care about serving our members. ”

Investing in Infrastructure and Efficiency
Smallwood also discussed the recent completion of the Cleburne office reconstruction and the closing of two former temporary locations in Joshua and Godley. Both properties are now for sale, and proceeds from the transactions will help offset reconstruction costs of the Cleburne office. 

United leadership is fiscally conservative and acutely aware of how membership money is spent at the co-op, Smallwood said, and keeping overhead low is key. 

“We have 225 employees at your cooperative, and we try to control that, because that’s a large cost to the members of the cooperative,” Smallwood said. “Each day, we try to control that. That’s why we’re one of the most efficient in the nation when it comes to our employee count for the size that we are.”

Members who missed this year’s Annual Meeting can watch the event at www.ucs.net/news-releases.