Behind the Board

Each month, the Beacon introduces you to one of the directors serving on BEK Communications Cooperative’s Board. They are the members who guide your cooperative and represent your voice. This month, we’re proud to feature Bill Becker.

Bill has spent his entire life on the same stretch of land 15 miles southeast of Napoleon, on the farm his parents bought back in 1958. He grew up attending Napoleon schools, and when his mom and dad were ready to retire, Bill took over the operation. He hasn’t looked back since.

What started as a dairy operation, milking cows through the 1980s into the early 2000s, has grown into a substantial cattle ranching business today, running nearly 5,000 head across two herds. Bill’s youngest son now works alongside him on the farm and lives on the property with his wife and three children. It’s a genuine multi-generational operation.

Bill and his wife Alicia have been married 41 years and raised five children on the farm. Today, each of the children, along with the couple’s 18 grandchildren, still call the area home.

Bill has always been passionate about the cooperative model. He spent time serving as a Board member of his local grain elevator, so when a fellow BEK director suggested he might be a good fit for the BEK Board back in 2008, it struck a chord. Bill has an appreciation for how co-ops came to be and the reasons they were founded in the first place.

Ask Bill what advice he’d give members who want to be more involved, and he doesn’t hesitate: “It’s their coop. You have a say-so in it.” He encourages members to talk to their directors directly and let them know what they want, because that feedback shapes decisions. For Bill, the heart of the cooperative comes down to something simple: service to members.

“You can have a different provider, but when you call them, you often get a machine,” Bill says. “Here, you get someone — and they’re local.” He points out that BEK Directors and employees are members too, which gives them an understanding of the community that you simply can’t find anywhere else. “I use BEK’s products myself, so if members have any questions or concerns, I’m glad to help. And if I can’t answer a question, I’ll know how to find it.”