The Saskatchewan Co-operative Association is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019 Saskatchewan Co-operative Merit Awards. The Awards will be presented in Regina during a banquet on Tuesday, October 15th as part of our celebrations for Co-op Week.

LIFETIME CO-OPERATIVE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Morley Doerksen, Pineland Co-operative Association Limited

Morley Doerksen is a driver of strategic change at Pineland Co-op. A level-headed, diplomatic leader, he is guided by the best interests of the membership.

Morley became president of Pineland Co-operative Association in 2013. He is a key part of the co-op’s leadership team, and embraces the responsibility afforded to him by the membership. Morley is also fully aware that Pineland needs to evolve to remain relevant to its members and its community.

In 2002, when Morley was first elected to the board of Pineland Co-op, the organization posted $27,000,000 in sales and employed 120 employees. Eighteen years later, the co-operative had sales of nearly $75,000,000 and close to 200 employees. Morley attributes the tremendous growth to a strong a leadership and management team, and also to a board of directors with a vision for the future.

To keep the board moving forward strategically, Morley encourages continuous learning and board development. Leading by example, he has completed seven modules of the Director Development program and works to apply the learnings to his role. He’s been a stakeholder in the development of Pineland’s guiding statements and the co-op’s corporate performance management process. More recently, Morley led the refinement of board governance.

Morley and the nominating committee developed a plan to identify and recruit new delegates. He was instrumental in implementing a mentoring program to prepare delegates for future positions on the board. This has elevated the calibre of board members over the past decade, and enhanced the ability of the co-op’s board to govern with a strategic perspective.

Morley helped facilitate the many partnerships Pineland Co-op has entered into. Demonstrating its commitment to co-op values and principles – including co-operation among co-operatives - Pineland contracts out accounting services to two co-operatives and offers petroleum record keeping services to two others. While recruiting for a General Manager in 2017, Morley led the board through several options and ultimately entered into a management agreement with Lake Country Co-operative.

Morley’s passion is clear. The role of Pineland’s president is one that he embraces whole-heartedly, putting in countless hours towards preparing for meetings and events and doing his due diligence.

Dona Hoppe, Pineland Co-op’s board secretary, notes that Morley’s “...fair and compassionate leadership makes being a part of the board a much easier task. His knowledge of the co-op in general makes him a great leader. He brings a strong teamwork perspective to our board.” She adds, “He always elevates our thinking to the strategic level.”

In addition to being the president of Pineland Co-op, Morley is currently an FCL delegate and a past chair of its Resolutions Committee. He also sat on the board of White Fox and District Credit Union until it amalgamated with Diamond North Credit Union in 2005.

Morley’s community involvement has included being a councillor for the Rural Municipality of Torch River and a member of the Nipawin and Area Economic Development Committee. He’s also been an icemaker for the Garrick Curling Club and a weather reporter for the Rural Municipality of Torch River.

Morley farms in the Garrick area with his family. He and his wife, Shelly, are involved citizens and volunteer at community breakfasts and local events, building floats or working the gate at the co-op’s summer exhibition in Nipawin. Morley and Shelly have volunteered nearly 200 hours at co-operative events in local communities in the last ten years.

Morley Doerksen leads with diplomacy and a strategic vision of the future. He is committed, customer-centric and passionate about Pineland Co-operative Association and the co-operative movement. We are pleased to present Morley Doerksen with the Lifetime Co-operative Achievement Award.

Saskatchewan Co-operative Association (SCA) is the apex organization for the province’s 900 co-operatives and credit unions. SCA is incorporated as a community service co-operative and is owned by its members, many of which are co-op federations or associations.

On behalf of the Saskatchewan co-operative community, SCA works to support and promote the co-operative model for community and economic development.