CEO Corner

There’s something special about the first signs of spring – the blooms you’ve seen before, the ones you know by heart. I get so much joy driving through our area’s backroads seeing last year’s flowers start popping up in neighbors’ fields and yards. To me, they are more than just plants; they are part of the rhythm of our community.

In much the same way, member involvement is filled with familiar faces that define who we are and create the rhythm of our Cooperative. I get excited when I see those familiar faces at our annual Member Appreciation Days – faces like Sherman and Thelma Stultz from Reeds Spring. This will be the first time in many years that Sherman’s face will not be amongst the crowd at our upcoming event. We lost Sherman last fall.

Sherman’s family’s involvement has quietly been a part of the fabric of our organization for many years. From attending the Annual Meetings in years’ past to participating in Member Appreciation Days. Their sister-in-law, Linda Gregory, continued that legacy by serving on the WRVEC Nominating Committee. They are a reminder of how the Cooperative is more than just an electricity provider – we are a community.

When you are part of a cooperative you aren’t a customer, you are a member-owner. You have a say in how we operate and in who represents your area on the Board of Directors. When the Cooperative is successful, members benefit through reliable infrastructure, but also through Capital Credits. The Cooperative model makes us unlike any other utility provider, where the members are not just served by the Cooperative, they are the Cooperative, with a shared voice, shared ownership, and a shared responsibility for its future.

Spring has a way of reminding us of what matters. The flowers return. The colors reappear. And, just as reliably, so do our members. Whether it’s for Member Appreciation Days or actively taking part in our Annual Meeting voting process, when you show up, you bring color to our Cooperative.