CEO Corner

After 40 years of service to White River Valley Electric Cooperative, it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the members of this Cooperative. While much has changed over the years, one thing has remained constant – our commitment to providing safe, reliable, and affordable service to the communities we call home.

This past year reminded us how important preparation and adaptability are in our industry. Thankfully, Mother Nature was relatively mild in 2025, but our employees remained prepared for whatever challenges came our way. That readiness is critical because reliability does not happen by accident. It takes planning, training, and constant evaluation of our system.

One example came during the spring months when squirrel activity caused more than 4,000 outages across our system. While frustrating, it also gave us valuable data and insight as we continue looking for ways to work smarter, improve reliability, and reduce outage impacts for our members.

We also continue encouraging members to stay weather aware and participate in our “Beat the Peak” efforts during periods of extreme temperatures and high energy demand. Small changes in energy use during peak periods can help reduce strain on the system, improve reliability, and lower power supply costs that ultimately affect every member’s bill.

At the same time, we remain focused on responsible, sustainable year-round load growth that strengthens our system and improves our overall load factor. Strategic growth helps us better utilize infrastructure, manage incremental costs, and create long-term financial benefits that support the Cooperative and the members we serve.

As I prepare for retirement, I want to sincerely thank our employees past and present, board of directors, and members for allowing me to be part of this Cooperative family for four decades. Serving this membership has never simply been a job – it has been my calling. The time, energy, and commitment required in this role often meant sacrificing time with my own family, but I have always believed deeply in the mission of electric cooperatives and the people we serve.

I am incredibly proud of what we have built together and confident the Cooperative is well-positioned for the future. Thank you for your trust, support, and partnership throughout the years.