MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR: POWER IN YOUR HANDS

As the Chair of the KEM Electric Cooperative, I am honored to serve our electric cooperative and our members. Because we’re a co-op, we operate a little differently than other utilities. KEM Electric’s decisions are made locally, by directors who also live right here in our community. Everyone who pays to receive electricity from the co-op is a member. When you pay your electric bill each month, your money stays here – to pay for the electricity used, or to make improvements to our local system to strengthen service reliability. The money you pay the co-op doesn’t line the pockets of shareholders five states away. We’re a co-op, and we exist to provide a service to you, our local members.

We believe in local leadership, transparency and democratic control. That is why I want to highlight what it takes to be a director, and encourage anyone interested to consider running for a director position. This is your cooperative – and your voice matters.

As a board member, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to the direction and decisions of KEM Electric. Some of the responsibilities include:

• Monthly board meetings: The board convenes once a month to discuss and decide on matters crucial to our cooperative's operations, development, and growth.
• Ongoing training opportunities: Continuous learning is crucial. Board members have access to training sessions to enhance their knowledge and skills in governance and utility management.

We highly value the commitment of our board members and to show our appreciation we compensate them for their time and travel expenses.

If you are interested, please attend our membership appreciation event in Steele on January 27th and visit with us, or call the staff at our cooperative to learn more.

Please know that you––the members of KEM Electric––are at the heart of everything we do. We exist to serve you and provide the quality, reliable, friendly service you expect and deserve. While we’ve grown over the years, we’re still driven by the same guiding principles to serve our community. We hope to see or hear from you soon. This co-op was created for you, the members. The power is in your hands.