CEO Message — November 2018
The job of providing our members with safe, reliable, clean and affordable electricity is your cooperative’s top priority. But this job requires a lot more than stringing and maintaining power lines throughout our service territory. It requires political engagement. That may seem far removed from our core mission, but it is absolutely essential to serving you, our members.
This has never been more true than now. The 2018 election will change the political landscape and the way we serve you, our members.
In addition to encouraging members to vote in the annual election for your Board of Directors, I have always encouraged cooperative members to participate in national, state and local elections. Educating voters, political candidates and elected officials about the important role played by electric cooperatives in their communities is critical to your cooperative’s continued success.
Electric cooperatives have a unique advantage. As cooperatives, the civic virtue of voting is in our DNA. We show Concern for Community—one of the Seven Cooperative Principles—through participation in our democracy.
Cooperatives have another advantage. Elected officials and decision-makers across the political spectrum trust us because the goals of the cooperative and the needs of the members are the same. When we all get involved, we can make things happen politically and in our local communities.
Your participation in this election will help ensure rural issues remain part of the local, state and national discussion and are supported by our elected officials. However, I’m not asking you to get involved just for your cooperative. This election is about protecting your rights as a member of your electric cooperative by voting No on Question 3.
By the time you read this article, early voting will have been available for a couple of weeks and should still be available for a few more days. Election Day is November 6. Please commit to voting this year.
We look forward to seeing you at the polls.
Clay R. Fitch
Chief Executive Officer
