Whether you realize it or not, you’re a member and an owner of Trinity Valley Electric Cooperative.
October is National Cooperative Month, when we celebrate the benefits of co-op membership.
You can be a member of many institutions—a gym, 4-H club, food-of-the-month club, the list goes on and on. But being a member of a cooperative is different. When you’re a member of a co-op, you’re also an owner.
When you signed up to get electric service from TVEC, you “bought” a stake in our business; and just like any stakeholder, you’re offered the benefits of membership.
That means we’re not turning a profit on your need for electricity. Our bottom line is providing you with safe, reliable and affordable electricity, which demands that we think about expenses, overhead and other aspects of daily business. But when we have money left over at the end of the year, we send it back to you and all your fellow members.
When you gather with family and neighbors each year at TVEC’s annual meeting, that’s another perk of membership and an opportunity to engage directly with your co-op’s leaders.
This year’s meeting is starts at 6 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Canton Civic Center. I’m looking forward to seeing you there.
Another great co-op member benefit is our elected board of directors. Unlike for-profit corporations, our board leadership is made up of co-op members. As fellow members, the members of the board know they have to balance the cost of providing great service with the way it impacts the family budgets of everyone we serve.
As your local electric co-op, we have the privilege of being a vital part of the community we serve. When we think about membership, we think about all the ways we can give back to you, our members.
This October, I want to thank you for being a member—because without you, there is no co-op. Thank you for taking an interest and being an active member in the co-op that you own.
