A few words from your Board President, Kermit Pearson

Thinking back to the time I got the phone call from the Lake Region Electric nominating committee asking if I would be interested in serving on the Board of Directors, it was a decision that I never took lightly and one that I do not regret.

I never set out to have a long career serving Lake Region Electric, but as events and time have progressed, that is exactly what happened. Once I got involved and got to know some of the people, I found out how important it was to provide some leadership.

My desire to serve my fellow members, the co-op and my community grew the more time I spent serving. I was chosen by my fellow directors to represent Lake Region at East River Electric and ultimately, East River directors chose me to serve on the Basin Electric Board. This has evolved to participating in our statewide organization as well as regional and even national organizations.

I have witnessed, and been part of, many changes and challenges during my time serving at Lake Region Electric. I have tried to take my leadership skills, and any other skills that I have to offer, and use those as a way of serving and giving back to the community.

It has been a wonderful experience to be able to contribute and to see some of the policies that you help develop come to fruition and benefit the membership. From the beginning, co-op members across this country pooled our resources and came together to form not-for-profit organizations that benefit the individual, the community, the state and the country. I have sat in the Oval Office, three chairs down from the most powerful man in the world having discussions in order to help my rural community and I have talked with you, my neighbors, and fellow members of this cooperative in the board room and at our annual meetings. All of these conversations continue to help me lead this cooperative so that we can effectively serve our members. That can-do attitude that you see in rural America and that ability to come together, particularly in times of conflict and times of stress, has served us well over the years and it will continue to serve us well. That is why we must resist attempts to split us apart and to break away from what has held us together for so long and will continue to serve us into the future.