November has always been one of my favorite times of the year. There is something about this season that encourages us to slow down, spend time with the people we care about and appreciate what we have.

As I think about Thanksgiving, I find myself especially grateful for the people who have made LaGrange County REMC what it is today.

For 90 years, this cooperative has been a part of the communities we serve. Ninety years ago, local people came together with a common goal — to bring reliable electricity to rural homes and farms in LaGrange County that traditional utilities were not serving.

That same cooperative spirit is still at the heart of everything we do today.

Our system, technology, and challenges may look very different than they did in 1936, but our purpose hasn’t changed. We are here to serve our members and help make our communities better places to live, work, and raise a family.

I am thankful for the generations of members who have supported this cooperative over the past nine decades. Many of our members have family connections to LaGrange County REMC that go back generations. The way we use electricity has changed dramatically, but the relationship between this cooperative and its members remains strong.

I am also incredibly thankful for our employees. Providing reliable electric service takes a tremendous amount of work, much of it happening when most people never see it. Our linemen, operations crews, customer service representatives, office staff, and everyone behind the scenes are committed to serving our members every day. I am proud of the work they do.

And as we celebrate 90 years, I am thankful that we are still looking toward the future.

One of the biggest examples of that is LaGrange County REMC Broadband.

When we began building our fiber network, we knew we were taking on an ambitious project. But we also recognized that reliable, high-speed internet has become essential to many families, businesses, students, and farmers.

Today, thousands of our members are connected to our fiber network. Families are using it for work, school, streaming, and gaming, while businesses rely on it to operate. Members who once struggled with slow or unreliable internet now have access to a connection built for today’s demands — and the future.

I am particularly thankful for the patience and support our members have shown as we have built this network. Building fiber across our rural communities has been a tremendous undertaking, and we know construction doesn’t always happen as quickly as we’d like. But every new connection is another step toward strengthening the communities we call home.

In many ways, our broadband project reminds me of why LaGrange County REMC was created 90 years ago. Back then, rural electrification was about bringing a service that could transform people’s lives to places that had been overlooked. Today, our broadband network is helping bring another essential service to those same rural communities.That is the cooperative difference.

As we gather around Thanksgiving tables this month, I hope you will take a moment to think about the things you’re thankful for. For me, one of those things is the opportunity to lead an organization with such a rich history and such an important role in our community.

I am thankful for our members, our employees and the communities that have supported LaGrange County REMC for nine decades. And I am thankful that we have the opportunity to continue building on that legacy.

Thank you for allowing us to serve you. From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.

And thank you for being part of the LaGrange County REMC family.