Kankakee Valley REMC recently said farewell to two longtime employees. You may not have interacted directly with Bobbi Richlen and Harold Michaels, but the work each of them performed helped us provide the electricity you count on every day.

Bobbi retired as our office manager after 18 years. Through many changes in technology, she kept operations running smoothly, although she refuses to take credit for that. “It takes everyone working together to make those changes and be successful,” said Bobbi.

She now plans to spend more time with family, travel, and perform volunteer work. When asked what advice she’d give younger workers, she urged them to “appreciate what you have and look at your employment not as a job but as a career.”

For the past 39 years, Harold has made sure the REMC’s fleet of vehicles were ready to serve member needs. As our mechanic, he kept our trucks in excellent condition and responded on a moment’s notice when one wouldn’t start or had broken down, 24 hours a day.

It was a constant learning process as vehicles became more computerized. “I won’t miss having to deal with the snow and cold weather,” Harold said, “but I will miss talking with my fellow employees.” Don’t worry that he’ll be lonely, though — he plans to spend his time enjoying his grandkids.

“Bobbi and Harold are shining examples of the people who work behind the scenes for the REMC,” said CEO Dennis Weiss. “We’re all proud of the extraordinary service they provided to our members and their fellow employees, and we offer our best wishes for their retirement years.”