DISTRICT 3

Kent Homan is a lifelong Jay County resident and a Jay County High School graduate. Homan is a livestock farmer raising turkeys for Cooper Farms and pigs for Country View Family Farms. He is also a row-crop farmer and grows corn, soybeans, and wheat. Along with row-crop, he grows alfalfa, bales straw, and screens compost. He is a partner in KBK Pumping and Homan Excavating.

Homan and his wife, Kim, have been married for 15 years and have four children: Kinze, Khloe, Kody, and Kaleb.

He has been on the board since 2015 and has served on several committees, including finance, membership and public relations, employee relations, and operations.

Josh Richards, a lifelong Jay County resident, graduated from Jay County High School in 2004. He then graduated from the University of Northwestern Ohio in 2006 with a diesel and ag technician degree.

Upon returning to Jay County, he started a career in agriculture at Harvestland Co-op in Bryant for two years. In 2008, he began working at JM Manufacturing, where he is currently the Fall Assembly Foreman. He is also a farmer and works raising crops and hay.

Richards is involved locally as the president of the Pennville Community Center, chaplain of the Portland Elks, and a member of the Jay County Trail Riders and Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Association. He enjoys horses, beekeeping, working on antique tractors, metal detecting, and spending time with his family.

Richards married Emily Peterson in 2017, and they have two children, Reed and Ava. The couple runs a small business called Two Mile Honey Company, producing local honey for sale from their Knox Township home.

Richards believes in the Jay County REMC cooperative and that your membership and vote matter. He is motivated by the opportunity to learn more about the cooperative.

DISTRICT 6

Dru E. Hall grew up in Albany, Indiana, and moved to beautiful Dunkirk, Indiana, in 1988. He has been on the Jay County REMC Board of Directors for three years and received a Certified Cooperative Director Certification (CCD) training certificate.

He was appointed vice president of S.D.P. Manufacturing Inc. in 1996. Hall and his wife, Selena, have been integral to the company and its day-to-day operations since their move to Dunkirk, Indiana. The family is very involved in the local community, and they participate in several business and philanthropic causes. They have two children, Don and Audrey.

Hall is a member of the Kiwanis Club, Optimist, Moose, Elks, and American Legion and has held numerous leadership positions in these clubs and organizations.

Shannon McConnell is running for Jay County REMC District 6 Director. He has lived in Albany for over 30 years on the farm where his father grew up. His paternal grandfather fought in the American Revolution and pioneered early Delaware County with his sons.

Rural life has afforded McConnell many blessings and opportunities to thrive after graduating with his entrepreneurship degree from Ball State University. He was able to care for his family on the farm in their final years.

His livestock knowledge has taken him across the country through showing, judging, public speaking, and teaching. McConnell still enjoys judging locally with 4-H kids. Like his father, he has spent years in the real estate business.

McConnell has owned a certified bakery, gift shop, and production greenhouses. He enjoys marketing, learning new things, and exploring new ideas. With his skills, talents, and energy, he will keep Jay County REMC doing its best for all members today and into the future.

DISTRICT 7

Rick Dues (Incumbent) has lived in Jay County his entire life. He graduated from Jay County High School in 1986 and attended Purdue University. Dues and his wife, Beth, have been married for 31 years and have two children: Brayden (wife Olivia) and Britlyn Vaughn (husband Zack). They have two grandchildren and a third on the way in August.

Dues retired from the Portland Forge after 32 years of service. He is currently farming full time with his son Brayden, brother Brad, and nephew Isaac. They also raise nursery pigs and turkeys for Cooper Farms.

Dues is finishing his first term as director. He has completed his CCD and earned his Board Leadership Certification. He has served on several committees during this term, such as the employee relations and operations committee, the finance committee, and the election review committee. Dues is honored to have served the membership for the past three years.

Tom Zimmerman is a dedicated community leader and a past Jay County REMC board member. He has been a resident of Jay County since 1950 and has lived in District 7 for 55 years. A Fort Recovery High School graduate, Zimmerman served six years in the National Guard. He owned and operated M Z Construction, later known as Toms Building Service, for 40 years. Zimmerman and his wife, Doris, have four daughters, six grandchildren, and three great- granddaughters. They are members of the First Church of Christ in Fort Recovery.

Zimmerman served on the Jay County Fair Board for 36 years, including 19 years as president. He played a key role in restoring Floral Hall, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. He also provided maintenance for the fairgrounds for 16 years.

Zimmerman was a member of the Jay County REMC board for 27 years, serving as chairman for 10 years. During his tenure, he participated in various committees, including employee relations and operations. He found his time on the co-op board personally rewarding and takes pride in working with an organization that prioritizes its employees and provides top-notch equipment. As a long-time resident of Jay County, he is honored to provide a voice for his community.