This year’s Member Appreciation Event and Annual Business Meeting was one for the books, with a record crowd of 643 registered members representing approximately 1,539 people in attendance. This was the largest crowd we have ever had at this event. Seeing so many members and families come together was a great reminder of what makes being a cooperative so special.

From the beginning, we wanted this to be a family-focused event, and looking out over the crowd, I think we accomplished that. It was great seeing families enjoying Bingo, cheering on the Silly Safaris live animal show, and taking part in face painting and balloon twisting. The Sean Lamb and Janet Miller Band provided country and classic rock music throughout the evening. Norman Basile, Street Magician, kept everyone entertained with some impressive magic tricks that you may still be trying to figure out.

Of course, a great evening also includes great food. The LaCrosse Lions Club prepared the pork chop dinner, with sides from John Andy’s Café and Deli.

The Annual Meeting gave us an opportunity to share important updates about the cooperative. Board President Dave Janney provided an update on our recent membership survey and discussed the board’s continued focus on reliability as part of our strategic plan. He also introduced a long-term project with our power supplier, Wabash Valley Power

Alliance, to install battery storage at three of our substations. Once completed, these batteries are expected to help reduce wholesale power costs by providing an additional resource during certain outages and supporting demand response efforts.

I also shared a recap on the time-of-use rate, including the $3 million in savings returned to the members in December 2025. With the significant storms the area experienced in June and August, I recognized the employees for their dedication and determination in restoring power quickly, despite the extensive damage to our system.

We also recognized the Junior Board participants and awarded their scholarships, celebrating the next generation of community leaders.

Finally, congratulations to Russell Guse, who was re-elected to the board, representing one of the at-large districts, and Brad Hazelton, who was elected to his first term representing District 4.

Thank you to everyone who joined us. It is always a great evening, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to celebrate with you as members of KV REMC.