As my tenure of over 35 years at Miami-Cass REMC came to a close in January, I reflected on many things and would like to share a few words to all of you. I started working at the REMC on Halloween in 1988. My daughter, Brandy, was eight at the time. The following year, I thought I was going to be terminated when on our company kayaking trip, Brandy hit the former CEO, Jim Yates, in the head with a paddle and broke his expensive sunglasses. He let that one go and allowed me to remain employed, thankfully!

I have worked through many changes in the organization from a single meter reader to a now fully automated meter reading system. If we had a software program implemented, I knew how to run it.

Thank you all my former co-workers for all the memories shared. I want to thank Brandon (Williams) and the line crew for trusting me during outages and for all the storms we worked through to get our wonderful members back online with power. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to work, learn, grow, and serve this co-op in various capacities — all while taking great pride in the work performed.

I feel blessed for the years I have grown to know each of my co-workers, our board members and our members, along with their families. I am looking forward to spending more time with my daughter and two grandchildren. She is no longer the eight-year-old girl she was when I started. She is now a beautiful 43-year-old mother of two with four college degrees. In addition to spending time with them, I also look forward to traveling!

I want to express my sincere gratitude for the support offered to me over the years. I have genuinely enjoyed my employment tenure and will miss seeing you all and the witty humor shared. Adventure is on the horizon.