DISTRICT 1 CANDIDATE
Chris Birky and his wife, Melissa, reside in Pleasant Township with their children. The Birkys have been Kankakee Valley REMC member-consumers for 25 years.
They own and operate Birky Family Farms Country Gourmet in Kouts. The business includes the Country Market, Bakery and Café which specializes in catering, concessions and hog roasts. In addition, Birky operates a small manufacturing company that provides products to pork and poultry producers. He also operates South County Love Your Neighbor, a not-for-profit organization.
He and his brother raise corn, soybeans and operate a small farrow-to-finish hog operation in Morgan and Pleasant townships. Raising pigs, cattle, goats, sheep, rabbits, chickens and turkeys for the fair and family store is something Birky and his children especially enjoy.
The Birkys are members of the Hopewell Mennonite Church. Birky was elected to the Kankakee Valley REMC board in 2004. He became a Credentialed Cooperative Director in 2006, earned his Board Leadership Certificate in 2011 and is currently working toward his Director Gold credentials. These certificate programs are from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
In his spare time, he enjoys helping others and participating in community projects.
DISTRICT 2 CANDIDATES
David Janney and his wife, Kim, have been Kankakee Valley REMC member-consumers since 2012. Former Morgan Township residents, they now live in Aberdeen (Valparaiso).
Janney received a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Purdue University and is a LEED-certified professional electrical engineer, specializing in “green” design. He enjoys learning about new energy innovations and is actively affiliated with the National Society of Professional Engineers, Association of Energy Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers as well as fraternal organizations.
In his free time, Janney enjoys reading, fishing, volunteering and spending time with his four children.
Elected to the board of directors in 2016, he worked diligently to become a Credentialed Cooperative Director in 2017. He also earned his Board Leadership Certificate in 2019. Janney is also KV REMC’s representative on the board of Wabash Valley Power Association, the co-op’s power supplier.
Janney hopes to continue his strong commitment to the KV REMC board and to focus on minimizing rate increases, enhancing reliability and improving the quality of life for all member-consumers.
Dean Moretton, his wife Laura, and their three children are Morgan Township residents and have been Kankakee Valley REMC member-consumers since 2001.
Moretton is an electrical engineer with a degree from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and has an MBA from Indiana University.
He previously served on the KV REMC board of directors and the prestigious national Cooperative Leadership Network board. He became a Credentialed Cooperative Director, earned his Board Leadership Certificate and became certified as a Project Management Professional.
Moretton is the president of an energy consultancy. He is an energy leader with 30 years of electric utility experience with a focus on minimizing energy costs for utility customers. Also an author, Moretton frequently speaks about best utility practices in the cooperative field.
With his hands-on nationwide expertise in cost-cutting strategies, Moretton feels he will be a valuable asset on the KV REMC board, to the CEO and for the member-consumers.
