CEO’s Message – December 2024

Lighting Up Lives

Union Rural Electric Cooperative (URE)’s year-round commitment to community and giving.

In December, there are always plenty of jovial examples of giving. From the familiar Salvation Army bell ringers at the stores to toy drives and holiday dinners. Of course, there are examples in our favorite Christmas movies as well. Simply put, many of us are being moved by the spirit of giving during this season. How could we not be?

Have you ever been at the receiving end of inspired giving? Maybe it was while you were going through a rough time in your life that a loved one, or perhaps even a perfect stranger, responded to your need and helped you back onto your feet with a gift that made all the difference at just the right time. The positive impact of a well-timed gift can be enormous and far exceed the cost.

While this is obviously a special time of year, URE has always been deeply rooted in giving back to our local community year-round.

Our mission may be to provide energy services, but our true purpose is people — the members we’re so proud to serve. That’s why our employees volunteer in the community, organize food drives, participate in United Way campaigns, and personally support missions like Project Ohio, an event by Ohio cooperatives that has brought electric power to rural Guatemala. Our employees are members of the community, just like you, who want to make a positive, meaningful impact on our community.

You help us power that purpose, too. URE’s Operation Round Up program is made possible through members’ participation in “rounding up” their electric bills to the nearest dollar. Your generous contributions help less fortunate families in our community and support local charitable organizations and community services.

Another way URE gives back to the community is by investing in tomorrow’s leaders. Through career and safety presentations at local schools, scholarship opportunities, and the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour program, we aim to empower students for a brighter future. When we invest in our local youth, we strengthen the fabric of our community.

URE also takes care of our employees by providing a great place to work and competitive benefits, including excellent opportunities for personal training and development. After all, a core cooperative value is innovation, and one of our core cooperative principles is training and education. Through education programs, including those in coordination with our statewide and national trade organizations, electric cooperatives offer some of the best on-the-job training available. By providing our people with the skills and training options to improve themselves, we have the best opportunity to continue bringing you the service you’ve come to expect.

I’m reminded of the saying, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” An effective way for us to give back is by providing something that can’t be taken away — educational opportunities. But it’s just as important that our people are willing to learn something new. This is why I’m always proud to share with you the accomplishments of URE employees who have shown the initiative and taken the time to develop their capabilities to serve you.

Of course, none of this would be possible without you, our members, who make generosity and uplifting the community part of our shared values. We encourage each of you to find a way to give back to someone in your life this season.

From all of us at URE, have a very Merry Christmas!