CEO’s Message – June 2026
Powering Our Members For 90 Years
As we are preparing to welcome you to the Annual Meeting on June 6, I think it’s appropriate to recall that for the last 90 years, URE has been guided by a strong sense of purpose, powered by our members.
In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Electricity is a modern necessity of life and ought to be in every village, every home, and every farm in every part of the United States.” Looking back, it may be hard to believe that anyone would need to say this, but times were different, and this was how URE was born the following year.
From the earliest days of the co-op, 90 years ago, until now, our focus has remained the same, serving our members with safe, reliable, and affordable power. While a lot has changed over the past 90 years, that commitment to our members remains strong. It continues to guide every decision we make.
Over the past few months, I’ve talked about the Cooperative Advantage and the value of your URE membership, benefits like cash back to members and democratic member control. These are important reminders of what sets us apart as a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative.
Behind every flip of a light switch is a team of dedicated employees and a system intentionally built with purpose. Reliability doesn’t happen by accident. It takes planning, coordination, and a commitment to continuous improvement. From tree trimming to visual and infrared inspections, to testing and timely replacement of aging equipment, our crews are constantly at work to make sure the power is there when you need it, and to restore it quickly when there’s a problem.
Delivering electricity involves more than what happens in the field. Employees across the cooperative all play a role in supporting our members: answering calls, keeping data accurate, communicating clearly, managing financial accounts, and making sure processes run smoothly. It truly takes a team effort to deliver the level of service our members expect. I’m proud of the URE team and the care they show our members every day.
As we look ahead, we’ll continue to build on the strong foundation established over the past 90 years. We’ll keep investing in our system, supporting our employees, and making decisions that prioritize long-term reliability and affordability for our members.
You can trust that we will stay true to who we are as a cooperative. Your voice matters, and your participation, whether through voting, attending the annual meeting, or simply staying informed, helps shape the future of URE.
For 90 years, our purpose has been clear: to make a difference in our community by delivering safe, high quality, reliable energy to our members and communities at fair prices.
That purpose continues to drive us today and will guide us into the future. Why would it change? After all, we have been and continue to be, YOUR electric cooperative.