The nominating committee met in the offices of Miami-Cass REMC, 3086 W. 100 N., Peru, Indiana, on Thursday, June 8, 2017, at 11 a.m. for the purpose of selecting nominees for the board of directors to be voted upon at the annual meeting of the membership on Thursday, July 27, 2017.

Members of the nominating committee were as follows: Jan Beebe and Michael Clark.

At the organizational meeting of the committee, Jan Beebe was elected chairman and Michael Clark was elected secretary.

The committee discussed the bylaws pertaining to the selection of directors and the director’s duties and responsibilities. The nominating committee then duly selected the following members as nominees to be voted upon at this year’s annual membership meeting:

District #1: Allen, Erie, Jefferson, Perry, Peru, Richland, and Union townships in Miami County. Paw Paw Township in Wabash County.

• Todd Smith
• Mary Ash

District #4: Butler, Clay, Deer Creek, Harrison, Jackson, Pipe Creek, and Washington townships in Miami County.

• James (Tony) Caldwell
• Richard (Rich) Percival

There being no further business to come before the nominating committee, a motion was made and seconded that the meeting be adjourned. Motion carried.

District 1

Todd Smith has been an REMC member for over 35 years and has been serving on the Miami-Cass REMC board since November 2016.

Smith is a PGA Golf Professional and manages the Rock Hollow Golf Course in Peru. He is a graduate of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, with a bachelor’s degree in business.

He and his wife, Claire, have two grown children, a son and a daughter. They also have three grandchildren.

He is a member of Main Street United Methodist Church in Peru where he has served on various committees and boards during the last 15 years. He is also currently serving on the National PGA board of directors and previously served on the board of directors for American Trust for 11 years.

He loves to travel, spend time outdoors and with his family and also enjoys landscaping.

When asked what he would like to accomplish if reelected to the board of directors, Smith said, “I want to help the REMC provide exceptional customer service at affordable rates. I would like to continue to nurture the positive impact the REMC has in our community. As a board member, I will always make decisions based on what is best for our membership.”

Mary Ash has been an REMC member for almost 40 years.

She is retired from Dukes Memorial Hospital where her last position was vice president of ancillary services. Ash and her husband, Milton, have a grown daughter and two grandchildren. The Ashes are members of St. John Lutheran Church in Peru.

Ash has a master’s degree in music education, a diploma in nursing, and was the first woman in Peru to receive her master’s degree in business administration. In her spare time, she enjoys golfing, genealogy and volunteering at her church. Ash also played in the Peru Circus Band for 19 years and currently plays French horn in Warsaw’s Symphony of the Lakes. She is also a retired YMCA board member.

When asked what she hopes to accomplish if elected to the board of directors, Ash said she would work with the other board members to continue to explore other energy sources and strive to keep member’s costs down while still providing quality service to its members. She would also like to help the REMC find ways to provide more affordable internet services to its members.

District 4

Tony Caldwell has been an REMC member since 1980 and a board member since September 2014. He recently completed his first certification and is now a Credentialed Cooperative Director through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).

Caldwell is co-owner of Caldwell Monument Company and lives on a farm in southern Miami County. He and his wife, Mindy, have two married daughters. The couple attend McGrawsville United Methodist Church.

Caldwell is also a board member for the Miami County Community Foundation, and in his spare time he enjoys gardening and spending time with his family.

When asked what he hopes to accomplish if re-elected to the board of directors, Caldwell said, “I’ve been honored to serve our members these past three years on the board. I have learned a great deal, with so much yet to learn. We at Miami-Cass REMC strive to maintain that ‘member first’ focus in all we do. We work hard to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective power to our members, along with the quality of customer service they deserve. It is my goal to help move the co-op forward, always making a positive impact as we serve our community.”

Rich Percival has been an REMC member since 1985.

He is a customer service lead in the information technology department at Grissom Air Force Base where he has worked the past 32 years. Percival and his wife, Lisa, have three children and three grandchildren. The Percivals are members of Millcreek Church in Rochester. He is a former board member at McGrawsville United Methodist church.

Percival was previously the owner of Pizza Quik for 30 years. He enjoys playing tennis, golfing and boating. He is also one of the Kokomo Special Olympics basketball coaches.

When asked what he hopes to accomplish if elected to the board of directors, Percival said he would strive to help the co-op provide the best service at an affordable price.