Story contributed by Dennis Weiss.

It’s that time of year, again. Kankakee Valley REMC is gearing up for the 2016 annual meeting which will be held April 12 at the Porter County Expo Center in Valparaiso. Doors open at 5 p.m.

The annual meeting is a special time for co-op members to gather, share experiences, hear from co-op leadership and, perhaps most importantly, vote to elect your new board members.

Kankakee Valley REMC employees work hard to host this fun event, and we encourage you to attend and exercise some of the many rights you have as a member of an electric cooperative. We know the food, high-energy entertainment and many prizes ranging from a $4,000 vacation to $250 cash prizes are some of the best parts of the meeting, but there is so much more to the event.

This is an occasion to discuss and learn about the issues affecting our local communities as well as national issues affecting the price of electricity. The annual meeting is an opportunity for you to learn more about important topics, how your cooperative leadership is working to address challenges and how it is taking advantage of opportunities. We also look forward to hearing from you by providing a forum where you can let us know how we can better serve you and your family.

Your annual meeting is also the occasion to exercise one of the greatest benefits of being an electric co-op member — voting for the upcoming year’s board of directors.

Kankakee Valley REMC is run by a democratically elected board that is given the privilege to serve because of your vote. The men and women who serve might be your neighbors or who you sit by at a local sporting event. They are cooperative members who care about the future of your cooperative because it is theirs, too.

A democratic and open election is one of the many elements that make our electric cooperative stand out from other utilities. Having a voice in who makes the major decisions that directly affect you is a right we all share as Americans. Not every American has the right to vote for who will represent community interests within their electric utility. You do, so why not exercise that, right?

We look forward to seeing you at the annual meeting. We promise it will be worth your while.

DENNIS WEISS is the CEO of Kankakee Valley REMC.