What a difference a year can make. This time last year I wrote to you about our plans for a successful Annual Meeting, celebrating 81 years of co-op service in southern Indiana. Registration gifts had been purchased, door prizes secured, entertainment booked, and invitations were in the mail. But on March 13, everything came to a halt. For the first time in 80 years, the Annual Meeting was canceled. Since safety will always be our top priority, we knew it was the right decision, but it was still a difficult one to make. But we pressed on, knowing that things would be back to normal in 2021.

Well, it’s 2021 and nothing is normal. For the second year in a row, your board of directors made the difficult decision to cancel the Annual Meeting, knowing that the health and safety of our community comes first. But even though there won’t be an in-person gathering, you can still let your voice be heard by voting early. All members will receive a postcard with voting instructions, and every member who casts a vote will receive a $10 bill credit and be entered for one of many door prizes, including the $1,000 Grand Prize bill credit! Voting opens on March 11 and closes on April 8, and all the details are in this issue of Indiana Connection.

Perhaps 2021 hasn’t brought the immediate relief that so many hoped for, but after all we’ve endured, we can face this next year with confidence and hope because we can face it together. And it’s my promise to you to keep providing reliable, affordable electric service, no matter what the future brings.