Over the past couple of issues, I’ve provided a sneak peek at the strategic plan our staff and directors have created. It will ensure Kankakee Valley REMC continues to meet our member-consumers’ needs safely, efficiently, and most of all, affordably.

As a member-owned cooperative, we’re unlike most other businesses. Instead of focusing on the bottom line to make stockholders happy, our primary focus is serving the needs of our member-consumers and the communities they call home.

Following our strategic planning session early last year, your cooperative leadership team developed a new mission statement: “Exceeding the expectations of the community through service, trust and innovation.” To meet that mission, we must make sure we are serving your needs, both today and in the future. Not only that: we’re also developing a statement to describe the culture we’ve created so our future decisions support who we are and what we do. 

One of our short-term focuses is to clarify how regulatory actions affect our service and our costs. We’re also developing a crisis communications plan to guide us in the event of a disaster or similar situation. 

Since sharing information with you has always been a key focus, we’re investigating new ways to keep you informed and involved in the important issues affecting your community and cooperative. For us to thrive now and in the future, we need to hear from you. By learning about your priorities and listening to your comments, we can better serve you. 

Finally, to make sure the communities we serve are financially healthy, we will enhance our economic development efforts. Affordable and reliable electricity is key to a successful economy. Electric cooperatives, like KV REMC, were built by, belong to and are rooted in the communities they serve. We’re more than just an electricity provider. We’re a partner in economic development and other activities that improve the lives of our member-consumers. By bringing jobs and investment into our area, we can help our communities prosper. And that’s good for everyone!

Whether you call us, respond to a survey or social media post or send us an email, we thrive on your feedback. As we work through the strategic plan, we look forward to hearing your thoughts on our efforts. Connecting with you helps us keep pace with our community’s priorities and your needs.