Power of connection

Understanding the co-op difference

One of the best parts of my job as CEO of Jackson Energy is making connections.

During our upcoming annual business meeting and member appreciation days, we welcome our members to connect with our work, learn more about what makes our cooperative unique and take home a bucket and complimentary lightbulb.

Every year, we enjoy this opportunity to interact with members, from the regulars who have been coming to our member appreciation days for as long as they can remember to folks who have just moved to our area and are still learning about who we are. Our member appreciation days are an expression of what makes cooperatives unique—our connection with our members.

Our most important connection is literal. We link your home or business to the electrical grid, powering your lights, heating and cooling, electrical appliances, phone, tablet and more. We prioritize this connection by maintaining rights of way, repairing and upgrading equipment and infrastructure and responding to outages in all kinds of weather to ensure your connection to electricity remains reliable.

We also connect with you in ways that go beyond electricity. We partner with local organizations to support neighbors in need. We visit schools to lead electrical safety demonstrations. We proudly offer student leadership opportunities like the Frankfort and Washington youth tours, along with college and vocational training scholarships. We show up for our communities because we care—and because we live here, too.

The cooperative model has always been about improving the quality of life in our communities. Because Jackson Energy is locally owned by members just like you, we are accountable in ways that go beyond a business transaction. I never get tired of telling the co-op story: that we are not-for-profit, member-owned, locally guided and motivated to serve.

Whether it’s your first year as a member of Jackson Energy or your 50th, I hope you’ll make time to visit with us during our member appreciation days. Thanks for keeping our connection strong.

Ryan Henderson