Celebrate National Co-op Month with MVEA – October 2022 CCL CEO Article
By Ruth Marks, MVEA CEO
Fall is a busy time. October is a particularly eventful month with school, community, and sports activities in full swing. It’s also when all cooperatives celebrate National Co-op Month. When I say Mountain View Electric Association celebrates Co-op Month, it really means we are celebrating you, our co-op members. After all, our electric co-op wouldn’t exist without you.
Our core business purpose is to serve as your electricity provider, but the larger mission of the co-op is to help make our corner of the world a better place. “Concern for community” is one of seven guiding principles that all co-ops share. And, at MVEA, these principles are more than words — they are the foundation for our success. “What’s best for the members?” is the question that we often ask ourselves.
Similar to how our wires run through our service territory, our concern for community flows through all of our decisions, because being a co-op means being a responsible partner and good neighbor. MVEA works to help our community thrive through initiatives led by our employees and local board, which is composed of neighbors who live right here in our community. Because we’re local, we understand our community’s unique needs and strive to help meet them.
We are proud to support local youth through our Youth Tour, leadership camp, and scholarship programs. Additionally, with your help, we offer Operation Round Up® grants to assist charitable organizations, communities with special needs, and individuals who have suffered from loss, personal disaster, or medical emergencies. Through the Operation Round Up® program we are able to partner with and support local charitable organizations that provide vital services to members in need of a helping hand.
I am also proud to share that MVEA’s fiber broadband expansion is deeply rooted in the co-op’s dedication to concern for community as well as the Board of Director’s dedication to serving the
membership through long-term fiscal stewardship. It all goes back to “what’s best for the members”— now and in the future.
Bringing high-speed internet access to the underserved areas in MVEA’s service territory had been a goal for over 25 years. The challenge was finding the right partner, at the right time, with the right business plan. That all came together in 2021. We now have our first members connected and using fiber-fast internet services through Connect, powered by Mountain View Electric Association. We will be announcing Phase Two in the coming weeks.
The word “cooperative” is close to “cooperation,” meaning people working together toward a common goal: mutually benefiting one another and the larger community. That’s the essence of the cooperative spirit. Our employees and member-elected Board of Directors are invested in the community in which they live and serve.
Above all, as a co-op we put our members’ priorities first. MVEA is continuously examining ways to operate more efficiently while continuing to provide the highest level of friendly, reliable service you expect and deserve. After all, we’re your local electric cooperative and we were built by the members we serve.
We have a lot to celebrate this year! I want to personally invite you to attend an MVEA Member Appreciation lunch this month. We will be hosting one in Limon on October 12 and another one in Falcon on October 13. (Details are available in the ad below as well as on MVEA’s website.) We will be grilling up brats and hot dogs and giving away some fun items to celebrate National Co-op Month. I hope to see you there!