To view the full print/pdf version of this issue of Currents, click here
For previous issues of Currents, visit our Currents Library
Why We Love Our Members
By: Chris Reese, President & CEO
Email: contacttheceo@sussexrec.com
It’s February and love is in the air. Valentine’s Day might be a holiday built around sales of cards and candy, but the sentiment behind it is real. It’s a time to recognize and celebrate love. Romantic love gets the spotlight, but it’s also an ideal time to share the love you have for your family, friends, and community to make sure they know you appreciate them.
Here at Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative, we think of the work that we do as a labor of love. We are heavily invested in the community that built us in 1937 and that we serve to this day. You and all your fellow members are our friends, family, and neighbors, and are the people that depend on us to provide the highest quality of service at the lowest possible cost. I am proud to serve my community, as is the rest of our team at SREC. Here are the top five reasons why we love our members and love the work that we do.
1. We love serving our members because without you, the Co-op wouldn’t exist.
Our purpose is to provide you with reliable, affordable, and safe electricity. Simply put, Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative exists to serve you. Because this year is our 85th anniversary, we will be doing a lot of reflection on the Co-op’s history and its reason for being and sharing this look back at the past with our members. We were originally formed to bring power to our local area when for-profit utilities would not, and our employees in 2022 carry on this mission every day.
2. You enable us to complete our mission by supporting our efforts to give back.
A major part of our mission is to serve our community and look after the greater good. With your assistance, we’re able to help the most vulnerable members of our community. Recently, our members helped us collect hundreds of pounds of nonperishable food items to donate to the Sussex County Division of Social Services’ food pantry just in time for the holidays. It is amazing to me to see the sheer amount of good that can be achieved with the support of our membership. We look forward to future projects where we can come together with our members to help serve the greater good.
3. Our Co-op is led by its members.
You all are part owners of the Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative, so its direction as a Co-op is rightfully decided by the members. You vote in our elections for SREC’s Board of Directors to set our priorities and goals as a business. On top of this, our directors are all members themselves. Because our board members live in the area, they’re able to serve as the pulse of the larger community and identify immediate and long-term needs. We also consult the opinions of members through programs like our Member Advisory Committee.
4. You help us get it right.
Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative members are great about keeping us in the know. Members stay connected with us through social media and regularly provide great feedback that lets us know the topics that you’re interested in, concerned about, or would like more information on. One of the most useful tools members use to help SREC continually improve is the Member Satisfaction Survey. You can visit www.sussexrec.com/surveys to let us know how we’re doing, make suggestions, and ask questions about our service. Feedback from our members is key to help us grow while continuing to meet the needs of our membership. We greatly appreciate you taking time to share your thoughts!
5. You and other SREC members make up the community we serve––and for us, it’s all about community.
One of our guiding principles is a Concern for Community, and we make sure it impacts everything that drives our Cooperative. Our employees live and work here and care about our community, just like you. We’re invested in this community and work to help it thrive. That’s why Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative donates to local charities, schools, and volunteer fire and ambulance squads. Some of this is done through our Employee Directed Giving program, where employees are encouraged to donate to local causes with the benefit of SREC rounding their donation up to $250. Our employees and directors are also involved in local organizations that work to do good for the people of our communities. Our Concern for Community also drives us to fund scholarships, such as our James Howard Goodwin Scholarship and Trade School Scholarship, to provide opportunities for growth to this community’s next generation of leaders.
As a co-op, our mission is to enhance the quality of life in our community and look after its long-term interests. We love serving our members and our local community, and just like you, want to see it continue to thrive. I hope you all have a lovely Valentine’s Day! We will continue to do our best to make sure that our membership feels the love we have for them.
