October is Co-op Month, a time to celebrate what makes cooperatives different. At Meeker Energy, that difference begins with a simple idea: the people we serve are also the people who own the cooperative.
But being a cooperative is about more than a business structure. It shapes how decisions are made, how members are served, how resources are managed and how employees approach their work.
We asked employees across Meeker Energy what the cooperative difference means from where they sit. Their answers shared one clear theme: putting members first.
Members Come First
For Energy Services Supervisor Tiffany Schindler, member ownership keeps the Cooperative focused on the people and communities it serves. “Our board of directors are also member-owners,” Schindler said. “Because they live and receive electric service within the community, they understand firsthand how the decisions we make can impact our members.”
She also sees the cooperative difference in employees who take time to provide personalized service, find solutions and help members feel supported. Broadband Design Engineer Chris Wersal said that same member-first mindset guides decisions by balancing reliability with affordability and carefully managing costs.
Reliability Is Personal
For employees who maintain Meeker Energy’s electric system, reliability is personal. “Knowing our members and the communities we serve makes this work personal,” Electric Operations Manager Dan Schrupp said. “We understand how important reliable electricity is to our homes, farms and businesses.”
That motivates employees to maintain the system, prevent outages whenever possible and respond quickly and safely when problems occur.
Foreman John Grabow sees it the same way. Growing up in a small community, he said, makes you care about the people around you and want to restore power as quickly as possible when an outage occurs.
Responsible Stewardship
Member ownership also comes with a responsibility to carefully manage Cooperative resources.
CFO Kari Miller said good stewardship means being thoughtful with the resources members entrust to Meeker Energy. “As a cooperative, we have to look beyond the current year and consider what will best serve our members for years to come,” Miller said.
That means balancing costs today with investments in reliable electric service, broadband and infrastructure that members will depend on in the future.
Connected to Our Communities
Employees also see the cooperative difference in the way Meeker Energy is connected to the communities it serves.
Executive Coordinator Mary Alice Holm points to Operation Round Up®, scholarships and employee involvement as examples of that impact. She also sees it in much smaller moments.
Holm recalled an elderly member whose garage door would not open while her power was temporarily out during nearby line work. A lineman stopped to help. “It may have only taken a moment or two for the lineman,” Holm said, “but it made all the difference to the woman in need of help.”
Energy Services Specialist Laura Niece said that sense of connection means seeing members as neighbors rather than account numbers. “We are all ‘in this together,’” she said.
Building for What Members Need Next
The cooperative model is rooted in local service, but it also requires looking ahead. Sales Supervisor and Business Sales Consultant Josh Carlson sees Vibrant Broadband as part of that evolution. Just as rural electrification met a critical need generations ago, reliable broadband has become essential for people who want to live and work in rural communities.
For Carlson, that captures the cooperative mindset. “When you are part of the Co-op, you are thinking less about ‘me’ and more about ‘us,’” he said. “It’s not about what’s good for a member, but rather what’s good for the membership.” That spirit shows up every day, from answering a member’s question and restoring an outage to investing in future infrastructure and helping a neighbor.