LIGHTPOST. Addison Agen. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 H DOORS OPEN AT 5:30 p.m. Allen County War Memorial Coliseum RESERVATIONS ARE NOT REQUIRED THIS YEAR

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1 LIGHTPOST JULY/AUGUST 2018 Published for members of Northeastern Rural Electric Membership Corporation NREMC.com Please join us for a night of fun with Addison Agen Member Appreciation Night & Annual Meeting SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 H DOORS OPEN AT 5:30 p.m. Allen County War Memorial Coliseum H Elect three directors to your board H Register by 7 p.m. and receive a free gift - PLUS - a $10 energy bill credit H Win 2 front row seats and backstage passes to meet Addison Agen H Family fun area for children 4 years old and over, accompanied by adults H Exhibit and demonstration area RESERVATIONS ARE NOT REQUIRED THIS YEAR To register simply bring in the top portion of the ballot that you receive in the mail. VOTE FOR YOUR DIRECTORS ONLINE, BY MAIL, OR AT OUR ANNUAL MEETING Watch your mail for the ballot and instructions arriving in a specially-marked envelope. Pre-meeting voting ends September 5.

2 Three board members to be elected during annual meeting As a member of Northeastern REMC you can have a direct voice in how it operates. Every year each REMC member is given the opportunity to elect individuals to the board of directors. This privilege is unique in that most other electric utilities do not allow their customers to select its board members. On Saturday, September 8, three directors will be named to our board of directors. Every member has the opportunity to vote in each district election either online, by mail or at our meeting. We value your input and encourage you to attend our Member Appreciation Night and Annual Meeting to show support of your electric cooperative. Vote online, by mail, or at our meeting Be 4sure to bring the top of your ballot sheet with you to our Member Appreciation Night & Annual Meeting for easy registration check-in and to qualify for prize drawings. District 2 Doug Schrader, a Northeastern REMC director for the past 38 years, farms and raises livestock in Whitley County. Schrader has served as chair, secretary and treasurer numerous times during his tenure on the board and has represented NREMC on the Indiana Statewide board of directors. For 19 years Schrader has also served on the board of Northeastern s subsidiary, Customer Choice Services Corporation. He has also earned the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association s Credentialed Cooperative Director Certificate and NRECA s Board Leadership Certificate. Schrader is a graduate of Purdue University Ag Short Course, a past member of the Columbia Township Volunteer Fire Department and attends the Oak Grove Church of God. He holds a private pilot s license and is a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Schrader and his wife Sheryl have three children and eight grandchildren and live on Raber Road in Columbia Township. District 3 Bill Leeuw has been employed by Farm Bureau Insurance since In his current position of Field Specialist, Leeuw inspects homes and trains new agents in proper home inspection techniques. Leeuw, a life-long resident of Whitley County, has lived on South 350 West in South Whitley for the past 15 years. Leeuw was elected to the Indiana State Fair Board of Directors in He is currently in charge of the Farm Bureau Building and overseeing competitive events and exhibits. For 12 years he was a member of the Whitley County 4-H Board of Directors, during which he served four years as board president and five years on the Executive Committee. He remains involved with the local 4-H by assisting young members in the community. Leeuw is also a board member for the local chapter of Ducks Unlimited. Leeuw and his wife Lori are members of St. Paul s Catholic Church in Columbia City. They have two children.

3 District 2 Gregg Palmer graduated from Purdue University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Palmer worked in the swine industry then moved into sales for the Bluffton News-Banner. Since 2011 he has been a sales agent for Humana, primarily covering northern Indiana. Palmer is co-owner of the family farm near Larwill which he manages and is where he grew up. He has lived in his current residence in Blue River Estates for nearly 5 years. Palmer has served as Governor for the Indiana North District Optimist Club, a chapter of Optimist International. In that capacity he oversaw 36 clubs whose primary purpose is fundraising and sponsoring events for children in need. He was recently elected Deputy Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Columbia City, and has just been re-elected to the Whitley County 4-H Board of Directors. Palmer has been a 4-H leader in Shooting Sports and Sports-fishing for 15 years. Palmer and his wife Mary Catherine have one daughter and attend St. Paul s Catholic Church in Columbia City. District 3 Frank Sklenar is a Whitley County native and has been a Northeastern REMC member since He graduated from Columbia City Joint High School and went on to receive both a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education and a Master of Science degree in School Counseling from Indiana State University. Sklenar retired from Fox Products in South Whitley in March of this year. He had been employed there since Prior to working at Fox Products he had been a service advisor for Bob Jackson Ford and a Music Instrument Curator at Indiana State University. He also was a long-time customer information volunteer at Lutheran Hospital. Sklenar and his wife Margaret have lived on East Lakewood Drive in Whitley County for 19 years. They are parents to two children. District 4 Thomas Western has been a member of Northeastern REMC s Board of Directors for the past 33 years, during which he has served several terms as Chairman, Vice Chairman and a term as Treasurer. He is currently Vice Chair. Western is also the Chair of Northeastern s Customer Choice Services Corporation Board of Directors. He has earned the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association s Credentialed Cooperative Director Certificate and Board Leadership Certificate. Western served 12 years on the Whitley County Council and is now a Whitley County Commissioner. He has also been involved on numerous boards of directors and committees throughout the community. He is a graduate of the Purdue University Agricultural Short Course and has spent his occupational years working in agribusiness. Western is also a volunteer fireman for the Richland Fire Department. He and his wife Sue are parents of three children and five grandchildren and live on 600 North in Etna-Troy Township. They attend New Hope Wesleyan Church. District 3 Ingrid Tippmann Nicholson is a Whitley County native, having grown up in Northeastern REMC s service area. Now she and her family are Northeastern REMC members, residing on Meridian Road. Nicholson graduated from Bishop Dwenger High School then earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Accounting from International Business College. She is currently serving as the Administrative Assistant for the Communities of St. Joseph and St. Catherine. She is also a parttime bookkeeper/accountant for Hartley Tax and Accounting LLC in Fort Wayne and Native Legacy LLC of Arcola. She is the former bookkeeper for Tippmann Heating and Air. Nicholson is Co-President of St. Patrick s Rosary Sodality and has served on their Parish Council for the past four years. She also volunteers for the Mihsihkinaahkwa Pow Wow and the Allen County Historical Society.

4 Meter upgrades begin in August The first phase of upgrading a portion of our residential electric meters will begin in August and continue through October. Approximately 10,000 meters will be changed out during this period. This routinely scheduled change-out will be conducted by crews contracted through Northeastern REMC. Each contractor will be carrying identification and they will be traveling in REMC logoed vehicles. Our contractors will knock on doors first to make residents aware they are present on the property. There will be 10,000 additional meters changed in The last time meters were upgraded in this manner was 2007 through If you have any questions about this routine maintenance change-out or anyone present on your property, please do not hesitate to call Northeastern at WIN TWO FRONT ROW SEATS AND BEHIND STAGE ACCESS to be photographed with Addison Agen If you sign up to participate in Northeastern REMC s Operation RoundUp program the night of our Member Appreciation Night and Annual Meeting before our meeting starts at 7 pm, your name will be entered in this special drawing! Operation RoundUp assists LOCAL organizations in need of financial support. Members participating in this charitable program round up their monthly bill to the next dollar each month. The money collected from all participants is dispersed by a board of trustees selected by REMC board members. All money stays in our community. On average members participating donate approximately $6 per year. Your spare change can make a HUGE difference in this community. Please consider signing up! Office Closed in PM August 10 Northeastern REMC s office will be closed Friday, August 10, at 1:00 p.m. for an employee event. Outage calls will be answered as usual and payment transactions can be performed online at nremc.com. REMC holiday hours Northeastern REMC s office will be closed Monday, September 3. In case of emergency or outage, phones will be answered 24/7. If you wish to pay your bill you can do so at any time online at nremc.com using our SmartHub app. A driveup deposit window is also available in front of our building for your convenience. Do not use Facebook Please do not use Facebook or any social media to report outages. To assure immediate response call our office directly or go to our website, nremc.com and log into SmartHub. The website s outage page provides a real-time map showing restoration progress. Power Hour coming soon Be on the lookout within the next month for information regarding our Fall Power Hour in October. These informational member meetings have become extremely popular and have been filled to capacity quickly. Our Vision Service, Satisfaction and Safety Second to None! Our Mission To meet our members on-going need for reliable energy service at a good value while meriting trust and confidence.

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6 4901 East Park 30 Drive Columbia City, IN PRSRT STD U.S. P0STAGE PAID NORTHEASTERN REMC Get to know all your director candidates PAGE Two WIN front row tickets and behind stage access PAGE Five LIGHTPOST Questions? Office Hours: Monday Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m (Columbia City) or (Fort Wayne). Line Locating: Please call 811 at least 2 full business days prior to digging.