Guided by an American Spirit of Progress and Purpose

Our exceptional progress did not happen by accident. For 250 years, America has pushed forward because generations of people were willing to dream, sacrifice, set goals and work toward something bigger than themselves. We’ve all heard the phrase, “freedom isn’t free,” and that truth has been demonstrated time and time again by the men and women who sacrificed so much to protect this country and the opportunities it continues to provide today.
Our country was built on determination, hard work and the belief that ordinary people working together could accomplish extraordinary things. Over the years, America’s progress has been driven by innovation, resilience and people willing to invest in a better future. Rural electrification is one of the greatest examples of that progress.

There was a time when much of rural America was left behind because extending electric service to sparsely populated areas simply wasn’t considered profitable. But determined neighbors came together to forge their own path forward. They had a vision for something better and pursued it. They created a plan and went to work improving the quality of life for future generations.

I recently spent some time with our new generation when I attended graduation at Randolph Community College. Listening to the student body president and commencement speaker, I found myself thinking about new beginnings and how they relate to the spirit of our country.

For many graduates, this moment represents the start of a new chapter in life. Some will enter the workforce. Some will continue their education. Others are still discovering exactly what path lies ahead, but all of them have something in common—the real story of America: the opportunity to dream, set goals and build a plan for their future.

Success rarely happens by accident. It takes vision, discipline, hard work and people remaining committed even when the path forward isn’t an easy one. Whether it’s building a country, a community or a career, meaningful progress comes from having a plan and working that plan.

The same is true for your cooperative. Everything we do today is focused on preparing for tomorrow. Whether it’s strengthening reliability, modernizing infrastructure or planning for future growth, our responsibility is to continue building a system that will serve our future generations well.
As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, let’s also look forward to our next 250 and take the time to encourage our new generation to dream big, work hard and understand that the future they want will not happen by accident. They must plan it out and work hard to make that plan a reality.

The American spirit is alive and well in our cooperative and throughout our country, and it must remain at the heart of everything we do. If we all continue investing in people, communities and our next generation, I believe the best chapters of our story are yet to be written.

Cooperatively yours,
Dennis Mabe, CEO