Upcoming Annual Meeting of the Members
The board of trustees has determined we will continue to hold a scaled-down, business-only meeting for 2025. We will focus on making sure our members have an opportunity to hear first-hand, in person about how their co-op performed in 2024. During this meeting, the board president, CEO, and cooperative attorney will present information regarding the Cooperative in 2024.
We invite you to the meeting, to be conducted at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 14th, at the Rio Grande office, 4848 State Route 325 S, Patriot, Ohio.
Everyone at Buckeye REC hopes you will join us for the annual business meeting. This is a scheduled opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas with your cooperative directors and staff. We look forward to seeing your faces again. It’s been a while.
OFFICIAL NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS OF
BUCKEYE RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.
Annual Meeting of Members
Thursday, August 14th, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.
Members are invited to attend the meeting which will be held at:
The Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative, Rio Grande office,
located at 4848 State Route 325 S, Patriot, Ohio 45658
Order of Business:
Commencement/Call to Order
Reading of "Notice of Meeting" and proof of publication or mailing
Reading of 2024 Annual Meeting Minutes and action thereon
Board, Office, Committee, and Management Reports
Unfinished Business
Adjournment
2024 Annual Meeting Minutes
Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative, INC.
2024 Annual Meeting of Members Minutes
Rio Grande, Ohio
August 8, 2024
President Berridge called the Annual Members Meeting of Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BREC) to order at 5:30 p.m., with President Berridge welcoming all the members, guests and others in attendance.
Paul Berridge gave the invocation and led those attending in the pledge of allegiance.
Attorney Robert R. Miller read the Official Notice of Meeting from page 18 in the August 2024 issue of Ohio Cooperative Living magazine and the Certificate of Mailing.
A motion was duly made, seconded and carried by voice vote to waive the reading and to accept the 2023 minutes.
President Berridge provided the members with an overview of Buckeye REC’s 2023 performance, noting key developments including infrastructure improvements, a modest rate adjustment, the appointment of a new CEO, and the distribution of over $1 million in capital credits. He reaffirmed the cooperative’s commitment to safety, service reliability, and long-term value for its members.
CEO, Kent Eldridge addressed the membership with reflections on 2023, a year marked by both tragedy and progress. He acknowledged the loss of a young lineman and praised the resilience and dedication of the cooperative’s employees.
Key initiatives included enhancements to outage response through right-of-way maintenance, improvements to member communication systems, and a revised line extension policy. He highlighted the successful acquisition of over $8 million in disaster recovery grants and a $2.5 million ARC grant for fiber infrastructure.
Looking ahead, Mr. Eldridge outlined upcoming projects such as broadband expansion, a live line safety demonstration trailer, a partnership with HomeServe for electrical repair warranties, the HUG assistance program, and a website redesign. He concluded by reaffirming the cooperative’s commitment to its members and the community.
A video message from Pat O’Loughlin, President and CEO of Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives and Buckeye Power, was played for the members in attendance. This message included the annual report to the cooperative about the state of the cooperatives in Ohio. Ohio Electric Cooperatives and Buckeye Power are our generation providers.
Attorney Robert R. Miller announced the certified results of the 2024 Trustee Election for Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative. The elected trustees are as follows: Jim Herrell representing District I (Lawrence County), Dennis Blakeman representing District III (Jackson County), and William Holcomb representing District IV (Athens, Meigs, and Vinton Counties).
Attorney Miller also informed the membership of two amendments to the Code of Regulations: (1) replacing the term “General Manager” with “Chief Executive Officer” throughout the document, and (2) revising the section on meetings of the members to allow greater flexibility in scheduling the Annual Meeting.
There was no unfinished or new business.
A motion was made, seconded and carried by voice vote to adjourn at 6:07 P.M.