East-Central Iowa REC - CEO Message

Welcome to the website of East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative. I am Harry Ruth, East-Central Iowa’s Chief Executive Officer. I have worked for electric cooperatives since 1989. Before that time, frankly, I did not know what an electric cooperative was, but I have become a great believer in them and the cooperative principles by which they operate. Electric cooperatives are owned by the customers. In effect, the customer is the stockholder. Unlike for-profit companies, who often believe that they must reward their stockholders at the expense of the customer, electric cooperatives know that it is their mission to provide the customer with the best possible service at the lowest possible rates.

Just as important is the fact that electric cooperatives are locally owned and controlled. I report to a Board of Directors elected by you. They are customers of East-Central Iowa, just like you. You do not have to worry about your cooperative being owned by some big company located far way and decisions being made by people who never seen your community.

Finally, electric cooperatives care not only about you, the individual customer, but also about the community as a whole. Concern for the community is one of the seven principles upon which all cooperatives are governed. Your Board of Directors and the employees that serve you live in your community. They realize that East-Central Iowa REC can serve you best when the entire community is healthy and vibrant.

The heart of East-Central Iowa REC is its employees. These people are proud of what they do and the level of service that they provide. I do my best to give them the tools they need to do their jobs, and I make sure that they know that I appreciate their efforts.

If our service ever falls short of your expectations, please let me know. We want to know when we make a mistake. Feel free to call or write me personally if you are unhappy with our service.

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