We hope the newsletter keeps you informed on employee and member updates. You will receive Between the Lines every three months. Each issue will feature employee anniversaries, birthdays, upcoming meetings and events, and more.
We want to hear from you
Do you have information to include in the newsletter or an idea to improve communication? Send feedback, information, and photos to Jade at jadeg@butlerrural.coop.
It's important to report hazards in the field if you see something that looks off when you're outside the office, like when you're on your way home after work.
If you see something that could be dangerous, report it to Denis. One of our employees will inspect the problem and fix it if needed.
Report these problems even if you're unsure it's impacting an electric line or if you don't know if the electric line is in our territory. Doing so will keep our employees and the public safe.
Shown here is a meter base that has been tampered with. If you see this in our area, report it to Denis.
Peak Alerts are issued when the demand for electricity is near an annual high and rising toward a new peak. They typically occur on hot summer days from approximately 2 to 8 p.m., depending on weather conditions. We ask our members to reduce their energy consumption during this time to try to avoid reaching a new peak which helps keep costs down.
If members have a radio-controlled switch on their water heater or a Cool Returns switch on their central air conditioning system, it will be activated during summer Peak Alerts. Members are notified by email and through social media when Peak Alerts are in effect.
Minimizing the impact of electric demand peak is important. Annual peaks affect future transmission and generation costs. A Peak Alert does not indicate a shortage of electricity; it is a way for members to help hold down electric costs.
Laura Smith
July 6
Noah Krall
July 6
Andrew Strait
July 7
Lori Maynard
July 9
Curt Loewenstine
July 11
Tom Wolfenbarger
July 22
Cody Holthaus
July 25
Kevin Maddock
August 14
Steve Fritzsche
August 21
Ray Brunner
August 30
Kim Phipps
August 30
Adam Bens
September 2
Kyle Fagin
September 2
Debbie Carley
September 9
Rhett Hughes
September 11
We're involved in our community. We sponsor events and host many events during the summertime. We're proud of the area we serve and want to improve the quality of life for our members.
Thursday, July 4
Butler Rural Electric Cooperative and Whitewater Valley Rural Electric Membership Corporation sponsor the College Corner fireworks. Bring your family for this fun event at Stateline Ballpark in College Corner.
Friday, July 5
Butler Rural Electric Cooperative helps sponsor the Fireworks Extravaganza at Hueston Woods State Park. Enjoy a cookout, DJ, and fireworks launched from the middle of Acton Lake.
Friday, July 12
One of our most popular events is our annual member appreciation day. Family Day is at Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s office from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bring your family for free hot dogs, popcorn, Flub’s ice cream, games, prizes, caricaturists, and more.
Friday, July 19
Junior fair exhibitors and their families enjoy a meal and relax after spending the day moving their animals and equipment onto the fairgrounds for the Butler County Fair, which begins the next day.
Friday, July 26
Butler and Darke Rural Electric Cooperatives sponsor this annual picnic at the Preble County Fairgrounds. Junior fair exhibitors and their families enjoy a meal and relax after spending the day moving their animals and equipment onto the fairgrounds for the Preble County Fair, which begins the next day.
Friday, August 9
Our annual golf outing raises money for Butler Rural Community Connection. This year's golf outing is at Indian Ridge Golf Club and will begin at 8 a.m. with a shotgun start. Employees are welcome to play at the golf outing for $60.
Community service opportunities are posted in the break room by the bulletin board for TOPSS, Open Hands Food Pantry, and the Animal Adoption Foundation.
Please sign up for a time slot and speak with your supervisor to ensure you have approval to be out of the office during that time. Once you sign up, we will verify the time slot you selected is still available with the organization. You will be notified once the date and time is confirmed.
Post your time volunteering during work hours (including travel time) to task AECS “community service” pay code. When posting time, add this task to your time sheet.
Employees can use up to eight hours in a year to participate in community volunteer efforts. Three of these hours will be used during our annual Community Day in October. You can use the other five hours for the volunteer opportunities listed above.
In April, Marketing and Key Accounts Representative Alyssa Maurits received a Marketing Graduate Certificate from the University of Cincinnati's Lindner College of Business.
Alyssa Maurits MARKETING AND KEY ACCOUNTS REPRESENTATIVE
In May, Member Services Representative Ryleigh Hollen received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Indiana University.
Congratulations, Alyssa and Ryleigh!
Ryleigh Hollen MEMBER SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE
Community Involvement Webpage
We have a new community involvement webpage promoting our events like safety demonstrations, energy education events, and facility tours.
4-H Webpage
The co-op participates in 4-H livestock sales at local county fairs and sponsors various awards at the Butler and Preble county fairs. Our new 4-H webpage allows children of members to tell us about their 4-H projects.
If you have website updates, please see Marketing and Key Accounts Representative Alyssa Maurits.
Laura Smith
July 1
28 years
Julie Abbott
July 5
18 years
Josh Smock
July 12
3 years
Emily Bourne
July 18
8 years
Cheryl Mathews
July 20
9 years
Larry Hornung
July 21 14 years
Steve Fritzsche
July 23 12 years
Ryan Kerr
July 24 1 year
Evan Rauch
July 24 1 year
Andrew Strait
July 29 5 years
Levi Tipton
August 11 10 years
Bob Conrad
August 16 31 years AUGUST
Butler Rural Electric Cooperative received this award from the Preble County Fair and the Preble County Agricultural Society for helping the fair during a power outage July 30, 2023. The outage occurred on one of the busiest days of the fair, leaving the fairgrounds without power in several areas.
Manager of Safety and Compliance Denis Armstead, Manager of Physical Facilities Larry Hornung, Warehouse Clerk Riley Salyers, Lineworkers Mick Johnson and Mason Miller, and Operations Specialist Daniel Chaney worked to restore power to the Preble County Fairgrounds, replacing a transformer and restoring power to the fairgrounds within a few hours. The cooperative performed the work at minimal cost, saving the Preble County Agricultural Society thousands of dollars.
JULY
COLLEGE CORNER OLD FASHIONED FIREWORKS
July 4
FIREWORKS EXTRAVAGANZA AT HUESTON WOODS STATE PARK
July 5
FAMILY DAY
July 12
NOMINATING COMMITTEE MEETING
July 15
BUTLER COUNTY FAIR COOKOUT
July 19
PREBLE COUNTY JUNIOR FAIR
EXHIBITOR PICNIC
July 26
EMPLOYEE HEADSHOTS
July 31
BOARD MEETING
July 31
AUGUST
AUGUST IS COMMUNITY CONNECTION MONTH
LINKS TO COMMUNITY CONNECTION GOLF OUTING
August 9
BOARD MEETING
August 28
OFFICE CLOSED FOR LABOR DAY
September 2
COMMUNITY CONNECTION BOARD MEETING
September 13
NOMINATING COMMITTEE MEETING
September 16
BOARD MEETING
September 25
The HEAP Summer Crisis Program is effective July 1 through September 30. This is a one-time benefit for members and offers up to $800 to assist with electric utility bills. If you have questions about this program, please see Darlene.
Larry Hornung MANAGER OF FACILITIES + MAINTENANCE
Due to the transition changes in the operations department this past year, Larry Hornung has taken on additional responsibilities. Effective July 1, Larry’s new title is Manager of Facilities and Maintenance. This new title reflects the change in duties of his position. Larry’s willingness to take on additional responsibilities is much appreciated.
Congratulations, Larry!
Each year, the American Customer Satisfaction Index score, or ACSI® score, is determined for Butler Rural Electric Cooperative. The index measures the satisfaction of consumers with the quality of products and services offered by individual firms. The ACSI is the only cross-industry measure of satisfaction in the United States.
Overall satisfaction with the cooperative remains excellent with an ACSI score of 88, which is higher than industry leaders. This means satisfaction with Butler Rural Electric Cooperative is higher than well-known businesses like Apple and Coca-Cola.
The cooperative earned a 2024 Customer Satisfaction Award from ACSI based on our member survey results. Our ACSI score substantially outperforms the industry average score earned by publicly measured utilities reported in the 2024 ACSI Energy Utility Study. This award is a testament to our ongoing efforts to provide the best possible member service.
The Customer Satisfaction Award affirms Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s hard work has been noticed by members. We're grateful for employees who provide excellent service to members.
Laura Smith DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE + MEMBER SERVICE
Laura Smith was recently re-elected to NISC's Advisory Service Subcommittee and will serve a 4 year term. 16 NISC members serve on the committee – 8 electric members and 8 broadband members.
The subcommittee acts as the voice for all NISC members and focuses on strategic discussions; addresses enterprise business challenges; and helps drive the strategic direction of NISC focusing on the goals and needs of utility and broadband industries.
AS OUR SCADA AND SUBSTATION ENGINEER, Jake will maintain field equipment, process engineering and operational data and reports, and develop and maintain system control and data acquisition systems.
HOBBIES Jake is from Ross, Ohio and his family raises beef cattle. In his free time, Jake enjoys being outdoors, camping, fishing, hunting, and hiking. Jake recently got engaged to his fiance, Beth Hosek.
Jake enjoys working at an electric co-op because of the diversity of the job – you never do the same thing day in and day out.
EDUCATION Jake attended Stephen T. Badin High School and received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Dayton.
Learn more about how your coworkers help the cooperative fulfill its mission. More departments will be featured in upcoming issues.
MANAGER OF OPERATIONS
Adam Osborn
adamo@butlerrural.coop 4427
> Day-to-day operations of line department and tree maintenance program
> Schedules daily lineworker and staking technician work
> Plans annual tree maintenance crew work
OPERATIONS OFFICE SUPERVISOR
Debbie Carley
debbiec@butlerrural.coop 4428
> Maintains, reports, and evaluates records of cost concerning electric inventory and work orders
> Maintains records of certificates of insurance, service agreements, and capital purchases
WORK ORDER AND INVENTORY CLERK
Emily Bourne
emilyb@butlerrural.coop 4439
> Maintains records for line materials and equipment
> Provides backup for work order processing, staking sheets, and miscellaneous invoices
OPERATIONS AND CONSTRUCTION COORDINATOR
Ray Brunner
rayb@butlerrural.coop 4438
> Stakes existing lines that need to be upgraded or relocated
> Meets with county and state officials to discuss projects that may affect facilities
> Completes monthly substation reports
LINE SUPERINTENDENT
Kevin Maddock
kevinm@butlerrural.coop 4432
> Constructs, upgrades, and maintains facilities
> Leads crew
> On call as-needed to respond to outages after hours
OPERATIONS SPECIALIST
Daniel Chaney
danielc@butlerrural.coop
> Plans, coordinates, and relays information and technical instructions between contractor and appropriate department concerning tree maintenance
> Operates various equipment
LINE CREW FOREMAN
Jeremy Hill
jeremyh@butlerrural.coop
> Constructs, upgrades, and maintains facilities
> Leads crew
> On call as-needed to respond to outages after hours
LEAD LINEWORKER
Mick Johnson
mickj@butlerrural.coop
> Constructs, upgrades, and maintains facilities
> On call as-needed to respond to outages after hours
> Assumes supervisory responsibilities when on call
LINE CREW FOREMAN
Steve Abrams
stevea@butlerrural.coop
> Constructs, upgrades, and maintains facilities
> On call as-needed to respond to outages after hours
> Assumes supervisory responsibilities when on call
JOURNEYMAN LINEWORKER
Steve Fritzsche
stevef@butlerrural.coop
> Constructs, upgrades, and maintains facilities
> On call as-needed to respond to outages after hours
JOURNEYMAN LINEWORKER
Levi Tipton
levit@butlerrural.coop
> Constructs, upgrades, and maintains facilities
> On call as-needed to respond to outages after hours
JOURNEYMAN LINEWORKER
Seth Fricke
sethf@butlerrural.coop
> Construct, upgrade, and maintain facilities
> On call as-needed to respond to outages after hours
JOURNEYMAN LINEWORKER
Andrew Strait
andrews@butlerrural.coop
> Construct, upgrade, and maintain facilities
> On call as-needed to respond to outages after hours
LINEWORKER
Noah Krall
noahk@butlerrural.coop
> Construct, upgrade, and maintain facilities
> On call as-needed to respond to outages after hours
LINEWORKER
Mason Miller masonm@butlerrural.coop
> Construct, upgrade, and maintain facilities
> On call as-needed to respond to outages after hours
LINEWORKER
Kyle Fagin
kylef@butlerrural.coop
> In the apprentice program to become a lineworker
> Assists lineworkers to construct, upgrade, and maintain facilities
MANAGER OF FACILITIES + MAINTENANCE
Larry Hornung
larryh@butlerrural.coop 4417
> Coordinates upkeep of office and grounds, substation lots, HVAC system, warehouse and material inventory, and vehicles
> Prepares for special events like Family Day
MECHANIC
Ryan Kerr
ryank@butlerrural.coop
> Maintains and repairs vehicles
> Assists with warehouse activities and maintenance of office and substation grounds
WAREHOUSE CLERK
Riley Salyers
rileys@butlerrural.coop 4435
> Maintains grounds, facilities, line materials, and equipment
> Receives, stores, issues, and monitors all inventory
CUSTODIAN
Bob Conrad
bobc@butlerrural.coop
> Maintains office so we have a clean and comfortable space to work in
CUSTODIAN
Adam Bens
adamb@butlerrural.coop
> Maintains office so we have a clean and comfortable space to work in
Do you have information to include in the employee newsletter or an idea to improve communication? Send feedback, information, and photos to Jade at jadeg@butlerrural.coop.
To be a dynamic, progressive organization guided by cooperative principles and to provide energy and other value-added services to its members. The cooperative will participate in its communities, providing leadership and support to improve the quality of life for all of its citizens.
RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
RURAL ELECTRIC