Eight candidates will vie for four positions on the Kosciusko REMC Board of Directors during the electric co-op’s annual meeting April 20. Incumbents Kim Buhrt, Pam Messmore, Fred Powell and Tony Fleming are opposed by candidates Don Bokhart, Russell Boucher, Joe Stanley and Greg Harden. Buhrt, from Syracuse, has been a member of Kosciusko REMC for 32 years and has served on the board of directors for three years, where she earned her credentialed cooperative director designation. She is a self-employed bookkeeper in addition to being a homemaker, and is also a small business owner/partner with her husband in both a grain operation and a storage rental business. Bokhart, Syracuse, has been a Kosciusko REMC member for 18 years. He has taught at Chamberlain Elementary in Goshen Community Schools for 37 years and is the past president for the Goshen Education Association. Bokhart also serves as the treasurer for the Knights of Columbus, Syracuse Council. Messmore and her husband Bruce, have been members of Kosciusko REMC for 33 years and live in the Pierceton area. She is a vice president and regional manager for Lake City Bank where she has been employed for 27 years. She belongs to community organizations including Kosciusko County Cancer Care Fund, serving as treasurer; Warsaw Education Foundation and a graduate and past president of Kosciusko Leadership Academy. She was elected to the KREMC board in April 2010. Boucher, Irish Lake, has been a Kosciusko REMC member for 11 years. He served nearly 25 years as a citizen soldier in the Army Guard/Army Reserves. He is a retired Army Captain and works part-time as a proctor for the ASVAB test. Boucher retired from Huntington County Community School Corporation after teaching 23 years. He is a member of the Warsaw VFW and the American Legion in North Webster, as well as Military Officers Association of America. Powell has served on the KREMC Board of Directors for 39 years, and was previously board secretary. He also serves on the Wabash Valley Power Association board of directors, and was past chair. He recently retired from operating a 1,800-acre grain farm with his son. He attended Purdue University, and is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. The Powell family attends Wawasee Community Bible Church. Stanley, Warsaw, has been a resident of Kosciusko County since 2004. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Anderson University and a Master of Business Administration from Grace College. Stanley has worked for Miller’s Health System for the past eight years and is the treasurer for the Warsaw Education Foundation. Fleming, Warsaw, and his family have been members of KREMC for 29 years. He is a Purdue University graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering. He retired from Biomet in May 2006 after 23 years, having been vice president of research and development for the company. Fleming serves on the advisory board of Purdue University’s School of Biomedical Engineering. Harden, Warsaw, has been a Kosciusko REMC member for 19 years. He is currently an adjunct professor for Grace College Seminary and the pastor of discipleship for Calvary Baptist Church. He has been involved with the National Institute of Cooperative Education, and international cooperative organizations. Harden has been an active member in the Kosciusko County Beef Council since 2010. “Every member has the right to help decide who will help lead KREMC into the future, and voting at the annual meeting is the way to exercise that right,” said KREMC Board Chairman Bill Stump. Information on each candidate is also available on the co-op’s website www.kremc.com Kosciusko REMC is a Touchstone Energy® electric cooperative serving over 17,000 members throughout Kosciusko County and into surrounding counties.
