Dear Members, 

Thank you for joining us at our 87th Annual Member Meeting on April 24 in Salisbury. I was honored to spend the evening and connect with more than 300 of you and your families. 

After a delicious dinner and time networking with our staff, associations and partners, the annual meeting kicked off. I was proud to highlight the work done by your Cooperative in 2024 to maintain our level of exceptional service at competitive prices and announce the record-breaking $3.5 million capital credit retirement. 

We celebrated the Cooperative’s dedication to rural members by providing broadband and mobile services through Choptank Fiber. I was happy to share that we have connected over 5,000 homes and local businesses by building upon our reliable infrastructure with world-class service and speed. 

Members reelected the following uncontested board members during the annual meeting to another three-year term: Amy Brandt of Caroline County, Matt Holloway of Wicomico County and Donna Richardson West of Worcester County.

We heard from special guest Dr. Deborah Casey, President of Wor-Wic Community College, about the strides they are taking to advance workforce development on the Eastern Shore. She shared the success of the Powerline Worker Pre-Apprenticeship Program with another graduating class in April. We appreciate Dr. Casey and the College’s dedication to the utility industry through this partnership with VMDAEC and Choptank Electric.
 
The evening concluded with bill credit drawings and our Luck of the Draw Scholarship drawing, awarding $10,000 in scholarships to 10 student members who attended the meeting.

Thank you for being engaged member-owners of your Cooperative. I am blessed to have a dedicated Board of Directors who understand the needs of our members and to lead an exceptional group of employees who work tirelessly to keep your lights on. We look forward to seeing you out at community events and fairs this summer!

Sincerely,

Mike Malandro, President & CEO