Reflections on a Remarkable Conference and Celebrating Cooperative Month

I know fall finds our members busy serving customers, but I’d like to take a moment to pause and celebrate the benefits of the business model that serves some of our members so well. October is National Cooperative Month, and it’s a good time to consider the core values that makes co-ops vibrant and strong!

I encourage our members to use this month to reflect on the seven principles.

• Voluntary and open membership
• Democratic member control
• Members’ economic participation
• Autonomy and independence
• Education, training and information
• Cooperation among cooperatives
• Concern for community

These concepts are our cooperatives bedrock — they’ve made cooperative work for Tennesseans for decades, and a continued dedication to them will carry us forward.

A look back reveals several significant milestones this month as well. Association members IRIS Networks and Telephone Electronics Corporation, or TEC, have anniversaries in October. IRIS celebrates 25 years in operation, and TEC had a centennial celebration Oct. 21. We just wrapped our 29th KYRBA/TNBA Fall Conference & Supplier Showcase, and we recorded our largest attendance. It felt wonderful to see old friends and welcome new faces.

I’d like to extend the warmest thanks to the conference sponsors, speakers and vendors. I appreciate the time they took to travel to us and the fact that they chose us from among many available trade shows. It’s always an honor to host such valuable industry contributors.

And to our members: I wish you a beautiful, productive season as you prepare to wrap another year. We can’t do what we do without you! #ConnectingTN