2025 Annual Meeting - Board of Directors Candidates
There are three seats available in this year’s election, and all of these are incumbent candidates running against nominees. You can cast your vote for the board of directors election at the Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 11th from 3:00-6:00 pm.
New this year, we also have online voting available from May 26th-June 9th. This way, our members can make their voice heard no matter their schedule restrictions or other responsibilities. The mailed ballot will have QR code to scan for online voting. Members can also access online voting here when it opens. Members will log in to the online voting platform using their member number, which can be found on their ballot, and their zip code.
Please note members who vote online are welcome to attend the Drive-Through Meeting for a $10 bill credit, free meal, and gift, but they cannot vote a second time.
Here are the candidates running this year:
John Hand, Warsaw – Incumbent Candidate
John Hand attended North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and then attended North Carolina State University studying computer engineering. He returned to the Warsaw area after this, where his family dates back to the 1800s in this community.
He currently serves as the President of CK Finishing, a manufacturing company in Warsaw that was originally founded by his uncle in 1956 as Hand Industries. He started at Hand Industries in 1986 and in 2000 became the president of the company. Along the way, he took up farming as well and operates a family farm south of Warsaw.
As an active member of Valley Springs Fellowship Church, he handles the multimedia for the worship services. In addition to this, he has served on several local nonprofit boards and currently serves as the President of the Hand Family Foundation, which supports organizations throughout the community.
He and his wife Florell are proud parents of twins, Jessica and Dillion, both of whom grew up to work in this area. They also now have four grandchildren.
John has been on the KREMC Board of Directors for the past 10 years and would like to continue in this capacity. On top of his role at KREMC, he also serves as KREMC’s representative on the Wabash Valley Power Alliance board, which supplies the majority of KREMC’s power. These organizations are working diligently to keep member costs down and power reliable, and John Hand enjoys being part of this mission. He describes his core values as faith, family, integrity, honesty, and community.
David Ferguson, Leesburg – Nominee Candidate
David Ferguson is a graduate of Purdue University, where he earned a degree in Agricultural Systems Management. Following college, he spent five and a half years working in the seed industry, gaining valuable experience in seed corn production at multiple locations across Indiana. In 2012, he returned to Kosciusko County to join Ferguson Farms, Inc.
He currently serves as President of Ferguson Farms, Inc., where he oversees day-to-day operations of the company’s trailer industry and trailer sales and rental shop. The business specializes in walking floor and belt trailers, offering sales, rentals, repair, and maintenance services. Through this role, he remains deeply involved in both the agricultural and wood industries and brings the perspective of a hands-on business owner and leader.
Beyond his professional work, he is actively involved in the community. He is a member of the Leesburg Lions Club, where he has previously served as president and is slated to serve again in the coming year. Through the Lions Club, he supports local initiatives including 4-H and various community projects throughout Kosciusko County.
He and his wife, Sarah, have been together for nearly ten years and enjoy living and working in the Kosciusko County community they call home.
He is interested in serving on the KREMC Board of Directors to help support and strengthen the community, particularly by contributing to the cooperative’s efforts to meet the county’s power and internet needs. Drawing on his experience running a complex, service-oriented business, he hopes to help KREMC continue to grow and serve its members effectively. He describes his core values as honesty and integrity, with a strong belief in taking care of people, building a strong community, and lifting others up.
Pam Messmore, Pierceton – Incumbent Candidate
Pam Messmore is a long-time Kosciusko County resident with a deep commitment to community service and cooperative leadership. She is a graduate of Whitko High School and continued her professional development by completing banking coursework at Butler University and the University of Wisconsin.
Pam retired from Lake City Bank in March of 2023 after an impressive 37-year career. During her tenure, she served in a variety of roles including Customer Service Representative, Office Manager, and Retail Regional Manager. Through these positions, she gained extensive experience in customer service, operations, and leadership, all while working closely with individuals and businesses throughout the community.
Her commitment to Kosciusko County extends well beyond her professional career. While employed at Lake City Bank, Pam served on numerous local boards and organizations, including the Pierceton Chamber of Commerce, Health Care Foundation of Kosciusko County, Warsaw Education Foundation, Kiwanis Club, Kosciusko County Cancer Care Fund, and the Kosciusko Leadership Academy. These roles reflect her long-standing dedication to strengthening the community and supporting local initiatives.
Pam has been married to her husband, Bruce, for 32 years. Together, they have two sons, two stepdaughters, and ten grandchildren, with whom she greatly enjoys spending time.
Pam has served on the KREMC Board of Directors for the past 16 years and is honored to continue her involvement with an organization that places a strong emphasis on caring for both its members and employees. She is proud to be part of a cooperative that works diligently to meet the evolving needs of the community. Pam describes her core values as honesty and kindness, with a strong belief in doing the right thing for those she serves and continually working to make the community a better place to live and work.
Nicholas King, Warsaw – Nominee Candidate
Nicholas King is a graduate of Lakeland Christian Academy, Class of 2005, and went on to attend the University of Dubuque, where he earned degrees in Aviation Flight Science and Aviation Management in 2009. He is also a licensed commercial pilot.
Nicholas has worked at the Warsaw Municipal Airport for more than a decade and has served as Airport Manager since 2013. In this role, he has led the airport through numerous infrastructure improvement projects, including power line lowering, runway expansions, and runway rehabilitation initiatives. He oversees complex budgets and multimillion-dollar capital projects while working closely with local and regional partners, and he takes great pride in serving the community through this leadership position.
In addition to his professional role, Nicholas is actively involved in the community. He works with the Warsaw Board of Aviation Commissioners and serves on the board of directors for the Warsaw Morning Breakfast Optimist Club, where he enjoys supporting youth-focused programs and giving back through service-oriented initiatives.
Nicholas and his wife live on the west side of Chapman Lake with their son and dog, less than two miles from where he grew up. As a lifelong resident of Warsaw, he values the quiet, outdoor lifestyle and appreciates the strong sense of community and connection to nature that the area provides.
Nicholas is interested in serving on the KREMC Board of Directors because he believes in leadership through service and giving back to the community that has given him so much. Drawing from his experience managing complex operations, large-scale projects, and public resources as Airport Manager, he hopes to leverage those skills to serve KREMC members in a meaningful way. His desire to serve is deeply rooted in his upbringing and values. Nicholas describes his core values as faith, family, and service and believes strongly in leaving a place better than he found it. He looks forward to carrying this mindset forward both professionally and as a role model for his son.
Loretta Schafer, Syracuse – Incumbent Candidate
Loretta Schafer is a graduate of Purdue University, where she earned a degree in Food Science, and she is also licensed in health and life insurance.
Loretta currently works with McBride Cosaint Solutions, a life and health insurance company, where she assists individuals who are approaching or already in retirement with finding the health plans that best meet their needs. In addition to her work in insurance, she owns and manages rental properties and operates a horse farm, applying her business and management skills across multiple ventures.
Earlier in her career, Loretta spent more than 25 years in the manufacturing industry, holding roles that included plant management, production supervision, quality assurance, and safety compliance. Her experience includes work at several well-known facilities such as Purina, Kroger Dairy, Diamond Nut, and Morgan Foods. These roles provided her with a broad and deep understanding of production operations, regulatory requirements, and business management.
Loretta is actively involved in her community and faith-based service. She founded and continues to lead the hospitality ministry providing coffee and donuts at St. Martin DePorres Church and also serves by lecturing at Mass as well. In addition, she supports a number of local and regional charitable organizations, including the Milford Food Bank, Elkhart Faith Mission, Relevant Radio, as well as 4-H and FFA.
Born and raised in Syracuse, Loretta comes from a family rooted in hard work and service. Her father, Doc Schafer, was a large animal veterinarian who helped establish the veterinary clinic on State Road 15, and her mother, Ann Schafer, was a farmer—an uncommon role for women of her generation. Growing up as one of six children, Loretta learned the values of strong work ethic, grit, integrity, and problem-solving at an early age.
Loretta is interested in continuing her service on the KREMC Board of Directors to build upon the progress made by the board and the KREMC team for the benefit of its members. She is proud of KREMC’s ability to keep electric rates significantly lower than investor-owned utilities and to exceed participation expectations with the cooperative’s internet service. She views this as an exciting time for KREMC and is committed to working diligently to keep rates low, expand opportunities through connectivity, and serve as a strong voice for the membership. Loretta describes her core values as transparency, dedication, honesty, and authenticity, with a strong commitment to staying informed and making well-informed decisions in the best interest of KREMC members.
Ron Gerber, Syracuse – Nominee Candidate
Ron Gerber is a graduate of Wawasee High School and has built his career around agriculture, trucking, and hands-on work in the field. He currently farms beef cattle and hay and also works as a commercial truck driver. Earlier in his career, Ron worked in excavation and dump truck operations, where he gained valuable experience working safely around utilities such as electric, gas, and communication lines.
Ron is actively involved in the agricultural community. He is a member of the Kosciusko Cattlemen’s Association, where he previously served as a director, and is also involved with the Indiana Beef Cattle Association.
Ron and his wife are raising two children, a son and a daughter, and are proud to call the Syracuse area home.
He is interested in serving on the KREMC Board of Directors because KREMC has been his family’s electric provider for most of his life and has consistently delivered reliable service at a reasonable cost. Ron would like to help ensure the cooperative continues on this positive path while representing the Syracuse area and its members. He describes his core values as honesty, integrity, and transparency.