VEA to hold event-filled membership meeting

Valley Electric Association will hold its annual membership meet with all the fanfare, raffle drawings and updated project information.

The meeting, set for April 26, is open to the community in what VEA calls its “largest event of the year.”

VEA is a member-owned electric cooperative headquartered here but serving other outlying communities as well. As all the members from all of the communities have been invited to attend the meeting, VEA is providing transportation so everyone may attend without strains on the gas budget. Those wanting to take advantage of the VEA complimentary transport will have to make reservations by calling 775-727-2189.

Outlying pick-up schedules are:

Beatty — A bus will begin loading at 9:15 a.m., April 26 at the Beatty Community Center, 100 A Ave. South. The bus will depart for the meeting at 9:30 a.m.

Amargosa Valley — Another bus will also start loading at 9:15 a.m. and depart at 9:40 a.m. that day from the Amargosa Valley Community Center, 821 E. Farm Road.

The meeting will be held in the auditorium of Pahrump Valley High School at 501 E. Calvada Blvd. The annual meeting serves as the cooperative’s largest event of the year, with hundreds of VEA members expected to attend.

It is designed to provide members with information about the cooperative’s projects, member-focused initiatives and its vision for the future. In addition to a presentation from CEO Tom Husted, the event will feature the announcement of this year’s VEA Scholarship recipients.

Each year, VEA awards a variety of post-secondary education scholarships to assist the cooperative’s members and their children. This year, the cooperative will award two full-time academic scholarships offering $1,000 per year for four consecutive years; one full-time vocational/technical scholarships offering $1,000 per year for two consecutive years; and one part-time continuing education scholarships offering $500 for one year.

Registration for the event will begin at 11 a.m., lunch will be served at 11 :30 a.m., and the meeting will be called to order at 1 p.m.

“The annual meeting serves as a great opportunity for community members to learn about VEA’s tremendous progress and our expectations for the future,” Husted said. “We look forward to providing our member-owners with an exciting and informative event that showcases the benefits of VEA’s member-focused mission.”

The theme of this year’s meeting, “A Cooperative for Nevada,” will guide the event’s content. The meeting will highlight VEA’s many contributions to its home state and the communities it serves. Members will also receive information about VEA’s upcoming campus expansion project, which will include a new community conference center in Pahrump for local events and meetings.

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Dave Belote will serve as the event’s special guest speaker, offering his unique perspective on a number of topics, including the importance of the services VEA provides to the U.S. military. During his 24 years of military service, Belote earned two Bronze Stars and served as installation commander for Nellis Air Force Base, Creech Air Force Base and the Nevada Test and Training Range. In addition to his military experience, Belote’s extensive knowledge led him to five wins on the popular TV game show “Jeopardy!”

The meeting is free for community members, and it will include a lunch, prize drawings and a variety of other benefits for VEA members. Those who RSVP by the April 18 deadline will receive an additional raffle ticket for the prize drawings. To RSVP, call 775-727-2189.