Louis Wenzlaff, president of the board of directors, opened the 80th Annual Meeting of Thumb Electric Cooperative (Thumb) members on June 10 at the Thumb Octagon Barn- a brand new venue for the annual meeting.
“The Octagon Barn is a very fitting venue for our event,” explained Brad Essemacher, member services manager at Thumb. Built in 1924, the historic Thumb Octagon Barn stands today as the result of two decades of community partnerships and is perfectly located in the center of Thumb’s tri-county service area.
“Thumb has been a fabulous partner and we were happy to host their annual meeting, said Rose Putman, President of the Barn. “It’s a wonderful spot for centralizing our rural and agriculturally-focused community.”
An estimated 800 people attended the meeting, which is a considerable increase from previous years.
“I was really encouraged to see such a great turnout of families with kids,” said Essenmacher.
From bounce houses to bucket truck and pony rides to face painting, there were plenty of family activities to keep everyone busy.
All the incumbent directors and board officers were re-elected.
“The new venue worked out great for this event,” said Essenmacher. “We hope the Octagon Barn continues to draw more members to our annual meeting in the years to come.”