This year voting will take place via mail and online ONLY. There will be no in-person voting at the Annual Meeting.

A ballot will be mailed to all members in October.

Voting will open October 4, 2024 at 8AM and close October 21, 2024 at 5PM.

Results will be announced at the Annual Meeting, October 26, 2024.

DISTRICT 2

Hello! My name is Grant Holmes, and I proudly represent the fifth generation of my family in Freestone County. Alongside my wife, Madison, who is my partner in both life and community service, we are excitedly anticipating the arrival of our first child this November.

I graduated from Teague High School in 2009 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration from Tarleton State University. For eight years, I successfully owned and operated Holmes Landscaping and Irrigation, where I honed my entrepreneurial skills and developed a deep understanding of local business needs. Currently, I manage our family's commercial cattle operation and our registered Red Angus seedstock herd, where I am dedicated to sustainable practices and community engagement.

My commitment to agriculture and rural issues is further demonstrated through my active involvement on the Freestone County Farm Bureau Board of Directors and the Texas Farm Bureau Hay and Forage Committee for Policy Development. I am also a devoted member of the Freestone Baptist Church, where my wife and I participate in weekly worship and service activities, reinforcing our dedication to our community.

Navasota Valley Electric Co-Op has been a vital lifeline for rural Texans since its establishment in the 1940s. As a lifelong rural resident, I am acutely aware of the unique challenges that accompany country living, and I am committed to addressing these concerns with empathy and understanding.

If elected, I pledge to approach all discussions with an open mind and a willingness to understand diverse perspectives. I believe in the importance of strong character, self-control, and critical thinking as essential traits for effective governance. A board of directors must steer the organization with vision and integrity, actively listening to member feedback and making informed decisions.

I hold a deep sense of responsibility to serve with strong morals and a genuine care for the community I represent. My goal is to ensure that District 2 continues to thrive under NVEC's leadership, navigating improvements and innovations that benefit us all.

Thank you for considering my candidacy. Your support and vote would mean a great deal to me and our community.

I reside in Limestone County and attend Prairie Grove Baptist Church. I was a licensed electrician in Texas for 38 years and 45-year member of IBEW lineman’s local #66. I attended San Jacinto college for chemical operation technician and safety professional courses thru TEEX at Texas A&M. I am also a member of the Texas Cattle Raisers Association.

I am a retired electrician/operator for NRG Energy with 40 years’ experience. During that time, I was a safety representative and, on the maintenance /management committee. I am currently serving as the district 7 NVEC board representative.

I am determined to continue to bring transparency, reliability, and stable rates along with years of electrical knowledge to our COOP.  MEMBERS FOR A STRONGER COOP.

DISTRICT 3

I am Craig Lee Champion Jr., married to Jacy Champion with children Reece, River, Ralee, and Rosie Champion. I was born in Bryan, Texas in 1974 and have resided in the NVEC Area from 1983 to 1992 and from 2012 to the current day. During my earliest years here, I worked for Kenneth Wietzikoski Welding, building fence, barns, bumpers, cattle pens, and anything else requested to be done. Additionally, I worked for Raymond Wietzikoski at the station filling cars and fixing flats, along with going to the hayfield and working cattle when it was time. During my time away I attended Texas A&M University, where I was in the Corp of Cadets outfit F-2 and graduated with honors in 1996. Upon graduating, I started Champion Construction and Welding and later transitioned into Champco Inc. whereby hundreds of projects were started and completed across Texas, from the East Coast to the West Coast. During those years we started investing in residential, commercial, and ranch land real estate. Today, I am president of Champco Inc., managing member of CC4 Ranches LLC, 329 LLC, 571 LCR LLC, Christmas Creek Joint Venture LLC, 5454 Blue LLC, and Craig Champion Properties LLC. I also serve on the Limestone-Falls SWCD 501 board, and the Limestone County Appraisal District Agriculture Advisory Review Board. I hereby announce my candidacy for the NVEC Board of Directors Representing Area 3. Over the last year or so, I have been approached by several to discuss their electric bill, prompting me to talk to some of my neighbors. Many of whom, living on fixed income, mentioned their bills ranged from $300-$1,000/month. I was shocked at what I heard. While I may not be able to fix it, I will tirelessly and with much effort learn the reasons as to why these bills are exorbitant and what measures could be taken such that the monthly cost of electricity be lowered or made more manageable for all of us. It may take years to accomplish— a big ship is hard to turn— but with everyone’s help, feedback, and transparency perhaps we can make living in the country affordable again.

Thank you for your consideration and vote, Craig Champion

Bennie Kirven

DISTRICT 5

I reside in Franklin, Texas and have been an NVEC member for eight years. I am interested in improving our community and school system development. In my free time I enjoy all outdoor activities.

I am currently owner of Petroleum Products Inc, and part owner of Mudd Creek Country Store in Franklin and Lost Creek Store in Hearne. I am also currently a committee member for several scholarship boards. I am a former member of Lake Mexia Water Board.

If elected to the NVEC Board of Directors, I will have the ability to listen, analyze, think clearly and creatively, and work well with people individually and within the organization. I will possess honesty, and sensitivity to and tolerance of differing views. In an organization it is important to build skills, have personal integrity and sense of values, and concern for the organization’s development.

I will have the willingness to prepare for and attend board meetings, ask questions, take responsibility and follow through on a given assignment.

I would appreciate your vote.

I have been a member of this coop for four years now. I have attended every general meeting since October of 2020, and I have also been to many regular board meetings. Until the most recent bylaw changes, I was prohibited to be on the board due to my occupation. Now that the restriction has been removed and my district is up for vote, I am asking for your support.

My family and I reside in Franklin TX, and we are residents of district 5. My wife and I own a small but successful HVAC company in Bryan TX. We have four amazing children that attend Franklin Schools. We are members of First Baptist Church Franklin and serve our community as we’re able. I am not a perfect person, and I do not claim to be. I have a reputation for being extremely honest and transparent. I am not afraid to call anyone out when I feel they are wrong, and I am not too proud to admit when I am wrong. I will always do my best to extend grace and ask for it in return.

My desire to serve on this board started after the 2021 General Meeting where I may have been the first person to ever ask questions of the board president and the way in which he answered my questions made me realize we were in trouble. I asked for access to board meeting minutes, I asked for a map of our districts, I asked for meeting minutes to be put on our website, I asked for the board meetings to be live streamed, I asked about right of way maintenance, I asked about how to contact our board members. None of this existed before 2021. I was told by the board president that we couldn’t have access to minutes because they had sensitive information, that we couldn’t post minutes or live stream them because we didn’t have any money. I’m proud of the changes that myself and others have gotten implemented for the betterment of our coop. Our website now contains the bylaws, a district map, contact information, etc. Board meetings now utilize executive sessions to protect sensitive information, and members can get copies of the minutes at the coop office. It’s not where I want us to be but it’s better than it was.

What I would like to bring to the coop as a board member is transparency, integrity and reliability.

Some of the things I would like to see implemented are:

-Live electronic access to board meeting for members via audio or video to observe, not participate. Participation would be in person.

-Implement district specific email accounts for each board member to be reached at.

-Host quarterly town hall meetings throughout the territory

-Pay our employees a competitive wage

-Teach our employees well enough that they could leave, treat them well enough so that they don’t leave

-Make board member training through our national Coop organization mandatory

-Implement new procedures for the nominating committee to promote competition and diversity on the board; require 2 candidates per district for every election

-Empower the coop to purchase electricity from our members without as many hurdles

-Develop strategic budgets, maintenance schedules and policies with the management team and then get out of their way and let them work

-Hold management accountable for the quality of power this coop receives and to the goals previously laid out

-Lastly, restore the power of the coop back to its members THROUGH the board as opposed to the way it’s been the past several years of power to the members FROM the board.

Please do not hesitate to ask me publicly or privately any questions you may have. I’d be honored to have your vote, and I will work hard to make this coop a better place.