Eight candidates will vie for four positions on the Kosciusko REMC Board of Directors during the electric co-op’s annual meeting on Saturday, April 20.

Incumbents Kim Buhrt, Pam Messmore, Fred Powell and Tony Fleming are opposed by candidates Don Bokhart, Russell Boucher, Joe Stanley and Greg Harden, respectively.

Kim Buhrt
Kim Buhrt has been a member of Kosciusko REMC for 32 years. She and her husband, Don, reside on Bowser Road in Syracuse. They are the parents of two children, Beth, 30; Jodi, 27 and a son-in-law, Matt, 30.

Kim is a graduate of Wawasee High School. She is a self-employed bookkeeper, in addition to being a homemaker. She is also a small business owner/partner with her husband in both a grain operation and a storage rental business.

The Buhrt’s attend North Webster Church of God, where Kim is active in Women’s Bible Study. Kim has served on the Board of Directors for Kosciusko REMC for 3 years where she earned her Credentialed Cooperative Director designation.

Don Bokhart
Don Bokhart has been a Kosciusko REMC member for 18 years. He graduated from Ball State University with a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Arts degree in education.

Bokhart has taught at Chamberlain Elementary in Goshen Community Schools for 37 years and is the past president for the Goshen Education Association. Bokhart also serves as the treasurer for the Knights of Columbus, Syracuse Council. He and his wife, Elaine, reside in Syracuse, and have a son and daughter.

Pam Messmore
Pam Messmore and her husband, Bruce, have been members of Kosciusko REMC for 33 years and live in the Pierceton area. She is a vice president and regional manager for Lake City Bank where she has been employed for 27 years. She is also active in community organizations including Kosciusko County Cancer Care Fund, serving as treasurer; Warsaw Education Foundation and a graduate and past president of Kosciusko Leadership Academy.

She was elected to the KREMC board in April of 2010.

The Messmore’s have two sons, two daughters and eight grandchildren, they attend Warsaw Community Church.

Russell Boucher
Russell Boucher has been a Kosciusko REMC member, going on 11 years.  He graduated from Ball State University with a BS in Industrial Technology with an endorsement in Electricity and Electronics.

Boucher served nearly 25 years as a citizen soldier in the Army Guard/Army Reserves. He is a retired Army Captain and works part-time as a proctor for the ASVAB test. Boucher retired from Huntington County Community School Corporation after teaching 23 years.

He and his wife, Anna, live on Irish Lake and have a son, two daughters and one granddaughter. He is a member of the Warsaw VFW and the American Legion in North Webster, as well as Military Officers Association of America.

Fred Powell
Fred Powell has served on the KREMC Board of Directors for 39 years, and was previously the board secretary. He also serves on the Wabash Valley Power Association board of directors, and has previously chaired the board.

Powell and his wife, Nancy, are the parents of two daughters and one son.

Powell recently retired from operating a 1,800-acre grain farm with his son. He attended Purdue University, and is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. The Powell family attends Wawasee Community Bible Church.

Joe Stanley
Joe Stanley has been a resident of Kosciusko County since 2004. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Anderson University and a Master of Business Administration from Grace College.

Stanley has worked for Miller’s Health System for the past eight years and is the treasurer for the Warsaw Education Foundation. He and his wife Brooke, reside in Warsaw with their two daughters.

Tony Fleming
Tony Fleming and his wife, Christy, have two children: Lilly, 19, and Rosie, 15, and reside in Warsaw. They have been members of KREMC for 29 years.

He is a Purdue University graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering. Fleming retired from Biomet in May 2006 after 23 years of service where he served as vice president of research and development for the company. Fleming serves on the advisory board of Purdue University’s School of Biomedical Engineering. He attends Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Warsaw.

Greg Harden
Greg Harden has been a Kosciusko REMC member for 19 years. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University, Master’s degree from Grace Theological Seminary, and a research Doctorate in Theology degree from Columbia Evangelical Seminary.

Harden is currently an adjunct professor for Grace College Seminary and the Pastor of Discipleship for Calvary Baptist Church. He has been involved with the National Institute of Cooperative Education, and international cooperative organizations. Harden has been an active member in the Kosciusko County Beef Council since 2010. He and his wife, Joan, live in Warsaw, and have three daughters.

“Every member has the right to help decide who will help lead KREMC into the future, and voting at the annual meeting is the way to exercise that right,” said KREMC Board Chairman, Bill Stump. Information on each candidate is also available on the co-op’s website www.kremc.com.