Making Time to Serve
Pioneer’s newest board trustee balances business ownership, family life and cooperative leadership.
Most people would hesitate before adding approximately 20 additional hours of meetings, training and conferences to an already busy schedule each month. However, Trevor Lavy saw it as an opportunity to serve his cooperative community.
In March, Lavy was elected to Pioneer Electric Cooperative’s Board of Trustees, joining a group of member-elected leaders responsible for helping guide the cooperative’s future. For Lavy, the role is a way to serve an industry and a community that has been part of his life for many years.
“Between my background in the industry, my experience as a member, and my desire to continue serving the cooperative community, serving as a trustee felt like a meaningful way to give back and help guide the organization into the future,” Lavy says.
Lavy’s connection to the electric utility industry began long before he became a trustee. Early in his career, he worked in utility right-of-way maintenance, helping keep areas beneath power lines clear throughout Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. He later worked for Pioneer Electric Cooperative and Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, gaining firsthand experience with the work required to provide safe, reliable electric service to members.
Today, however, his professional life looks much different.
Lavy and his wife own and operate Vantage Signs; a sign business located in Troy. Like many small business owners, Lavy’s days are often filled with meetings, planning and managing responsibilities that extend far beyond a typical workday.
While trustees meet monthly, the role requires much more than simply showing up. Trustees spend time reviewing reports, preparing for monthly meeting discussions, completing training programs and staying informed about issues affecting the electric utility industry. New trustees also participate in orientation opportunities designed to help them better understand cooperative governance and the responsibilities that come with serving co-op members.
“As a business owner,” Lavy says, “I have the flexibility to make that commitment, which allowed me to seriously consider serving in this role.”
Balancing Lavy’s responsibilities as a trustee and his family and business obligations can be challenging, but he says it’s easier with the support of his wife and the dedication of his employees.
Lavy attended a Pioneer board meeting in July, before leaving for a three-day, out-of-state conference related to his own business. His wife provided incredible support during that stretch of days.
“Sarah was a trooper and kept our household running and maintained our kids’ schedule of events while still assisting our team at the office,” Lavy says. “We are fortunate to have built an outstanding team within our business.”
As a business owner, most of Lavy’s time is already spent in meetings outside of the office, so he says taking the trustee role did not require too much adjustment.
“It’s simply a few additional commitments on the calendar in service of something I care deeply about,” Lavy says.
Lavy admits his transition to trustee was made easier thanks to his background in electric cooperatives.
“My background and experience working in the cooperative world has allowed me to be more engaged at a deeper level in a relatively short timeframe,” Lavy says. “While I continue to learn new things all the time in my role as a trustee, many of the decisions brought before the board can be tied back to an experience that I’ve previously had while working for the co-ops.”
Lavy views being a trustee as a way of serving his community and helping address the challenges and opportunities facing electric cooperatives.
“Aging infrastructure, increasing energy demands, emerging technologies, and the impact of large energy users will shape the future of electric service for years to come,” Lavy says.
These issues require the Cooperative leadership to thoughtfully plan and make decisions that will position Pioneer for future success.
Since joining the board, he says he has gained an even greater appreciation for the people who make the cooperative work — from employees and fellow trustees to the members themselves.
“Everyone truly shares the same goal: doing what’s best for the membership and ensuring the long-term success of the cooperative so it can continue meeting members’ needs,” Lavy says. “I’ve seen firsthand that this isn’t just a slogan or a marketing message. It’s genuinely how cooperatives operate, and it’s one of the reasons I’m proud to be both a Pioneer member and a Pioneer trustee.”
