State Representative Dave Severin (R-Benton) is the 2023 recipient of the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives Public Service Award. Severin received the award at a ceremony during the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Association in Springfield.
“The 116th district is fortunate to be served by Norris Electric Cooperative, SouthEastern Illinois Electric Cooperative, Tri-County Electric Cooperative, and Wayne-White Electric Cooperative,” Severin said. “As the House Republican’s ranking member on the House Energy and Environment Committee, I work hard to stay in touch with officials at these cooperatives and to help address their concerns at the Capitol. To receive this recognition is an honor indeed, but it is my privilege and pleasure to serve these Cooperatives and the citizens that they provide electrical services to.”
“Representative Severin continues to prove he is a friend of the co-ops,” President and CEO of Tri-County Electric Cooperative Luke Johnson said. “Dave has shown that he cares for constituents in rural communities by fighting for our local economies. He has proven time and again that he is concerned about reliability and affordability when it comes to our co-op members.”
Don Gulley, President and CEO of the Southern Illinois Power Cooperative also expressed his congratulations and thanks to Rep. Severin.
“Dave is absolutely the most hard working person I know when it comes to helping out co-ops and his constituents,” Gulley said. “For those of us in Southern Illinois, Dave is the consummate servant-leader.”
The electric cooperatives of Illinois are locally owned, not-for-profit organizations controlled by their member-owners. Illinois is home to 26 distribution co-ops that provide electric service to more than 600,000 Illinoisans located primarily in rural areas of 90 of the state’s 102 counties.
