Duck River Electric welcomed members, employees and special guests to its annual meeting on Aug. 15 at Harris Middle School in Shelbyville. A total of 407 cooperative members registered, with an estimated attendance of more than 500. This historic milestone celebrated the cooperative’s humble beginnings in 1936, when only 386 residents helped pave the way as the first cooperative members.

During the meeting, DREMC Board Chairman Anthony Kimbrough announced that four directors whose terms expired this year were unopposed and retained their board positions by acclamation (pictured at right).

Special guest speaker Warren Wells of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration welcomed everyone to Shelbyville and invited them to attend the 2026 Celebration and explore Bedford County.
DREMC President & CEO James Wright reflected on the cooperative’s rich history. “Ninety years ago, Duck River Electric was formed because people believed rural communities deserved a stronger future,” he describes. “That belief still guides us.”

The annual meeting featured a complimentary breakfast, lots of great door prizes, the business session, a financial report, and a special 90th anniversary video presentation. Attendees also met and took selfies with “Watts the Lineduck,” DREMC’s new mascot.

After much anticipation, Wartrace resident Kevin Smith was named the winner of the grand prize, a retired DREMC fleet vehicle – a 2014 F-150 4×4 pickup truck.

Although much has changed since the early days of Duck River Electric, the purpose of its annual meeting remains the same: to bring members and cooperative leaders together, remind members that their voices matter and celebrate what cooperation can accomplish.

“The people who built this cooperative did not know every challenge the future would bring,” said DREMC Board Chairman Anthony Kimbrough. “They could not have imagined every appliance, every device, every business need or every modern expectation that would someday depend on the system they started. But they understood something that still matters: when people come together around a shared need, they can build something lasting.”

“That is what this 90th anniversary is about. It is not just a look back. It is a reminder of who we are, what has been entrusted to us and what we owe to the members who will come after us,” shared Kimbrough.

During the meeting, this crowd was the first to see our 90th anniversary documentary, highlighting almost a century of Duck River Electric’s history, vision, and service to local communities. If you missed it, you can watch the full documentary here!

From left, Duck River Electric board members confirmed for another term include Brian Riddle (Bedford and Rutherford counties); Sammy Morton (Coffee, Cannon, and Warren counties); Anthony Kimbrough (Maury, Hickman, Lawrence, Lewis, and Williamson counties); and Philip Duncan (Franklin, Grundy and Marion counties).