Meet McKenna
Published
on Wednesday, January 23, 2019
in
Community
From our operations crew in the field to our support staff in our offices, our employees help create vibrant, relevant, sustainable communities every day, and many of them also call these communities home. In 2019, we will take you behind the lines and introduce you to a few of these individuals who are MEC consumers just like you.
Meet McKenna, administrative coordinator. She keeps our managers and supervisors on track and first represented MEC as a delegate for the 2010 Washington D.C. Youth Tour sponsored by the National Rural Electric Co-op Association (NRECA). The trip, which brings together students representing electric co-ops from across the nation, changed her life. She was then elected to serve on NRECA's Youth Leadership Council through which she interacted with industry leaders, learned about the impact of electric co-ops and mentored other youth on subsequent trips to D.C. and Orlando. The experience inspired her to pursue a career in the electric industry because in her words, “Power makes the world go around.”
So, in 2012, when she saw the opportunity to become a co-op student at MEC, she immediately jumped at the chance. During this part-time internship, she served as a “Jane-of-all-trades,” helping her fellow coworkers with whatever they needed while learning valuable business skills. Just over two years later, she joined our team full time and now works with her colleagues on projects ranging from public policy advocacy to employee safety.
A native of Union, she grew up on a farm where she learned the value of hard work and developed a love of the outdoors. Fishing, hunting, disc golfing and kayaking top her list of favorite hobbies, but you can also find her enjoying the simple act of sitting around a fire with her family and two pups. “I can't imagine living anywhere other than Michigan. I love the four seasons and continue to be amazed by our state's landscape. I recently hiked 20 miles through the Upper Peninsula and was blown away by the serenity and beauty. I feel so lucky to call this place home,” she said.
When she isn't throwing a disc or casting a line, you can find her creating custom-designed shirts, glassware, artwork and more for her business, The Custom Niche. “I love crafting, and a few years ago I started making fun things for my friends and family. The next thing I knew, I had a steady stream of requests from many different people, so I decided to make it official,” she noted. “It's been a great experience making so many unique items, and I like knowing that what I create has special meaning for my customers.” You can find her store, The Custom Niche, on Facebook.
Below: McKenna sells merchandise from her online boutique at local craft fair.
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