Putting Members First

This “unsung hero” enjoys helping Cherryland members understand their service…..

Diane Stockfisch credits her small town upbringing with her big time attention to serving Cherryland Electric Cooperative members.

“I grew up in a small town in the Upper Peninsula called Cooks, near Manistique,” said Dianne. “We had seven people in our graduating class. When you grow up in a small town you know everyone and everyone knows you. I think you learn the value of relationships.”

That “value” has served Diane well.

She places a great deal of it on how members are treated and helped when they call in to Cherryland’s Member Service Department.

“I think the best part of my job is talking to our members,” she said. “I think 99 out of 100 calls I get are from very respectful members. That number may seem high, but that has been my experience. Talking to our members and helping them is what gets me cranked up in the morning.”

As a member service representative, her job entails establishing new accounts and answering billing questions. But beyond that, she can pinch hit in the cashier’s office and keep track of outages in the operations department.

Diane Stockfisch is a blend of common sense and a strong work ethic.

“Diane has an uncanny knack for connecting with our members,” said Member Service Manager Kevin Cragg. “She is very patient and very caring with them. She talks with them on a personal level, yet she always balances what’s best for the member with what is best for our entire membership”

He also praised her attitude toward learning.

“Diane has always demonstrated flexibility,” he said. “She has a very broad base of experience at Cherryland because she likes to dig in and learn more when she’s presented with something new. I think she figures that not only benefits us, but benefits our members, too.”

But Diane is not all work and no play.

“We love to travel,” she said. “I think I get that from my folks. We took a couple of long trip in the summer as a family. My dad read a lot and was always fascinated with the latest trends and technology. My mother was a school teacher. In fact, she was my teacher in third and fourth grade. I think I got the traveling bug from them.”

Diane and her husband John have traveled extensively. They lived in Germany for nine months while John was stationed in the Army. They have also ventured to Italy, France, England and The Netherlands.

In the U.S., they have traveled along both coasts – taking in the sights from California to Washington, D.C. to New England.

But, she admits, she doesn’t have to hit the open road to find what she is looking for.

“Actually, the more you travel, the more you realize how good you have it at home,” she said. “When we traveled to Europe, the world was a different place. I’m not sure I would feel comfortable traveling like that now.”

Staying around northern Michigan and playing “Grandma” to her two grandchildren is exciting enough.

Her son Randy and daughter-in-law Kelly have two children, 5-year-old Chase and nearly 3-year-old Ella.

“We visit with them a couple times a week,” Diane said with a smile. “They are a very important part of our lives.”

She has worked at Cherryland 14 years and enjoys being part of the Member Service team.

“One of the things I like best about working at Cherryland is that there is a wealth of knowledge here, along with dedicated people,” she said. “So if I can’t answer a question, I can pass our member along to someone who can.”

That’s all part of Diane Stockfisch’s philosophy: Put the member first so they will have a good feeling about Cherryland Electric Cooperative that will last.