6 THE POWER OF POSSIBILITY NISC | 50 YEARS OF INNOVATION AND MEMBER SERVICE “The world’s changing, and we’ve had to change with it. It’s becoming more technology driven,” says Don Crabbe, President and CEO of First Electric Cooperative Corporation in Jacksonville, Arkansas, and a former NISC Board member. “NISC is willing and able to help us do that.” Devotion to Members permeates NISC. From the moment they are hired, NISC employees understand that this environment is not the typical corporate culture. “I usually say I work for the Members and report to my supervisors,” says Rob Kimpling, a Sr. Technical Systems Engineer. While some companies encourage a competitive environment, NISC builds camaraderie around a shared goal. “There’s a lot of ‘we’ here and very little ‘me,’” says Brian VerDouw, Professional Services Team Lead. “It really feels like a family. Everyone plays a role to find a common solution for Members.” This cooperative model underlies NISC’s success. While other software vendors want to create products they can sell to as many different types of users as possible, NISC designs its software to meet specific needs. Integrity, relationships, innovation, teamwork, empowerment and personal devel- opment — those shared values form the framework of NISC’s interaction with customers and employees. The cooperative model is an age-old concept. The first “I usually say I work for the Members and report to my supervisors.” — ROB KIMPLING NATIONAL INFORMATION SOLUTIONS COOPERATIVE