Members Gather for Annual MeetingNeighbors enjoyed conversation, refreshments, informational booths, an update on the state of their cooperative and lots of door prizes at the 71st annual Glades Electric Cooperative Annual Membership Meeting on March 19. Read more on page 4.
Recap of 71st Annual Meeting PAGE 4 n Make Electrical Safety a Priority PAGE 28
Glades Electric Cooperative
M AY 2016
Glades ElectricNeighbors Working for Neighbors
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We honor the men and women of the armed forces of the United States of America.
Thank Youfor your courage, sacrifice and service
HappyMemorial Day
from GEC
Side Roads 10In the Kitchen 16Great Picture Hunt 18
Travel Journal 20Festival Roundup 22Parting Shot 30
Inside
Your utility pages: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32
Also In This Issue
May 2016Vol. 5, No. 7
Nature’s Pantry Beckons 12Floridians forage for wild, edible plants that enhance meals.
M AY 2016 3
Neighbors Serving NeighborsGlades Electric members gather for the 71st time
Glades Electric Cooperative’s 71st Annual Membership Meeting drew nearly 700 people to Lake Placid Middle School on March 19 as mem-bers, exhibitors, VIPs and employees spent the morning reviewing important issues.
Members were greeted by employees happy to help them with parking and give golf cart rides to the front door. Many members said the danc-ing flagman put a smile on their faces.
After being greeted by CEO Jeff Brewington, mem-bers registered and voted on three By-Law changes and three Trustee positions. The input of members is in keep-ing with the second coop-erative principle: democratic member control.
Every year, one-third of the Board of Trustees is elected or re-elected to serve three-year terms. Candidates are nominated by a committee or by petition from the member-ship and are voted on at the Annual Meeting. The Board of Trustees establishes the policies by which the coop-erative conducts business.
This year, each of the three incumbent Trustees were re-elected: Donnie Lundy, District 1, Moore Haven; C. Russell Henderson, District 3, Ortona and Palmdale; and Shannon Hall, District 4, Lakeport and Brighton.
In addition to vot-ing, members visited with exhibitors. Displays were provided by Archbold
Biological Station, The Miracle League for Highlands County, Seminole Electric, GRESCO and Meter Treater. Featured programs included Operation Round-Up and Round-Up Plus, Florida Rural Electric Credit Union, Action Committee for Rural Electrification/Cooperative Owners for Political Action and Vote.coop.
As the business meeting began, Brewington recognized several guests. Representing Seminole Electric Cooperative were General Manager/CEO Lisa Johnson, Vice President of Member Services and External Affairs Trudy Novak, Vice President of Operations David Gerhart, Vice President of Internal Audit and Corporate Compliance Tom Turke and Director of Systems Operations Michael Ward. Also present were John
Kimsey, regional vice president of the National Rural Utilities Service Cooperative Finance Corp., and Justin Morgan from Rep. Cary Pigman’s office.
Brewington also recognized the Board of Trustees and the volunteer members on the Glades Electric Charitable Trust Board.
With great honor and pride, he recognized the mili-tary veterans present. GEC is proud to support these vet-erans and their families, who stood behind them and made sacrifices as they protected our freedom.
Board President Jack Coxe welcomed members and guests, and reviewed many of the cooperative’s accomplish-ments during the past year.
“Just five years ago we embarked on a mission to change the direction of the cooperative,” Coxe said. “We
Glades ElectricNeighbors Working for Neighbors
CEO Jeff Brewington, left, visits with a member at the 71st Annual Meeting.
Jenny Parrish helps member Maria Brown through the registration process.
4 M AY 2016
have come a long way in that regard, and we are proud of the accomplishments of our dedicated workforce.”
He noted the open-ing of a new and improved Okeechobee Member Service Center; completion of a turn lane into the Moore Haven headquarters complex, mak-ing it safer for members and employees; added secu-rity to the Highlands Park Substation, thanks to an employee establishing his
home next to it; installation of automated metering infra-structure, which modernizes GEC’s energy distribution system; implementation of an improved right-of-way man-agement program; addition of a vendor-managed inventory program; and refinancing the cooperative’s long-term debt.
The sound financial deci-sions made by the Board of Trustees and management, combined with favorable fuel prices, led to 12 percent lower
rates than those paid by mem-bers before the turnaround started five years ago. During the same time, member equity increased to nearly 31 percent.
Coxe invited CFC’s Kimsey to the podium. He said GEC has done an excellent job in recent years maintaining a sound financial position and keeping transparent lines of communication open among GEC, CFC and wholesale power provider Seminole Electric Cooperative.
Kimsey recognized the hard work and dedication the cooperative has put into raising members’ equity and meeting financial obligations.
His comments transitioned well to the CEO’s portion of the meeting.
Brewington began by reporting on several issues that have affected the coop-erative’s financial situation the past several years.
Glades Electric Cooperative Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Manning, right, reviews paperwork with Mike Shields, the winner of a 2005 Ford F150 4x4 extended cab pickup.
Continues on page 6
Many members went home with door prizes. This family won a cooler.
Employee Bret Whidden shuttles members from the gymnasium to the parking lot after the meeting.
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Glades ElectricNeighbors Working for Neighbors
“I am excited that I finally get to report that we’ve closed the books on the past employee corruption prosecu-tion with the last individual sentenced in late October,” Brewington said. “Over the course of the five-year ordeal, we prevailed with three fed-eral prosecutions and five state-level prosecutions. And with the help of the courts and our insurer, we recovered nearly $1.5 million.”
Brewington highlighted recent achievements that dis-tinguish GEC. He recognized the work of the dedicated Charitable Trust leaders who awarded $76,381 in 2015, helping 34 families and eight organizations. He noted the trust—established 20 years ago—could reach $1 million in awards by the end of 2016.
Brewington said that more than 70 percent of GEC mem-bers choose to participate in Operation Roundup—the funding vehicle of the
trust—and encouraged those not contributing to the wor-thy program to do so. He told the members additional dona-tions can be made through Operation Round-Up Plus (see page 8 for details).
Brewington highlighted another GEC program that leaves a lasting impact on the community: the Glades Electric Education Foundation, which awarded college scholarships total-ing $38,400 to 12 students in 2015. Funded entirely by unclaimed capital credits, the foundation costs the coopera-tive membership nothing.
“Your cooperative is also very supportive of the com-munities you live in, having contributed nearly $36,000 in 2015 to wide-ranging school programs, community fes-tivals, county fairs and, my favorite, youth livestock sales,” Brewington said.
He noted the young chil-dren at the livestock sales left a lasting impression on him.
Brewington recognized the
cooperative’s employees and vendors who hosted the 2nd Annual Powered for a Cause golf tournament in 2015, rais-ing $3,950 for The Miracle League for Highlands County. He said the 2016 tournament was just completed, raising another $5,000.
Ever watchful for legisla-tive issues that could affect members, Brewington drew attention to the important relationship GEC has with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
NRECA’s ACRE—a politi-cal action committee—helps finance battles important to rural communities. Brewington said Cooperative Owners for Political Action offers coop-erative members the opportu-nity to be a part of ACRE. He
encouraged members to con-sider supporting COPA, noting that by banding together, rural electric members can become a formidable force and make a difference in the direction the country heads.
Brewington reviewed another important NRECA and GEC program, the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. Electric cooperatives across the country sends high school juniors to the nation’s capi-tal each year to learn about electric cooperatives and how the government works. GEC sends two students.
One of GEC’s 2015 Youth Tour representatives, Kate Perry, talked about her expe-riences and told annual meet-ing attendees how valuable
Continues from page 5
Neighbors Serving Neighbors
Kellie Hernandez delivers a prize to one of the winners.
6 M AY 2016
the journey was to her.The 17-year-old daughter of
cooperative members Tommy and Laura Perry is a senior at Moore Haven High School, where she is salutatorian, presi-dent of her class and student council, president of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and edi-tor of the yearbook. She takes dual enrollment classes, works part time and golfs.
Perry plans to study chem-istry at her grandmother’s alma mater, Ole Miss, with a goal to attend medical school.
Brewington reported that as a result of members’ equity exceeding 30 percent, the cooperative is allowed to refund a portion of that
equity for the first time since 2007. This year, the Board of Trustees will refund $1,428,941.70 in capital cred-its for the years 1971-1975.
Brewington noted GEC plans to continue to refund capital credits in the future.
“It’s the cooperative way, and something you won’t get at an investor-owned utility,” he said.
Following the business meeting, Brewington allot-ted time for questions from the membership. Some mem-bers asked about a recent rate restructuring. Brewington explained the need for the restructuring and noted that although the base rate did
increase, the energy rate was adjusted, too. As a result, he said, most members saw a decrease in their monthly bills. Brewington asked each of the members with questions to provide their names so he could follow up with them.
The final portion of the meeting was the award of more than 100 prizes, including TVs, gift cards, an Android tablet, cookbooks and plants. All members pres-ent, including GEC employees who are members, were eli-gible to win prizes.
Perry returned to the stage
to help with the prize drawing. Excited members waved
their tickets in the air as their winning numbers were called. Anticipation grew for the grand prize drawing, a 2005 Ford F150 4X4 extended cab pickup truck. Mike Shields was this year’s lucky winner.
It is the sincere hope of GEC’s Board of Trustees, man-agement and employees that members enjoyed attending the annual meeting as much as they enjoyed hosting it.
It is an honor to be “Neighbors Working for Neighbors.” n
Seven members of the Board of Trustees. From left, Barney Goodman, Shannon Hall, Donnie Lundy, Ladd Bass, Russell Henderson, Jack Coxe and Jim Aul.
Employees have a little fun as they prepare gift bags before the meeting. From left, Emily Hancock, Maria Suarez, Isabel Torres, Susan Watkins, Rene Rimes and Sandra Padilla.
A happy member shows the ticket that won her a new television.
M AY 2016 7
More than 70 percent of Glades Electric Cooperative members participate in Operation Round Up, which helps people in GEC’s service area who have exhausted normal avenues of financial assistance.
Sign up today, and your electric bill will be rounded up to the nearest dollar. The extra is placed in the fund for deserving individuals and organizations.
As of March 31, your Charitable Trust Board of Directors has approved $945,635.15 in disburse-ments. These funds have provided assistance with food, emergency lodging, disaster relief and specific
emergency needs for 597 individuals and/or families and 131 community organizations.
The trust does not fund utility bills (electric, phone, water and gas) or budgets of organizations. Organizations in counties served may apply for funding for a specific need or project.
The Charitable Trust Board of Directors meets monthly to review applications for funding. n
If you know of people who need and deserve assistance and live within our service area, encourage or help them to complete an application. Applications can be picked up at each of our three offices: Moore Haven, Lake Placid and Okeechobee.
Operation Round Up Monthly Report
Charitable Trust Board of DirectorsJack Wilson District 1 Moore Haven
Beverly Eaves District 2 Hendry County
Kelly Brantley District 3 Ortona/Palmdale
Dori Evans District 4 Lakeport
Lori Thompson District 5 Venus/Hicora
Lee Andrus District 6 Highlands Park
Elsa Miller District 7 Lorida
David McCadam District 8 Lake Josephine
Paula Byars District 9 Okeechobee
The Charitable Trust Board of Directors will meet at 1 p.m. May 26 in the Lake Placid office.
Glades ElectricNeighbors Working for Neighbors
Take Your Giving to the Next LevelGlades Electric Cooperative members may increase their charitable giving by participating in Operation Round Up Plus. By opting into this program, members may choose to add to their normal roundup amount, adding whatever amount they choose ($1 minimum). Individual donations also are accepted at any time. Stop by your local GEC office or call (863) 946-6200 to participate in Operation Round Up Plus.
New/used/refinanced boats: 4.59%*
Federally insured by the NCUA
Is it time for a BIGGER boat?
A boat loan from FRECU could help get you in the right-sized vessel!
* Annual percentage rate is only for 2011 or newer. Maximum term is 72 months. Offer subject to removal without prior notice. Offer subject to credit approval. Refinanced applies to boats financed at other institutions. Current FRECU loans do not qualify.
8 M AY 2016
Glades ElectricNeighbors Working for Neighbors
$10 Draft WinnersJames Kessler III—No. 77784446-002Crystal Griffin—No. 119982-001Donald Porpora—No. 77787761-001Maressa S. Cavalcanti—No. 117155-002Odum Construction—No. 102664-001
$25 Florida Currents Reader Winners*John Manges—No. 106516-001Maudeen Nolen—No. 77786842-001
* To claim the Florida Currents Reader credit, winners must call (863) 946-6200 or sign their name to this page and mail it to the GEC office.
$10 eBill WinnersBeth Rehbein—No. 115839-001 John S. Swain—No. 110830-001Kyle Miller—No. 4283-002John A. Pyles—No. 100619-001Jennifer Williams Cook—No. 116368-001
Glades Electric Cooperative offers you three ways to earn cred-its on your monthly bill-ing statements.XX $10 Paperless Bill Credit WinnersAll members enrolled
in eBill and selecting paperless billing are entered into a monthly drawing. Five lucky winners automatically receive $10 credits on their billing statements. XX $10 Automatic Draft Credit Winners
All members enrolled in automatic payments from their bank account or credit card are entered into a monthly draw-ing. Five lucky winners automatically receive $10 credits on their billing statements.XX $25 Florida Currents Reader Credit Winners
All active GEC members are entered into a monthly draw-ing for a $25 credit on their bill. Two winners are selected each month. To claim the credit, you must call (863) 946-6200 or sign your name to this page and mail it to: Glades Electric Cooperative, P.O. Box 519, Moore Haven, FL 33471.
Picturesque Lake PlacidThe founding of Glades Electric Cooperative is among the historic scenes recorded in the town’s murals
Page 12
Why You Should Attend the Annual Meeting PAGE 4 Chalo Nitka Festival PAGE 28
Glades Electric Cooperative
F E B R UA RY 2015
It Pays to be a Member of Glades Electric Cooperative!
Tap Into Savings With Co-op Connections CardOne way Glades Electric Cooperative looks out for you is with the Co-op Connections Card.
The nationwide mem-bership program is designed to save you money on everything from prescriptions and home goods to restaurant dining and hotel rooms. The card does not cost you anything. It is a benefit of GEC’s partnership with Touchstone Energy Cooperatives.
To browse national and local offers, incentives and discounts that come with using the Co-op Connections Card, visit www.connections.coop.
A search feature allows you to locate goods and services by zip code. Please support the local mer-chants who participate in the program. n
Church of the MonthLorida Church of the BrethrenP.O. Box 149Lorida, FL 33857
M AY 2016 25
Glades ElectricNeighbors Working for Neighbors
26 M AY 2016
Make Electrical Safety a PriorityRespect the power of electricity and practice safe habits
Glades Electric Cooperative’s first priority is providing members with safe, affordable and reliable electricity. GEC values each of the coopera-tive’s principles and priorities, especially safety.
May is National Electrical Safety Month—not only for the employees at GEC, but for you, the members.
Safety practices and aware-ness happen both inside and outside the home. The safety tips that follow are just a few of the ways to help you and your family use electricity and electrical products safely.
Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement ProjectsBefore beginning an electrical project at home, make sure
you are familiar with your home’s electrical system and are comfortable turning off the power to the circuit you plan to work on through the main service panel.
Always unplug any appli-ance or device before you begin working on it.
Pay attention to where you place metal ladders. Before you start a project, look up to make sure you avoid overhead power lines. Keep a minimum of 10 feet between you and overhead power lines.
If your project involves dig-ging, make sure you first call 811—the Florida call-before-you-dig hotline—to find out if the area you will be work-ing in is clear of underground power lines. Those power lines could belong to GEC.
Pool SafetyKeep electrical devices, such as stereos, at least 10 feet away from water sources. Outdoor electrical outlets always should be covered.
If you hear thunder, as is typical during summer after-noons in Florida, exit the pool right away and move toward a suitable shelter with covered sides.
Power ToolsNever use power tools near live electrical wires.
Do not use extension cords longer than 100 feet to plug in power tools.
Always wear appropriate
safety gear, including eye protection, safety gloves, hearing protection, and face or dust masks.
Smoke AlarmsTest smoke alarms once a month by pressing the “test” button. Replace the batteries in your smoke alarms at least once a year. Occasionally, dust the surface of your smoke alarm.
Be Safe Year-RoundAlthough May is designated as National Electrical Safety Month, GEC focuses on safety year-round.
GEC is not only commit-ted to delivering your elec-tricity safely, but coordinates with its wholesale power provider, Seminole Electric Cooperative, to ensure your electricity is generated safely. Seminole owns and operates two power plants that adhere to strict standards to deliver safe, affordable and reliable electricity to GEC before it is delivered to you.
GEC’s dedication to safety awareness and training is summed up in the phrase, “Safety does not happen on accident.”
GEC is committed to keep-ing its employees, members and the community’s well-being in mind.
Safety is everyone’s job. n
For more tips, information and a Home Safety Checklist you can print, visit www.esfi.org.
Glades ElectricNeighbors Working for Neighbors
Be SmartUse SafetyFromThe Start!
May isNational
ElectricalSafetyMonth
28 M AY 2016
By Adam Schwartz
There is a children’s book titled “Safety 1st, Safety Always.” As you can imagine, it encompasses many of the traditional safety lessons parents should teach their children.
We drill youngsters about safety from an early age because we know how important it is to protect ourselves and those we care about. In the spirit of National Electrical Safety Month, let’s take a look at how electric cooperatives have been stepping up when it comes to safety at the co-op.
Until 2007, there was an alarming national trend among electric cooperatives. The number of lost-time accidents was increasing. Lost time is defined as anything resulting in an employee missing time at work. Accidents could range from a sprained ankle to the ultimate tragedy of a fatality.
Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange, which insures most electric cooperatives nationwide, initiated a Culture of Safety campaign designed to create greater awareness about safety issues at all electric cooperatives.
Federated brought together numerous cooperative CEOs and general managers, operations supervisors, safety directors and linemen to better understand how each group viewed safety. Differences in per-ceptions regarding safety were identified, allowing for conversations and evaluations about how to raise
awareness and improve local safety cultures.
The Speak Up, Listen Up program is designed to empower anyone who sees a potentially unsafe situation to speak up and encourages everyone to listen up to their concerns. The results have been dramatic, with a more than 30 percent decline in the number of accidents the past nine years.
As a member, you, too, play a role. If you see a potentially dangerous situation or practice, report it as soon as possible to Glades Electric Cooperative.
The implementation and success of the Culture of Safety program demonstrates an important point: If we are intentional about our actions, we can change the culture in our organizations. The same is true for our families, our teams and groups to which we belong.
We know that living our cooperative principles and values is equally important. We have the best business model because it puts you, the member-owner, at the center of our efforts.
We look forward to being your safe electricity provider and energy adviser long into the future. n
Electric Cooperatives and a Culture of Safety
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Offices
Open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday
26733 U.S. Hwy. 27 East/P.O. Box 519Moore Haven, FL 33471(863) 946-6200Fax: (863) 946-2150
214 SR 70 WestLake Placid, FL 33852(863) 531-5000
808 N. Parrott Ave.Okeechobee, FL 34972(863) 467-5111
POwer interruPtiOn numberMoore Haven ............................. (863) 946-6200
Phones are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including weekends and holidays. Please have your location or account number handy when you call.
bOard Of trusteesJohn “Jack” Coxe, President, District 8 Lake Josephine, (863) 655-3056James “Jim” Aul, Vice President, District 7 Lorida, (863) 441-0441 Russell Henderson, Sec./Treas., District 3 Ortona and Palmdale, (863) 946-0865Donnie Lundy, Trustee, District 1 Moore Haven, (863) 946-0402Barney Goodman, Trustee, District 2 Hendry County, (561) 414-8737Shannon Hall, Trustee, District 4 Lakeport and Brighton, (863) 946-3242Ladd Bass, Trustee, District 5 Venus and Hicoria, (863) 441-2227Lee Henderson, Trustee, District 6 Highlands Park, (863) 633-9281Angela Hodges, Trustee, District 9 Okeechobee, (863) 801-3140
The next meeting of the Board will be at 9 a.m. May 26 at the Moore Haven headquarters office. Any changes to this schedule will be posted in the lobby of all three district offices.
executive staffCEO Jeff Brewington CFO Jennifer ManningCTO Jesse WallaceDir. of Business Development Paul McGeheeDir. of Employee Services Yvonne BradleyDir. of Engineering Travis TurnerDir. of Member Services Margaret EllerbeeDir. of Operations Tracy Vaughn
FL-153
Ecclesiastes states, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens.” Sometimes things that happen are easy to accept. Sometimes they are difficult.We have recently experi-enced one of those difficult things.
Our longtime trustee of District 3, Russell Henderson, has decided to retire from the board. He was elected to the Glades Electric Cooperative Board in March 1995. In his 21 years of dedicated service, Russell has held the positions of president, vice president and, the last several years, secretary/treasurer. During his tenure, he also represented the coop-erative as a Florida Electric Cooperative Association director.
Russell’s history includes a 10-year stint as an employee at Peace River Electric Cooperative, which proved invaluable in his leadership role at Glades. He stood strong for the member-ship on many tough issues the coopera-tive faced. His actions were instrumental in bringing the cooperative to its cur-rent financial position, allowing for the recently announced capital credit retire-ment. Those actions also allowed for one of his last acts as a GEC Trustee, reducing rates for the fourth time in 2016.
There is a season for all things, and now with the burdens of cooperative leadership lifted, Russell will have more time to devote to Janice, his wonderful wife of 59 years, and the fantastic great-grandchildren he has been blessed with. He will be deeply missed and yes, Russell, I will never forget your antics lowering my chair in the Board meetings and the smile that brought to your face. You are of great character.
God bless.
—CEO Jeff Brewington
Longtime Trustee RetiresCEO’s Message
Trustee Russell Henderson greets a member at the 71st Annual Membership Meeting in March.
32 M AY 2016
