Adding to Our Legacy

by Jeff Hodges, CEO

You may not give much thought to your cooperative until severe weather knocks out power or it’s time to pay your monthly bill. But as your not-for-profit, hometown utility, we always think about you. Our goal is to put members’ and local community needs first.

One reason is that we live here, too. We’re your friends and neighbors. We genuinely care about improving your quality of life.

Like most hometowns, we have some interesting and important history. More than eight decades ago, a new phenomenon — electricity — was changing life for city dwellers. But rural people were left out. Big electric companies simply weren’t willing to build power lines to areas where they couldn’t quickly recoup their investment.

Necessity really is the mother of invention. When large utilities refused to serve this area, local people banded together to form their own electric utility, called a cooperative. That’s how Pea River Electric Cooperative was created in 1938. Some of your relatives may have helped clear the path, set the poles and run the power lines that first brought electricity here.

Because of their ingenuity/hard work/ commitment, home and farm life drastically improved. Almost overnight, rural America became more productive than anyone had dreamed. All because neighbors worked together to make it happen.

Those same people who formed this cooperative decades ago became its first member-owners. Now, as a member-owner, you share in their legacy.

That mission ensures your cooperative puts the best interest of all members first.

Those who formed this hometown utility would be proud to know that Pea River Electric is still helping local communities grow and thrive. This is why we are now working so hard to bring high speed, fiber broadband to the rural areas we serve.

Just as all those years ago, when the rural areas didn’t have access to electricity - today a large majority of our rural service area has never had access to reliable, high-speed internet service. This is our time to be a part of something that will be life-changing for our service area. Bringing fiber-based broadband to our service area will strengthen our economy and make our region more attractive to new businesses. Like you, we want our children and grandchildren to enjoy opportunities to remain here, rather than having to move away for employment.

Just as it always has, your cooperative exists to make life better for members and the community. And just like our ancestors before us - we are creating a legacy for those who come after us. We’re always here for you and proud to be your hometown utility - serving you with reliable and affordable electricity and now affordable, reliable high-speed broadband.

Keep in mind a project of this magnitude will take some time to complete, but I’m happy to say that as this magazine goes to press, Pea River Broadband is preparing to turn on its first broadband customers. These customers are in the first built ring of our fiber network. In the coming months we will continue to add subscribers in the first ring. If you’re interested in signing up for our broadband service when it becomes available in your area- you can sign up at peariver.com.

These are exciting times and we look forward to sharing them with you.

Starling Earns Credentialed Cooperative Director Certification

Pea River Board member Michael Starling recently completed the Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) Program through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Starling is in his first year of service on the board, representing District 6 in Henry County. He was appointed to District 6 to fill the unexpired term of Diane Money, following her untimely death last July.

To complete the CCD program, Starling took 40 hours of online training covering the various aspects of duties and responsibilities for cooperative board members. In addition, he took several continuing education classes and participated in other training opportunities during the last year. Starling says going through the training gave him a new admiration for his predecessors - Wayne Money, who served in the position for several years, and his wife, Diane who was able to serve two years prior to her death.

Starling, who has been supportive of the co-op’s effort to provide high-speed broadband to the co-op’s service area, says taking the online classes was a real challenge at times because he doesn’t have high-speed internet at his home in Shorterville. Because of this, he had to call in by phone for a couple of the training sessions.

Starling said this training will help him better serve the coop. “People are loyal to the co-op. I’m hoping to continue my service on the board. It has been a blessing to me and my family. I’m excited to be at Pea River and thankful to represent District 6 and its members and also the co-op employees.”

Starling and his wife, Aimee are residents of Shorterville, where they raise broilers for Tyson. They also raise cattle and farm small grains and hay. They have two children, a son M.J. who was recently married, and daughter, Rebecca who will graduate from Troy University this month.

The cooperative office will be closed on Monday, May 29 for Memorial Day.