Happy Retirement

CVEC Bids Farewell to Watts, Edmondson

After a combined 65 years of service to Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative members, Angie Watts and Barbara Edmondson retired in December.

Mrs. Watts served as the member services supervisor for the vast majority of her 24-year career, while Mrs. Edmondson handled several different roles in her 41-year tenure. Together they leave a legacy of exemplary customer service and dedication to their jobs, says CVEC General Manager Jon Cullimore.

“Angie and Barbara have made a tremendous impact on the operations of this cooperative for multiple decades,” Mr. Cullimore says. “They played an instrumental role in the development of some of the policies, practices and programs that help us deliver quality service to our members. They will certainly be missed, and we wish them well in retirement.”

Mrs. Watts began her career with CVEC in appliance sales, but within six months had added service supervisor responsibilities to her job.

She remained in that position, through its various iterations, for the remainder of her career. In her final year, Mrs. Watts supervised four member services representatives who process payments, applications for service and requested changes to service.

“Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative was a good place to work,” Mrs. Watts says. “It was a challenging job — there was always something new to learn. You’re involved in the community.”

Mrs. Edmondson began her career at CVEC in May 1981 as a correspondence clerk and had other duties such as services clerk, dispatcher, marketing representative and finally, executive secretary.

Her passion for energy efficiency led to the development of a manufactured home heat pump rebate program that PowerSouth Energy Cooperative adopted for all its member organizations. Mrs. Edmondson’s work also led the U.S. Department of Energy to adopt some new efficiency standards for manufactured homes.

“I looked at high energy bills as a challenge,” she says. “Finding that we can do things to help our members save, that was the rewarding part.”

Edmondson also played a significant role in the development and implementation of CVEC’s Youth Tour, surge protection, water heater and scholarship programs.

My husband loved to build things out of wood. He built houses, churches and trains. I’m so proud. SUBMITTED by Nyoka Chandler, Guntersville.

I made this for my grandson. My first time building a rocking horse. SUBMITTED by Ray Bell, Newville.

I’ve been wood carving for about 30 years. SUBMITTED by Jerry Cochran, Summerdale.

Stephan H. Scott made this boat from a pine tree that fell on our property after a storm and named the boat after his grandmother. SUBMITTED by Marilyn Scott, Elberta.

One of my ancestors whittled this. All of it is one piece - no pieces of it are separate. SUBMITTED by Rhonda Mosley, Andalusia.

A friend of mine did this woodburning of my dog, Gypsy, from the included picture. SUBMITTED by Susie Burgess, Hartselle.

My Daddy made heart shaped jewelry boxes out of cedar for every female in his family. SUBMITTED by Joyce Pickett, Fitzpatrick.

| Deadline: February 28

Co-ops respond to devastating severe weather

Numerous strong to severe thunderstorms cut through central Alabama on Jan. 12, and several of those storms spawned significant tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service. An EF3 tornado that tracked from Autauga County into western Chambers County had a longtrack path of over 76 miles and was at least 1,500 yards wide; this tornado caused seven fatalities and 16 injuries.

This storm left more than 9,000 Central Alabama EC members without power, and the co-op needed to replace more than 300 poles. Several sister co-ops responded to help Central Alabama with the restoration of power: Dixie EC, Marshall-DeKalb EC, Tallapoosa River EC, Baldwin EMC, Clarke-Washington EMC, Cullman EC, Coosa Valley EC, Black Warrior EMC and Wiregrass EC sent a total of 85 men as well as trucks and materials to the affected areas in Central Alabama’s territory. They were in place by the morning of Jan. 13, and all were released by the evening of Jan. 15.

But several co-ops had their own damage to contend with. Black Warrior EMC, Pioneer EC, Southern Pine EC, Clarke-Washington EMC, Joe Wheeler EMC, South Alabama EC, Pea River EC and others saw large-scale outages from the band of storms that tore through Alabama.

Alabama’s co-ops always stand ready to help sister co-ops both in-state and across the Southeast after a devastating weather event.