May 2018 – Connections Member Newsletter

Cobb EMC members: Meet your new CEO, page B

May 2018

STORMS

WILL YOU BE READY? Take our storm safety quiz Tour the Outage and Storm Center Get tips to stay safe before, during and after a storm See pages E and F

CONNECTIONS MAY 2018 | THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF COBB ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION

Upcoming events Annual Meeting The 80th Annual Meeting will be held Sept. 15. Key dates and deadlines: • May 25: Terms for directors of districts 2, 3 and 9 will be expiring at the Annual Meeting. Nomination petitions for director elections must be submitted (Sec. 3.07).

• June 7: Member-sponsored bylaw amendments must be submitted (Sec. 10.01).

• August 10: Written notice must be received from any member desiring to exceed the five-minute speaking limitation for the Annual Meeting (Sec. 2.12).

Details: cobbemc.com/annualmeeting

Get a $25 bill credit Make a difference in how we connect with you ... take our quick online survey!

You’ll also be entered to win a $25 bill credit. cobbemc.com/feedback

small change

BIG DIFFERENCE

The Cobb EMC Community Foundation has awarded more than $3,302,798 to local charities and nonprofits, as of February 2018. Thanks to generous members who round up their bills.

Visit cobbemc.com/foundation for a full list of recipients or to learn how to request funding.

A | MAY 2018

Cobb EMC dedicates auditorium to Bo & Mary Jean Pounds Cobb EMC hosted a ribbon-cutting on Thursday, March 15, to dedicate the company’s newly remodeled auditorium to Bo and Mary Jean Pounds in recognition of their lifetime of commitment to supporting and improving the community.

“Bo and Mary Jean Pounds were active and engaged members of Cobb EMC for more than five decades,” said Tripper Sharp, chairman of Cobb EMC’s board of directors. “His leadership and dedicated efforts laid the groundwork for a strategic transformation of our cooperative.”

“Electric cooperatives were founded on seven principles, and one of those is concern for the community,” said Malcolm Swanson, Cobb EMC board member. “Bo and Mary Jean exemplified concern for our community and for the members and employees of Cobb EMC. As their namesake, the Bo and Mary Jean Pounds Auditorium stands as a landmark and reminder that at its core – our company is focused on its members.”

During the dedication ceremony, the Pounds’ service to the community was remembered by friends, family and special guests including Georgia state Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick.

After witnessing a terrible accident in the late 1960s and seeing the need for an area ambulance service, Bo Pounds built an emergency medical services company in Marietta that became one of the largest in the U.S. He is remembered across the nation for his tireless work ethic and for saving lives.

Cobb EMC dedicated the company’s auditorium to Bo and Mary Jean Pounds in recognition of their lifetime commitment to the community.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO I am excited and honored to be your new president and CEO, and I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself and to share my plans for moving our company forward.

In short, we want to exceed your expectations.

Our goal is to safely deliver reliable, competitively priced electricity, but in doing so, we’re also focused on innovation and continual improvement. We are adapting and advancing our strategies, operations and culture to ensure we’re ready for the energy needs you’ll have in two, five or 10 years to come.

In the coming months, here’s what you can expect from us.

We’re building on momentum.

The company has made remarkable strides in recent years to become more efficient and transparent and to make your lives easier. Our free app lets you manage your account and pay your bill anywhere, in just a few seconds and allows you to see exactly how and when you use electricity. New technology and equipment automatically alert our Power Control Center when your power goes out – meaning we can get to work faster. Moving forward, we’ll build on that momentum and identify more ways to improve our technology, reliability and convenience for our members. We’re proud to power your lives, and we owe it to you to do so as efficiently and reliably as possible.

We’re focusing on employees. I’m incredibly fortunate to be a part of this team. Our employees are our greatest asset and the heart of this company.

We’re focused on continually creating an environment where our team is energized and proud of how they are making a difference in our future.

We’re looking ahead. We are driven to be the best. We’re looking ahead, embracing new technologies and coming up with new and innovative ways to deliver on our mission statement. We are currently eighth in the nation for solar offerings, and we’re dedicated to advancing that commitment to renewable energy and bringing savings to our members.

We’re proud that the solar energy we provide you is cheaper than other energy sources, meaning you get the benefit of clean, renewable energy while paying less for it.

We hope that through these efforts, you will increasingly feel the difference in being a member of Cobb EMC. We invite you to join us for the company’s 80th Annual Meeting on Saturday, Sept. 15 to learn more about our progress and initiatives we have on the horizon.

I’m honored to serve you, and I look forward to meeting each of you at the Annual Meeting.

Interim Group CEO of innovative energy storage technology and manufacturing company Alevo

PAST JOBS

Tripper Sharp, Chairman David McClellan, Vice Chairman Bryan Boyd, Secretary-Treasurer Kelly Bodner Eric Broadwell Edward Crowell Malcolm Swanson David Tennant Rudy Underwood

CONTACTS & HOURS Phone: 770-429-2100 Fax: 770-429-3330 Pay by phone: 1-855-730-8714 Report outage 24/7: 770-429-2100

Walk-in hours: Monday – Friday

Peter J. Heintzelman President and CEO

BACKGROUND: Operations and strategy, investment banking, business development and finance in the energy, services and manufacturing sectors Hobbies: Private pilot, golf, hunting, hiking and motor sports

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

In person: 1000 EMC Parkway Marietta, GA 30060

Family: Married with two children, ages 3 years and 4 months

CFO and other executive finance and leadership roles for T5 Oil & Gas, Standard Bank and Halliburton

(8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

Drive-through hours: Monday – Friday (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

GET TO KNOW YOUR CEO LAST ROLE

Peter Heintzelman President and CEO

Express Pay drop box is available for non-cash payments 24/7

EDUCATION MBA with Honors from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and BA in economics from the University of Texas at Austin

EDITORIAL STAFF Brooke Melton Leslie Thompson Traci Washington Angela Croce, CCC

|B

Change your habits to beat the peak – start now!

With hot summer days comes higher energy demand. This summer, you can beat the peak by decreasing your power use on weekdays from 2-7 p.m. (June through September, excluding holidays). Here are a few ideas to beat the peak: Laundry for less: Run full loads for fewer cycles, and add less heat and humidity to the home by running washers and dryers in the late evening.

Cool off: Turn off unnecessary lighting and electronics that generate heat, resist the urge to turn down the thermostat and remember, lower fan settings use less energy.

Countertop convenience: Range or oven cooking can really warm up a kitchen. Microwaves, convection ovens, induction cooktops, slow cookers and toaster ovens put more cooking heat where you need it.

To learn more, visit cobbemc.com/beatthepeak.

We’re proud to power your lives

C | MAY 2018

B

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At Cobb EMC, we have only one thing in mind: powering local businesses and homes safely, reliably and at the best possible price. We’re always in the background, and we’re here when you need us, powering your lives – 24/7, 365.

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We’re proud to power your lives |D

PREPARE EARLY FOR

STORMS

Warmer temperatures in Georgia can bring strong storms with heavy rains, high winds, lightning and maybe even tornadoes. Here are tips to prepare for storm season:

PACK A KIT Make a “storm kit� with flashlights, extra batteries, bottled water and nonperishable food items.

GET THE PETS

CHARGE UP

PLAN AHEAD

Charge your devices, and download the Cobb EMC app, and other emergency apps, to stay in touch.

Have a backup plan for those in the house who depend on medical equipment that requires electricity.

WATCH OUT

PLAN IT OUT

Bring your pets inside, and secure items and furniture that might blow away in strong winds.

Monitor the weather, and be sure you know the difference between a severe weather warning and watch.

Make plans with your family to stay safe during a storm.

Remain in a safe location until the storm passes.

REPORT OUTAGES

KEEP IT CLOSED

STAY SAFE

If you lose power during a storm, keep the refrigerator and freezer closed to keep food cold longer.

Avoid downed power lines and other hazards after the storm has passed.

Report power outages. You can report your outage online at cobbemc.com/outage or with the Cobb EMC app.

E | MAY 2018

Quiz Your Knowledge 1. If you see a downed power line, stay away from it and call Cobb EMC or 911 immediately.

A. True B. False 2. A storm kit containing nonperishable food, water, batteries and other supplies should only be kept in the spring and summer, when thunderstorms are more likely to occur.

A. True B. False 3. During a storm, which parts of your home should you avoid?

A. None. The whole house is safe.

B. The kitchen.

C. Anywhere near windows and exterior doors.

Pop-up storms happen – get ready to respond In the event of stormy weather, we’ll do our best to avoid power outages, but sometimes Mother Nature has other plans.

The major cause of most power outages comes from damage to power lines due to falling trees and branches. We work year-round – through right-of-way tree trimming – to ensure power lines in our service territory stand little risk of being damaged by trees, branches or other types of vegetation.

Despite our best efforts, during major storms, damage can occur to transmission lines, substations and power lines. When this happens, our first priority is to safely restore power to as many members as possible in the shortest amount of time.

When storms roll in, be sure to visit the Cobb EMC Outage and Storm Center (cobbemc.com/outage) on your smartphone or computer for the latest outage information.

4. If you’re outdoors and hear thunder, what should you do?

A. Go indoors.

B. Stay outside until you see lightning.

C. Nothing. Thunder won’t hurt.

5. During a storm, it’s safe to …

A. Talk on a corded phone.

B. Take a bath or wash dishes.

C. Talk on a cellphone.

Now that you’ve aced the quiz, make sure you’re prepared for severe weather. Visit our Outage and Storm Center for more tips: cobbemc.com/outage.

Answers: 1A, 2B, 3C, 4A, 5C

|F

Connecting you to reliable electricity – rain or shine Cobb EMC’s 99.99 percent reliability rating helps assure members that they can count on us, rain or shine. But, for those times when uncontrollable circumstances like weather, animals or car accidents cause an outage, you can rely on the Outage and Storm Center to keep you informed.

Here’s what you can find in Cobb EMC’s Outage and Storm Center: • Report an outage

• View current outages

• Report a street light outage

• Learn what to do if you lose power

• Learn why outages occur

• Sign up for outage notifications

Visit cobbemc.com/outagecenter to learn more.

We’re proud to power your lives

cobbemc.com