2023 August JEMCO News

AUGUST 2023 | IN THIS ISSUE

YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED AT ANNUAL MEETING

LEGACY FIVE TO PERFORM AT ANNUAL MEETING

BRIGHT IDEAS GRANT DEADLINE APPROACHING

NEXT GENERATION LEADERS

What do 1,500 youth delegates in our nation’s capital have in common? They’re part of the Washington Youth Tour – a weeklong leadership development program organized by the nation’s electric cooperatives, including Jackson EMC.

We’ve been sending local high school students to Washington, D.C. since 1971. The program started in 1964 after Lyndon B. Johnson encouraged electric cooperatives to send students to the nation’s capital, “where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents.”

Since then, more than 50,000 students across the country have represented their local co-ops while meeting with their elected officials and discussing issues that are important back home. Without a doubt, the youth tour is an invaluable program that gives young Americans an experience that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

The Washington Youth Tour is more than a sightseeing trip. We’ve heard many times over the years that the experience helped these future leaders grow into successful professionals. Our former youth

Fresh Strawberry Pie

tour delegates turn up everywhere in the community. They’re doctors, teachers, legislators, lawyers, servicemen and servicewomen, engineers and more.

One of those former delegates is Clay Lowman. He’s an engineer in our Gwinnett office who helps plan the future of our infrastructure projects, like where new power lines and equipment will be installed to meet the growing needs of our community. Clay was a delegate for a fellow cooperative, Amicalola EMC. He used his experience from the tour in 2005 to serve on this year’s teambuilding crew before delegates traveled to Washington, D.C. Clay said: “It’s really inspiring to have this full circle experience. It was impactful to experience everything the Washington Youth Tour exposed me to in high school, and now that I’m in the EMC world, I’m excited to see another generation of young people go on their journey.”

Clay is one of many examples of how the youth tour benefits communities well in the future. Youth tour participants return home with a deeper understanding and skillset of what it takes to be a leader, and as a result,

they put these skills to use right here in our community.

We’re proud to support our future leaders through the Washington Youth Tour. In this issue of JEMCO News, you’ll read their stories and learn how the tour is already reshaping their futures. And, if you know a promising student who may make an excellent delegate representing Jackson EMC on next year’s tour, encourage them to learn more at jacksonemc.com/wyt. Have a story to share about a student from the Washington Youth Tour? Email me at chip@jacksonemc.com.

CHIP JAKINS President & CEO

INGREDIENTS:

Refrigerated store-bought pie crusts

Cups strawberries, hulled, thickly sliced Cup

DIRECTIONS:

Tbsp. Butter, cut into small pieces

Egg

Tbsp. water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line pie dish with one unbaked pie crust. In a large mixing bowl, combine strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and nutmeg. Pour filling into pie dish. Dot strawberry mixture with butter. Roll out the second pie crust and slice into twelve one-inch strips. Weave six strips vertically into six strips horizontally over the pie. Pinch the strips into the bottom pie crust at the edge of pie. Beat egg, mix with water and brush all crust with mixture.

Bake pie on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any drips for 30 minutes. Rotate pie 180 degrees in oven and reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake for 35 minutes, covering loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.

sitting, but I imagine it’s even better for breakfast the next day!

TAYLOR FRANKLIN, Jefferson “

Luke Winter & Clay Lowman

Annual Meeting Notice

TO MEMBERS

SAVE THE DATE: JACKSON EMC’S ANNUAL MEETING

September 21, 2023, at 5:00 PM Jackson EMC | Jefferson, Georgia

Boxed supper, prizes and entertainment

Dear Member,

Official notice is hereby given that the 2023 meeting of the members of Jackson Electric Membership Corporation will be held at the headquarters in Jefferson, Ga., on Thursday, September 21, 2023.

Registration will begin at approximately 5:00 p.m. The chairperson will call the meeting to order at approximately 6:30 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to:

1. Receive reports of officers, directors and committees;

2. Elect three directors; and

3. Handle all other business that may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment thereof.

The meeting will feature prizes, entertainment, a boxed supper, important business and other special programs. Additional details will be available in the September issue of JEMCO News and on our website, jacksonemc.com.

You are requested to be present.

Sincerely,

LYNN PRICE Secretary, Board of Directors

ANNUAL MEETING PERFORMERS ANNOUNCED

Legacy Five, an award-winning gospel group, will perform at Jackson EMC’s Annual Meeting on Thursday, September 21, at the headquarters in Jefferson.

Registration for the meeting begins at 5:00 p.m. that day and entertainment will begin at approximately 5:30 PM.

Legacy Five was honored by the Southern Gospel Music Association with the Recording of the Year award and the group has received two Dove Award nominations. Legacy Five has been featured in numerous video tapings of the Gaither and Friends Homecoming series, which has sold multiple millions of copies worldwide. The group has also appeared on “In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley.”

The group performs about 130 times a year across the U.S. and Canada.

Legacy Five

IN AC T IO N

Jackson EMC delegates joined more than 1,500 high school students from across the country to learn about leadership and public service in the nation’s capital through the week-long Washington Youth Tour program, organized by the nation’s electric cooperatives.

“The Washington Youth Tour was an amazing experience,” said Kendis Parks, a junior at Jackson County High School. “Unlike other opportunities, youth tour possessed a degree of diversity like no other program I have attended. Delegates from across Georgia and almost every state in the country had different interests and backgrounds.”

Jackson EMC has been sending high school delegates to Washington, D.C. since 1971. Delegates are selected based on academics, community service, oral and written communication skills, letters of recommendation and a personal interview.

Students visited the National Archives, Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon, the Smithsonian museums and more. Youth tour delegates also met with members of the Georgia congressional delegation at the U.S. Capitol.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT JACKSONEMC.COM/WYT

KENDIS PARKS Jackson County High School

What was your favorite activity on the tour?

“Every day of the Washington Youth Tour there was something to look forward to. From our visit to the Pentagon and the 9/11 Air Force Memorial to the Sunset Parade at the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, each day was always informative and inspiring to me. My favorite was touring the National Archives, which gave me a deeper understanding of our democratic nation that extended way beyond what I would ever learn in a classroom.”

Has your participation in the tour reshaped your decisions for a future career path?

“If someone asked me about my dream profession before the tour, I'd say I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon. While in Washington, D.C., I was exposed to the breadth of available career options. I’m now considering a career in health care law or in the state legislature.”

Activities: Beta Club, National Honor Society, Key Club, Environmental Club, Junior Leadership Jackson, competitive rowing, volunteer tutor with Elevation Education and founder of Parking Radon, an initiative to raise awareness for radon detection in homes.

Jackson EMC’s youth tour delegates share their experiences from the Washington Youth Tour.

Orit Endalk, Luke Winter, Kendis Parks and Lanier Ashley

LUKE WINTER

Greater Atlanta Christian School

Tell us about your experiences meeting other student leaders from across Georgia and the U.S.

“The group I was around bonded very quickly with students from all over the state and even other states. We have been able to stay in touch via social media and hope to see each other soon.”

What was your favorite activity on the tour?

“My favorite activity on the tour was the Holocaust Museum. It was very powerful and will leave an impact on me for the rest of my life.”

Activities: Beta Club, National Honor Society, competes on the varsity baseball team, volunteer with Bears Makes a Difference and founder of Share Table, an initiative in Gwinnett County schools to address food insecurity.

LANIER ASHLEY

Jefferson High School

What was your most memorable experience on the tour?

“Pin trading and talking at meals. I love the little things with people, like meeting people from all over the nation! I loved hearing about everyone’s background and connecting it to my own life. The conversations and friendships that I made were by far the most memorable and impactful experience of the tour.”

Has your participation in the tour reshaped your decisions for a future career path?

“It has solidified my decisions. I love law and seeing how I can use it to help the people around me, so I knew that’s why I wanted to pursue being a lawyer. However, the tour helped me become sure of this path. After hearing from the representatives and senators about helping people, I knew I wanted to do the same thing for the people in my community.”

Activities: Future Business Leaders of America, Varsity Academic Team, Beta Club, Mu Alpha Theta, Principal’s Leadership Council, Junior Leadership Jackson, plays clarinet in wind ensemble, plays trombone in jazz band, serves as drum major for Dragon Regiment marching band and volunteer with Total Person Program.

ORIT ENDALK

Archer High School

What was your most memorable experience on the tour?

“Meeting Congresswoman Lucy McBath, as I was the only student representing her district [to meet her]. I had some one-on-one time with her, and she was amazing! She was so laid back and nice. She reassured me that if I ever needed anything, she would always be there.”

What lesson(s) did you learn on the tour that will serve you best in life?

“The most important lesson the tour taught me is that I can do anything I put my mind to. The tour allowed me to meet other amazing kids my age from across America who were interested in many different things. This, along with a speech from Congressman Buddy Carter, made me realize one thing: We all became delegates because of the hard work and determination we had. With this hard work and determination we have, we can, in the Congressman’s words, ‘become the future leaders of America.’”

Activities: FCCLA, FFA, Mu Alpha Theta, Science National Honor Society, plays violin in orchestra, plays piano, competes on variety tennis team, and founder of Fiction Writing Club at Archer.

$101,000 IN GRANTS RECENTLY AWARDED

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total $101,000 in grants during a recent meeting, including $91,000 to organizations and $10,000 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Children’s Center for Hope and Healing, in Gainesville, for its Comprehensive Victim Services Program that provides trauma therapy for individuals and families in Banks, Barrow, Hall, Jackson and Lumpkin counties who have been traumatized by sexual abuse.

$15,000 to Mercy Health Center, in Athens, which provides healthcare to low-income and uninsured patients in Barrow, Clarke, Madison and Jackson counties, to increase access to lab services and comprehensive healthcare for its Underserved Patients Program.

$15,000 to The Tree House, a children’s advocacy center working to reduce child abuse in Banks, Barrow and Jackson counties, for the Family Visitation Program, which provides a neutral, child-friendly environment for visits with children in foster care and their parents, enabling them to maintain and enhance family bonds, as well as providing a safe and nurturing environment for their children when reunited.

$13,500 to Love.Craft Athens, for its Crew Sponsorship Program that sponsors adults with developmental disabilities in Clarke, Gwinnett, Jackson, Madison and Oglethorpe counties to engage in customized employment with local businesses.

Community Impact

$10,000 to The ALS Association of Georgia, for its ALS Care Grant Program which assists people in all counties served by Jackson EMC who are affected by ALS, (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), a degenerative neurological disease, with expenses not covered by insurance.

$10,000 to NSPIRE Outreach Ministries Foundation, in Lawrenceville, for its Housing Program to assist with housing costs for homeless men and women of Gwinnett and Hall counties.

$7,500 to Lekotek of Georgia, Inc., to assist with the expansion of its services at its Gwinnett and Gainesville locations that support children with special needs and their families to facilitate inclusion in community life.

$5,000 to The Ark Family Preservation Center, Inc., for its Supervised Family Visitation Program, which provides a safe place for broken families in Banks, Franklin, Jackson, Madison and Oglethorpe counties to complete referral or court-ordered interactive parent training and family therapy.

Orga nizational Grant Recipients:

$5,000 for assistance with bathroom renovations for a Hall County resident in need.

$5,000 to provide roof repairs for a Hall County resident in need.

Western Circuit Treatment and Accountability Court

The Western Circuit Treatment and Accountability Court of Athens supports individuals facing legal charges who have ongoing mental health and addiction problems. Its aim is to assist them in their recovery, reducing the likelihood of further legal issues.

“You should not be punished for your mental health or your addiction,” said Kristen Daniel, Western Circuit Treatment and Accountability court coordinator. “I hate seeing these people in custody when they can get help instead.”

The Jackson EMC Foundation recently awarded a grant of $18,200 to the Western Circuit Treatment and

Accountability Court to fund respite apartments for participants in the Treatment and Accountability Court (TAC) program. The program is a partnership of court, law enforcement and community mental health treatment providers, and provides temporary stable housing for four participants at a time. The goal is to help these individuals transition into their own permanent and stable housing so the program can accommodate more participants.

Participants also have stipulations they must follow in order to receive the help they need. Drug screenings and curfews are a few of the requirements mandated by the court.

"It is a sort of intense probation period,” said Daniel. “I really have seen people go from fully symptomatic to having a full-time job and stable living situation."

Superior Court Judge Eric Norris (far right) honors three recent graduates of the Western Circuit Treatment and Accountability Court of Athens, which received a $18,200 grant from the Jackson EMC Foundation.

John Mitchell

Sutton To Succeed Retiring Jackson EMC Board Member Mitchell

John Mitchell is retiring from the Jackson EMC board of directors after 17 years of service. He is succeeded by Phil Sutton, who is well known for his business leadership and community service.

A member of Jackson EMC since 1990, Mitchell is a retired UGA Extension Director with 23 years of service in Banks County and 13 years in Whitfield County. In addition to his professional connections through the Extension network, Mitchell is active in the Banks County community. He joined the Jackson EMC board in March 2006.

“John’s experience and connection to the community made him an asset to the cooperative,” said Jackson EMC Board Chairman Otis Jones. “His dedication to youth development and focus on employee safety played a crucial role in our team’s efforts to deliver exceptional service to our community and employees.”

After growing up on a farm in Indiana, incoming board member Sutton now lives on a farm in Banks County, where he and his wife, Sue, enjoy entertaining friends and family. The couple has two sons and two granddaughters. They enjoy the small-town community in Banks County and raise pure bred Hereford cattle on their farm.

Sutton is the Vice President of Administration for Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation in Gainesville, Georgia and Kubota Industrial Equipment Corporation in Jefferson, Georgia. An active member of the community, he was appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to serve on the State Board for the Technical College System of Georgia and State Workforce Development Board. He is a member of the Banks County Cattlemen’s Association and the Georgia Agribusiness Council.

A retired veteran of the United States Air Force, Sutton served in various capacities during his 20 years of service, including Antiterrorism, Public Affairs and Law Enforcement Operations. He is a graduate of Wayland Baptist University with a degree in occupational education and holds a master’s degree in public administration from Troy University. He is a graduate of the 187th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico. Sutton will be fulfilling the unexpired term on the Jackson EMC Board.

“Phil possesses all the qualities necessary to be a very effective board member for Jackson EMC. He genuinely cares about our local community, and his extensive business experience and board service make him highly qualified. He is an excellent choice for our cooperative,” said Jones.

STUDENTS: Learn More About Options for College

High school students and their parents in Jackson EMC’s service area are invited to a college fair on Wednesday, August 30, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at The Venue at Friendship Springs in Flowery Branch.

Jackson EMC is sponsoring the free event, which will feature national and state colleges and universities, and technical schools.

The Venue at Friendship Springs is located at 7340 Friendship Springs Blvd., Flowery Branch. A list of schools invited to the college fair can be found by scanning this QR code.

Phil Sutton

YOUR POWER. YOUR COMMUNITY.

JACKSON EMC OFFICES

1000 Dawsonville Highway

Gainesville, GA (770) 536-2415

85 Spratlin Mill Road Hull, GA (706) 548-5362

850 Commerce Road Jefferson, GA (706) 367-5281

825 Buford Dr Lawrenceville, GA (770) 963-6166

EMC SECURITY

55 Satellite Blvd., NW Suwanee, GA (770) 963-0305 or (706) 543-4009 jacksonemc.com

Empowering Educators: Get Funding for Your Innovative Middle School Projects with the Bright Ideas Grant Program

Jackson EMC is accepting applications for our Bright Ideas grant program, which funds creative and innovative classroom projects in middle schools. If you’re an educator – or know middle school teacher in our service area – encourage them to apply by the deadline on September 5.

Educators who teach sixth through eighth grades can receive up to $2,000 for projects.

Bright Ideas grants have been awarded to educators providing instruction in history, language arts, math, science, social studies, information technology, music, drama and more. Some of our recent recipients have incorporated engineering design, interactive technology, virtual reality or artificial intelligence in their lessons.

Bright Ideas grant applications must be submitted online by September 5.

State-certified educators in public middle schools within Jackson EMC's service area are eligible to apply.

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