October is National Cooperative Month
OCTOBER 2023 | IN THIS ISSUE
WINTER RATES NOW IN EFFECT JACKSON EMC FOUNDATION WELCOMES
It may be hard to believe, but until 1985 our members read their own meters. Here’s how it worked: The cooperative would send a postcard to each member, asking them to write down their monthly energy use on it. Members would then send these postcards back to Jackson EMC and they’d receive a bill.
Today, meters are read remotely and you can get a text or email when your bill statement is ready or wait until a printed copy arrives in the mail. Technology has enabled us to communicate with you in many ways. We’re constantly looking for the best ways to communicate with you that fits your life.
Your feedback has been important in shaping our communication improvements. We’ve made changes and implemented new services based on feedback from members who have participated in our surveys and focus groups. Some of these include relaunching our website and revamping content in JEMCO News. The MyJacksonEMC website and mobile app have become valuable tools for accessing information about your energy consumption, marking a significant leap forward from the old days of sending postcards by mail.
There are many ways we communicate with members. This publication, JEMCO News, is just one way. According to our latest member survey, 90% of our members, including you, have reported reading certain sections of JEMCO News This publication has been a great way to provide you with energy-saving tips, let you know how your co-op is involved in the community and share information to keep you and your family safe. JEMCO News recently received a national award from fellow cooperative communicators, which you can read about in this issue.
We also have a great website (jacksonemc.com) designed to answer the most often-asked questions. The website has it all, from information about rebates to electric vehicles.
When the news needs to get to you in a hurry, we have news releases, email and social media. The media helps us communicate with members and the general public during major storms. We’ve seen our social media audience grow by more than 60% over the last 5 years. Social media is an especially valuable communication resource during storms. You can follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.
In that survey, members told us that email is one of your top preferences for receiving information from Jackson EMC. In the past couple of years, we’ve been using email to share important information with members about anticipated major storms. We also send a “welcome” email to new members of the co-op to welcome you to the Jackson EMC family. Communication is important to me and I take pride in hearing from members.
Feel free to email me at chip@jacksonemc. com with any questions or feedback
CHIP JAKINS President & CEO
STANDARD RESIDENTIAL RATE*
Jackson EMC members will pay less for electricity in winter months. During winter, the demand for electricity decreases. We pass that savings along to you through lower electric rates. Our winter rates begin in October and continue through April. *The
FIRST 650 kWh: 8.81 CENTS PER kWh
NEXT 350 kWh: 8.16 CENTS PER kWh
MORE THAN 1,000 kWh: 8.06 PER kWh
jacksonemc.com
ACE Hardware Corporation, REI, Land O’Lakes and Jackson EMC all share something in common: We’re all cooperatives. Cooperatives are businesses owned by their members, like you. We may be in different industries, but we all share a passion for serving our members and helping our communities thrive. As one of 30,000 member-owned cooperatives nationwide, Jackson EMC is in good company to commemorate National Cooperative Month. We’re one of 895 electric cooperatives serving 42 million consumers in the U.S.
• Credit unions, like Navy Federal Credit Union, are cooperatives. Go Energy Financial Credit Union was established by employees of electric membership cooperatives in Georgia.
• Some well-known food brands, such as Land O’Lakes, Welch’s, Ocean Spray, Blue Diamond and Florida’s Natural are farmer-owned cooperatives.
• Ace Hardware Corporation is a retailer-owned co-op with more than 5,000 stores around the world.
• REI is the nation’s largest consumer co-op with more than 78,000 members. Consumer co-ops are owned by their customers.
Jackson EMC goes beyond providing electricity. We’re part of the community – and there are great stories to share.
Our new podcast, “Your Power. Your Community.” shines a light on stories of community transformation through the power of cooperation. Look for “Your Power. Your Community.” by Jackson EMC on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and other podcast platforms.
Six local high schools recently won a Cooperative Spirit Sportsmanship Award for outstanding sportsmanship during competitive events. Jackson EMC, along with 31 other participating electric cooperatives in partnership with Georgia EMC, sponsors the award.
Apalachee High School, Cedar Shoals High School, Clarke Central High School, Commerce High School, Dacula High School and Duluth High School were named local winners. Only one school in each region within each Georgia High School Association (GHSA) classification receives a Cooperative Spirit Sportsmanship Award.
“This award acknowledges the positive character of student-athletes, coaches and fans demonstrated at competitive events,” said Karen Ewing, community relations representative for Jackson EMC. “It also recognizes the cooperative values of respect, fairness, honesty and responsibility.”
TO VIEW PHOTOS AND VIDEOS OF THIS YEAR’S WINNERS, VISIT JACKSONEMC.COM/GHSA
APALACHEE HIGH SCHOOL
DACULA HIGH SCHOOL
DULUTH HIGH SCHOOL
DULUTH HIGH SCHOOL
DACULA HIGH SCHOOL
A downed power line on a crashed vehicle or electricity running to a burning building can be a serious hazard –especially to emergency responders on the scene.
“We want them to be safe in all situations,” said Steve Chambers, Jackson EMC’s director of safety and training.
“That’s why we offer training for our local first responders.” Cooperative organizations, like Jackson EMC, prioritize education and training as a shared principle. Jackson EMC has a long history of training firefighters and law enforcement officers on working safely around energized lines in emergencies. The trainings may include classroom instruction and demonstrations of safety protocols.
Most recently, Jackson EMC hosted more than 280 firefighters from Banks, Barrow, Hall, Clarke, Madison, Gwinnett and Jackson counties to learn about the different types of electric vehicles and emergency response procedures. We also recently hosted first responders for a safety class and demonstration at our Neese office.
“Safety is our top priority,” Chambers said. “These trainings help educate our community’s first responders to stay safe and share their knowledge with others.”
Two new members have been appointed to serve on the Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors. Dee Anderson, of Gwinnett County, and Towanna Johnson, of Barrow County, were recently appointed to serve a three-year term by the Jackson EMC Board of Directors.
The Jackson EMC Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization established to represent the members of Jackson EMC and distribute money collected from members participating in
A 22-year resident of Gwinnett County, Dee Anderson is the Director of Human Resources for TranSouth Logistics in Braselton. She has more than 25 years of experience working in talent management, compensation and benefits, HR compliance, workplace safety and training and development, FMLA Administration and employee relations. She started her HR career in the banking and entertainment industries. She is a long-time member of the Society for Human Resources Management and has been certified as an HR Professional.
Anderson is active in the community. She has served on the Jackson County Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors for 5 years, where she previously served as chairperson.
She is a graduate of South Carolina State University with a degree in Business Administration and St. Thomas University with a M.S. in Human Resources.
Operation Round Up®. The 11-member volunteer board of directors meets to review and select grant applications for worthwhile, charitable purposes that will improve lives and respond to immediate needs.
Since Operation Round Up’s beginning more than 18 years ago, the Foundation has awarded more than $19 million through 1,853 grants to organizations and 423 grants to individuals.
Towanna Johnson is a lifelong resident of Barrow County and graduate of Barrow County High School. She is a vice president and Director of Customer Experience at Georgia Banking Company. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Banking from Georgia Southern University and has more than 24 years of experience in the banking industry. She is a Forrester CX Certified Professional.
Johnson is an active member of the community. She is the Board Chair of Spirit of Sharing, a nonprofit organization in Winder providing food security, holiday outreach and positive youth development. She is an active member of White Oak Baptist Church.
Johnson and her husband, Dimitric, have one daughter.
The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total $112,863 in grants during a recent meeting, including $99,600 to organizations and $13,263 to individuals.
$20,000 to Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett to purchase a wheelchair transportation van for its Young Adults Learning Life (YALL) program.
$15,000 to Atlanta Community Food Bank for its Feeding Our Neighbor program to purchase fresh produce to distribute through its partner agencies in Gwinnett, Hall and Lumpkin counties.
$15,000 to Food Bank of Northeast Georgia , Athens, to purchase food for its Childhood Nutrition program, including Food to Kids Weekend Meal Bags, mobile food pantries and inschool food pantries for those in need in Clarke, Banks, Barrow, Franklin, Jackson, Madison and Oglethorpe counties.
$15,000 to Georgia Mountain Food Bank , Gainesville, to purchase 1,875 fresh produce boxes for those in need in Hall and Lumpkin counties.
$10,000 to Gwinnett Council for the Arts, Inc. , Duluth, to fund five new student sponsorships for its “smART Honors Program” for underserved Gwinnett County high school students.
$7,100 to Georgia Children’s Chorus, Inc. , an organization in Athens that provides vocal and choral training to young people in Barrow, Clarke, Gwinnett and Jackson counties pursuing choral music education, to provide participant sponsorships and performance opportunities.
$5,000 to South Hall Community Food Pantry, Oakwood, to purchase food for its food pantry program.
$5,000 to Hamilton Mill United Methodist Church, Dacula, to purchase food and shelving for the Pantry at Hamilton Mill, a food pantry that supports families in need in Barrow, Gwinnett and Hall counties.
$5,000 to Street Love Ministries, Inc. , a nonprofit organization that serves the homeless community in Athens, to purchase snack bag items for those who are homeless in Clarke County.
$2,500 to Foodbank at Cornerstone (formerly Spirit of Joy Food Pantry), Oakwood, for its food pantry program.
$3,263 for a prosthetic leg for a man Lumpkin County.
$5,000 for a heating and air conditioning unit for a senior citizen in Gwinnett County.
$5,000 for a wheelchair ramp for a senior citizen in Clarke County.
The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total $95,771 in grants to organizations during a recent meeting.
$15,000 to Barrow Ministry Village, in Winder, for its counseling program that offers affordable counseling services to needy families in all counties served by Jackson EMC, to help with PTSD, anxiety and other family issues.
$15,000 to Boy With a Ball, in Buford, to provide curriculum materials for the Velocity Cross Age Mentoring program that pairs high school mentors in Gwinnett County with middle school students to cultivate connectedness, self-esteem, identity and academic skills.
$15,000 to Family Promise of Athens, to end the cycle of family homelessness, for its Homeless Shelter and Stabilization Program that provides emergency shelter and vital services for families with children experiencing homelessness in Barrow, Clarke, Jackson, Madison and Oglethorpe counties.
$15,000 to Good News at Noon, a Gainesville-based community ministry, for its Transitional Living Restoration Program that provides transitional shelter and supplies for men in Hall County who are at-risk for homelessness.
$10,000 to The Cancer Foundation, in Athens, for its Financial Assistance Program that assists eligible cancer patients in Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Franklin, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison and Oglethorpe counties with transportation and housing expenses.
$10,000 to Our Neighbor, Inc. , a Gainesville grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting young adults with special challenges to reach their maximum level of independence, to assist with its Housing Assistance program for residents with disabilities.
$8,271 to MedLink Georgia, Inc. , a nonprofit primary medical care network that provides care to medically underserved people throughout Jackson EMC’s service area, for a newborn bilirubin testing meter at its new pediatric practice in Madison County.
$7,500 to Bethel Haven, in Watkinsville, for its Mental Health Counseling Program that supports mental health services and therapeutic counseling sessions for distressed children, teens, adults and families in all counties served by Jackson EMC.
Jackson EMC’s communication department was recently recognized for its outstanding work during the Cooperative Communicators Association’s (CCA) annual awards ceremony. CCA is an organization of 300 professionals who communicate for cooperatives, including brands like Sunkist, Land O’ Lakes and Dairy Farmers of America.
Jackson EMC’s monthly member publication, JEMCO News, won second place in the large member publication category. Judges said, JEMCO News is...
“These awards validate our commitment to crafting effective communication strategies that promote a deeper understanding of Jackson EMC, its people and its core values,” said April Sorrow, Jackson EMC vice president of communication. “We are very proud of this work and the talented team receiving this recognition.”
Jackson EMC communication team members honored with these awards included: Eden Bentley, Karen Ewing, Wendy
The co-op also received an honorable mention in the documentary video category for a video featuring former board member Bill Carpenter and his observations over several decades of serving Jackson EMC members. Judges said, Carpenter’s “perspective and insights added depth and credibility to the video, making it a worthwhile and meaningful viewing experience.”
Professional communicators representing more than 40 cooperatives from across the U.S. and Canada submitted nearly 400 entries in this year’s competition. The awards recognize the best in writing, photography, programs and projects, and publications.
Known bondholders, mortgages and other security holders owning or holding one percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities; Rural Utilities Services, 1400 Independence Ave., Washington, D.C. 20250-1500, Cooperative
PUBLICATION NAME: JEMCO NEWS
I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. Kerri Testement, Editor
“a very personable publication that has personality and an accurate tone.”
1000 Dawsonville Highway
Gainesville, GA (770) 536-2415
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Hull, GA (706) 548-5362
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Jefferson, GA (706) 367-5281
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INGREDIENTS:
packages frozen chopped spinach
cup evaporated milk (canned)
cup margarine
Tbsp. flour
oz. jalapeño pepper cheese (grated)
DIRECTIONS:
½ ½ ½ ½
tsp. pepper
tsp. garlic salt
tsp. Worcestershire sauce
cup liquid from cooking spinach
Cook spinach as directed on packaging and drain well. Save the spinach liquid to the side. In a large skillet pan, make the cream sauce by melting the margarine, then adding in the flour. Next, add the evaporated milk and spinach liquid. Stirring continuously, add the spinach first, then the cheese and lastly the spices and the Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Transfer to a casserole dish (round or square) and bake at 350 degrees until it starts to bubble (20-30 minutes max). Serve hot with tortilla chips.
This is a family favorite and one of my go-tos for an easy party appetizer. The jalapeño cheese really gives the dip a kick. “