November - December 2020 TCEC Rural Living Newsletter

TRI-COUNTY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

POWERING INTO

Vice President of Corporate Services

Stephanie Carroll November & December 2020 Vol. 23 • No. 7

THE

FUTURE

TRI-COUNTY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

Rural Living Vol. XXIII No. VII November & December 2020

Board of Trustees

Bobby Dodd

Donnie Waldrep

Catherine Bethea

District 2

District 3

District 5

President

Junior Smith District 1

Benny Bishop District 7

Vice President

George Webb District 4

Johnny Edwards District 8

Secretary/Treasurer

Ann Herring District 6

Elmer Coker District 9

TCEC Staff

Julius Hackett, Chief Executive Officer Jeff Brewer, Vice President of Engineering Stephanie Carroll, Vice President of Corporate Services Eileen Herndon, Executive Assistant Darrell Tuten, Vice President of Operations Wendell Williams, Vice President of Finance Tri-County Electric Cooperative Rural Living, the voice of your member-owned electric cooperative, is published bimonthly — more if necessary — at no subscription cost to the membership. The publication team is comprised of TCEC employees. Postage is paid at Tallahassee, Fla.

Publication Team

Julius Hackett, Chief Executive Officer Eileen Herndon, Executive Assistant Kaitlynn Culpepper, Community Relations Director

Publisher

Powering On As an electric cooperative, our top priority is always to provide reliable, affordable energy to you, the consumer-members we serve.

Because we are a co-op, our mission is to enrich the lives of our members and serve the long-term interests of our local community––and this mission has never been more critical than in recent months. One of the seven principles that guides all co-ops is “concern for community.” To me, this principle is the essential DNA of Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. (TCEC), and it sets us apart from other electric utilities.

Who would have fathomed in March, that COVID-19 would amount to a test of our community and our nation?

The changing circumstances due to the pandemic have created both challenges and opportunities. Over the past several months, we’ve all been challenged to operate differently, and TCEC has stepped up to help our members and strengthen the safety net for our more vulnerable neighbors. Your TCEC Board of Trustees recognizes the crucial role we play in service to communities like ours.

TCEC, like many electric cooperatives across our nation have had to “Power On.” As an essential service, and to ensure reliability of your power supply, we modified our operations to safeguard business continuity. Our line crews and other employees began working on staggered schedules to maintain separation. Some staff worked remotely.

In the office, we limited and modified meetings and gatherings to allow for safe separation. We also adjusted our walk-in office availability and in-person service calls to ensure the health and safety of our employees and our valued

Julius Hackett, CEO members. In addition, in September our 80th Annual Meeting was held virtually following our first ever drive-thru registration. For the health and safety of everyone, we think these measures were the prudent course of action for the times.

For our members impacted by COVID-19 who needed help with their electric bills, we waived late fees and worked with those hardest hit to make special payment arrangements.

I tell you about all of these efforts not to boast about TCEC but to explain how much we care about this community–– because we live here too.

We’ve seen other local businesses rising to meet similar challenges during this time, because that’s what communities do. While the challenges caused by COVID-19 have been daunting, I’m heartened to see how everyone is pulling together.

In 1940, TCEC was built by the community to serve the community, and that’s what we’ll continue to do – Power On.

Joanna Forrester Tri-County Electric Cooperative 2862 West US 90 Madison, FL 32340 www.tcec.com 1-800-999-2285

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Board Meetings The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. will be held the second Monday of each month at 3:00 p.m. in the central office building of the Cooperative located at 2862 West US 90, approximately two miles west of the City of Madison.

November & December 2020

Two Board Trustees Achieve Credential in Today’s Electric Utility Competencies Trustees Donnie Waldrep (District 3) and George Webb (District 4) recently received their Board Leadership Certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).

An ever-changing business environment has imposed new demands on electric cooperative trustees, requiring increased knowledge of changes in the electric utility business, new governance skills and a solid knowledge of the cooperative principles and business model. TCEC has a commitment to work through its statewide organization, Florida Electric Cooperatives Association (FECA) and NRECA to sharpen this body of knowledge for the benefit of our electric cooperative consumer-owners.

The NRECA Board Leadership Certificate (BLC) recognizes individuals who continue their professional development after becoming a Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD). Trustees who have attained the BLC have completed 10 credits in advanced, issues-oriented courses.

NRECA represents our nation’s more than 900 private, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, which provide electric service to more than 42 million people in 47 states.

TCEC is one of 16 electric distribution cooperatives that serve 2.7 million Floridians in 57 of Florida’s 67 counties.

Have you noticed a reduction in your power bill?

Your Board of Trustees care about the Tri-County Electric Cooperative members affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. To help our communities, the board once again lowered the Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (WPCA) for members in October.

Members using the monthly household average of 1,000 kWh of power will pay $116, which is down from the $131 back in March at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WPCA is used to adjust the amount charged to members when the wholesale cost of energy rises or falls over time.

If you haven’t noticed a reduction in your power costs, take a look at the WPCA credit on your bill.

The credit will vary based on the amount of power used. Your cooperative’s Board hopes that these savings will help members who may be financially impacted from the economic effect of COVID-19.

November & December 2020

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80th Annual Meeting Success 2020 brought many changes to how we at TCEC engage with our members and serve their needs. Many changes were made to implement safety precautions as COVID-19 continued to spread, while we continued to provide quality, affordable, electric service to our members and consumers.

Each year, planning for annual meeting begins in April. In the midst of the pandemic we knew that big changes would need to be made to the format of the TCEC Annual Meeting to safely have member participation, perform business and update our members on the progress of the cooperative over the past year.

We were not alone in these efforts as electric cooperatives across the country were making changes to their annual meetings as well. We were able to use ideas and formats of our neighboring co-op’s member engagement efforts and customize them to what would work for our members.

On September 19, 2020, 935 members registered for the 80th TCEC Annual Meeting during drive-thru registration at Madison County High School.

While the trend in previous years averaged registering 600 members, the rise in participation this year was a good indicator that using creative means to register and conduct a virtual meeting kept our members engaged throughout the process.

250 kids bags were given out to TCEC’s youngest consumers and the coop’s Board of Trustees were on site to greet members, answer questions, and thank those driving thru for their commitment to the co-op.

The business portion of the TCEC Annual Meeting was held virtually at 2:00 PM, with over 900 views on the TCEC website and Facebook page.

Board President Bobby Dodd, CEO Julius Hackett, Attorney Dylan Rivers, and Board Treasurer Catherine Bethea updated viewers on the business and financial status of the cooperative through 2020.

Registered members were entered to win five grand prizes and a 2001 Ford F-250. Prize winners were announced virtually following the business meeting.

TCEC members are the heart of everything we do. Keeping our members and employees safe is always a top priority. With the hard work and dedication of employees and support of members, like you, we are able to mark the 2020 Annual Meeting a success. To view the TCEC Annual Meeting Business Meeting, visit www.tcec.com/annual-meeting.

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November & December 2020

2020 ANNUAL MEETING PRIZE WINNERS Prize #5 - Apple Ipad 7th Generation Winner: Amanda M Williamson

Prize #2 - Blackstone Outdoor Griddle Grill Winner: Mary L Barclay

Prize #4 - Porch Swing Winner: Jan E Jones

Prize #1 - Generac Generator Winner: Andre L Williams

Prize #3 - Yeti Hopper Flip Cooler Winner: Brandy D Siplin

Grand Prize - 2001 Ford F-250 Winner: Judi C Wyche

Annual Meeting Photos provided by Rebecca Vann Photography November & December 2020

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Women of Power Vice President of Corporate Services

Leadership has nothing to do with seniority. Leadership has nothing to do with titles. Leadership is having the ability to translate a vision into a reality.

This year TCEC was faced with many challenges, one being how to come up with a creative way to host its annual meeting in accordance with the Cooperative’s bylaws in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stephanie Carroll the Vice President of Corporate Services for TCEC was responsible for translating the vision of management to hold the annual meeting while working within the restrictions imposed by the state’s social distancing orders. Immediately she went to work with a team of employees, who under her guidance, developed a plan to hold the cooperative’s first ever drive-thru registration and virtual annual meeting.

As the first female Vice President in the Cooperative’s 80-year history, Stephanie encourages women to pursue energy-related careers. Many may see how being in a male-dominated industry can be a challenge. Stephanie sees her position at the co-op as a benefit and appreciates that it gives her a visible platform to show other women that there are great opportunities available to them at the co-op and in the electric utility industry.

Stephanie remembers earlier in her career what it felt like to show up to meetings and conferences and be one of a very small handful of women in attendance and recalls feeling a bit out of her element. She gives credit to Julius Hackett, CEO of TCEC, for making it a mission to create a diverse team of employees that benefit the co-op by bringing all their different talents together to work for a common goal of how to best serve its members by utilizing all these different skill sets.

As the Vice President of the Corporate Services Division, Stephanie manages the office services of the co-op, with responsibilities that extend from the development of new technology projects to maintenance of the Cooperative’s facilities, as well as the administration of employee and member services. She works and develops information for the Public Service Commission on regulations, tariffs, and rate matters, as well as evaluating the co-op’s community relations projects and then helps coordinate the resources to carry out those projects. Stephanie participates in the planning and implementation of the co-op’s management policies and internal procedures that include much more than the annual meeting. She can be found at the monthly Board of Trustees meetings, she is a regular participant in the co-op’s monthly safety meetings, and training programs. Stephanie wears many hats.

In 2017 Stephanie completed the NRECA’s Robert I. Kabat Management Internship Program, an intensive program in electric utility management at the Fluno Center of Executive Education at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. The invitational only program consists of a series of workshops offered by the NRECA in conjunction with the university. The program guides participants through all facets of the electric utility industry, including many changes occurring around the nation. The program is offered to cooperative CEOs and toplevel managers and Stephanie is recognized for her completion of one of the most exclusive education programs in the nation for electric cooperative management.

When thinking about her career at the Cooperative, one major business challenge she had is the creation and establishment of an entire human resources department where previously there was not one. It was a huge undertaking and required the creation of job descriptions for every position, adjustment of personnel policies and procedures, evaluation of benefits, and establishment of an industry-standard compensation plan. She also was instrumental in the implementation of a fair and robust hiring process. She is proud to have been able to lead this process and establish a foundation for the current and future employees of the Cooperative.

Stephanie has received inspiration from a lot of sources during her life. Her parents inspired her to always do her best and she honors them by doing that every day. She was inspired by her high school teacher Mrs. Monteze Walker to believe in herself. She is thankful to have a large circle of peers and colleagues who encourage her to keep knocking out one challenge at a time.

When asked to describe a typical day, she will say there isn’t such a thing. Often, her day may start with phone calls regarding questions about office technology issues, a Cooperative policy or procedure, or an employee issue. They all require on the spot decisions to correct the course.

She may spend her day working on project management calls and emails only to have to stop to deal with an issue that the lobby restroom needs to be repaired to then go back to strategic goals and evaluating processes. Stephanie says,

“It’s safe to say, I never really know what a typical day looks like. That’s my favorite part of the job. I never know what’s coming next.”

Although a typical day cannot be described, her focus remains the same, to be a positive influence and encouragement to her employees to work towards the common goal of making sure the Cooperative is meeting the needs of its members.

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November & December 2020

Members of the Board When we think of the human race, we think how we are a very diverse species across the world, with so many different cultures, languages, and beliefs. Diversity on the board of Tri-County Electric Cooperative is an advantage. Individuals using their backgrounds and experiences help bring new viewpoints and perspectives to the boardroom and have allowed them to better understand the needs of our members and allows the co-op to foster the connection with its members.

Mrs. Catherine Bethea (District 5 Trustee) is a twelve-year veteran of

TCEC’s board. She was given an opportunity to serve on the board after always having an appreciation for the citizens in our rural communities who helped bring electricity to their farms and homes 80-years ago. She remembers how life changing it was for her family when they got electricity in their home.

Mrs. Bethea is no stranger to serving her community, she has served on agricultural boards over the last 40 years and as Chairman of the Taylor Soil and Water Conservation Board for 12-years.

To her, TCEC members are so much more than customers, they are the owners of the co-op. She enjoys helping them understand the unique benefits of an electric cooperative, from capital credits to the dedication of its employees who work to keep the lights on and repair the problem when they go out.

One of the biggest challenges Mrs. Bethea feels the board faces is making the decision to adjust or raise the rates and the impact this has on members who live on fixed incomes. She enjoys working as one of nine trustees on the board, working collectively, and sharing ideas using their personal experiences to do what is best for the members while making sure the cooperative remains financially sound.

Ms. Ann Herring (District 6 Trustee) has just completed her inaugural

year on TCEC’s board. When reflecting on her first year as a trustee, she realizes how much she took safe and reliable electric power for granted. She didn’t recognize all that was involved in getting power to our communities. Serving on the board has given her an appreciation for the generation, transmission, and distribution process that goes into bringing light to the people.

Her first year has been a whirlwind of activity. She has taken advantage of the educational and training opportunities made available to her to increase her understanding of the electric utility business, which in turn, helps her better represent the members. She is well on her way to fulfilling her duties as a trustee by working to complete her first level of certification through NRECA by completing the required courses to earn her Credentialed Cooperative Director designation.

She feels that with any business, a rural electric cooperative is only as good as the people who run it. She has a deep appreciation for the employees who use their talents and experience to function as a team to serve the members.

November & December 2020

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Medical Essential Service Do you or someone you know have a medical condition that requires electrically powered equipment that is a priority continually to sustain life or avoid serious medical complications that would require immediate hospitalization?

TCEC is glad to assist members with medical essential needs for electricity due to life-sustaining equipment.

Examples of qualifying equipment include: oxygen concentrator, heart monitor, controlled medication, and controlled atmosphere

Who is eligible?

Members requiring electric service; medically essential certified by a licensed physician. Electric service is critical if the member is dependent on electric-powered equipment that must be operated continuously or as circumstances required as specified by a physician to avoid the loss of life or serious medical complications.

Applications for Medical Essential Service must be renewed annually.

What the program offers to qualifying members: Medical Essential Service is designed to provide members with reasonable prior notice of power interruption when possible due to scheduled service maintenance which in turn will allow the member to secure back-up power for their medical equipment.

Medical Essential Service accounts are also identified to serve as a reference to determine priorities in the effort to restore service following a widespread or prolonged outage affecting the cooperative’s system.

What is not guaranteed?

The program does not guarantee uninterrupted service or exempt a member from payment of their electric bills.

The medical essential member is responsible for backup equipment and/or power supply and a planned source of action in the event of a power outage.

In the event of an unplanned outage TCEC cannot guarantee service restoration beyond its normal efforts to restore service and we ask our members on life support systems to make arrangements in advance to move to a location where their needs can be met.

TCEC service restoration policy: Service work beings with the repair of major transmission or distribution lines prior to individual service lines so that we can restore service to as many people as possible in a timely manner. Your electric co-op will make every effort to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.

GO GREEN & WIN SOME GREEN!

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E-BILL! $75

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November & December 2020

Welcome New Employee Katie Wetherington Katie Wetherington is the newest team member at TCEC, proudly serving as a part time System Operator. Katie is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Licensed Nursing Assistant.

Her experience in caring for the needs of others will prove to be valuable as she serves as the voice on the other end of the line when members call to report an outage or when communicating with crews out in the field.

Katie is married and mother to daughter Brynlee and bonus-daughter Alexia. She and her husband are anxiously awaiting the arrival of daughter number three, Taelynn, any day now!

Her favorite thing about working at TCEC so far is how family oriented the co-op is, the amazing coworkers and the opportunity to grow and build a better future.

Fun Fact: Katie is a talented singer, having sung at various events and festivals. She loves doing karaoke as well.

TCEC Family Grows We are proud to announce the birth of Journeyman Lineman Bailey Stewart’s daughter. Faith Maren Stewart was born August 27, 2020 at 1:13 a.m. Entering the world at 8lbs 5oz and 20 ¾” long, we look forward to watching her grow.

Congratulations to the new parents.

Holiday Schedule Reminder All Tri-County Electric offices will be closed Nov. 11 for Veteran’s Day; Nov. 26 & 27 for Thanksgiving; Dec. 24 & 25 for Christmas; and Jan. 1, 2020 for New Year’s. We will have standby crews available for power restoration if needed. Please see “Connect to your Co-op” on Page 11 of this newsletter.

The TCEC staff and employees are thankful to have the honor of serving you and wish you hope, peace and joy this Holiday Season.

November & December 2020

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Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake (Recipe/Photo Source: www.foodnetwork.com) Recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond

Ingredients (Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake) •

12 ounces gingersnaps

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1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree

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6 tablespoons salted butter, melted

3 large eggs, at room temperature

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2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

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Ingredients (Salted Caramel Sauce) •

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature

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1/2 cup heavy cream

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4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter

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1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

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1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dash of kosher salt

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1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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1 teaspoon kosher salt

Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

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1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Whipped cream, for serving

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1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

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Chopped pecans, for serving

Directions 1.

For the pumpkin gingersnap cheesecake: In a food processor or blender, grind the gingersnaps until fine.

Pour into a bowl and stir in the pecans, melted butter, brown sugar and salt. Press into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3.

To make the filling, beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer until soft, scraping the sides once. Mix in the pumpkin, scraping the sides once or twice. Add the eggs 1 at a time, allowing them to mix in, then add the sour cream and mix. With the mixer on low, add the granulated sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg.

Thoroughly scrape the bowl and mix to ensure everything is smooth and mixed in.

4.

Pour the filling into the pan, smoothing the top. Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake until the filling is no longer soupy but still slightly jiggly, about 50 minutes.

Turn off the oven, open the door just a hair and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes, then cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

5.

For the salted caramel sauce: Mix the brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, vanilla and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low to medium heat. Cook, while whisking gently, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Let cool, then refrigerate until needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

6. Slice the cheesecake and top with the salted caramel sauce, whipped cream and chopped pecans.

Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. Board Meetings Summary for May 11, 2020 With all Trustees present except one, key cooperative personnel and the attorney present, the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. was held on Monday, May 11, 2020, in the Tri-County Electric headquarters office building located in Madison, Florida. Reports to the Board included the Finance Committee, Policy Committee, Building and Land Committee, and CEO. Action taken by the Board included the following: approval of the May 11, 2020 Board Agenda; the April 13, 2020, Board Meeting Minutes; and Consent Agenda items as written and recommended by the CEO, which included: the WPCA for May 2020 as established by resolution; RUS Form 7 for March 2020; the list of new members for March 20, 2020 – April 19, 2020; Work and Accident Report for March 2020 along with the System Outage Reports. Other action taken by the Board included: approval of the 2020-2021 employee wage and salary plan; approval of a one-time early distribution of patronage capital credits during June 2020; retirement of 100% of the remaining 1993 capital credits, and 50% of the 1994 capital credited to patrons; authorization for donation of the unclaimed capital credits for the retirement year 2016 to the cooperative’s educational scholarship fund; and the approval of the territorial agreement as drawn up between TriCounty Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Duke Energy. The board discussed the cancellation of in-person events as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bobby Dodd, President

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Catherine Bethea, Secretary/Treasurer

Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. Board Meetings Summary for June 8, 2020 With all Trustees present except one, key cooperative personnel and the attorney present, the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. was held on Monday, June 8, 2020, in the Tri-County Electric headquarters office building located in Madison, Florida. Reports to the Board included the Seminole Electric Cooperative May 2020 Board Meeting, Florida Electric Cooperatives June 2020 Board Meeting, Finance Committee, Policy Committee, Building and Land Committee, and CEO. Action taken by the Board included the following: approval of the June 8, 2020 Board Agenda; the May 11, 2020 Board Meeting Minutes; and Consent Agenda items as written and recommended by the CEO, which included: the WPCA for June 2020 as established by resolution; RUS Form 7 for April 2020; the list of new members for April 20, 2020 – May 17, 2020; Work and Accident Report for April 2020 along with the System Outage Reports. Other action taken by the Board included the following: first quarter 2020 charge offs; and employee health insurance renewal for 2020-2021 The board reviewed a list of all members impacted by the realignment of the service territory agreement entered between TriCounty Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Duke Energy. The board discussed plans for the 2020 district meetings and annual meeting.

Bobby Dodd, President

Catherine Bethea, Secretary/Treasurer

November & December 2020

This Publication’s Inspirational Moment The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14 (NIV)

November & December 2020

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Women of Power - pg. 6 Annual Meeting Success - pg. 4

L to R: Johnny Edwards, Benny Bishop, Catherine Bethea, Bobby Dodd, Junior Smith, Elmer Coker, Ann Herring, Donnie Waldrep, George Webb

Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. 2862 West US 90 Madison, FL 32340

Presorted Std. U.S. Postage P A I D Tallahassee, FL Permit No. 706