Approximately 40 members and guests gathered on a warm but beautiful afternoon for the Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative Annual Meeting of the Members on June 19 in Chase City. After a treat of buttered popcorn and sugar cookies, cooperative leaders updated members on the state of the cooperative and elected a director for each of MEC’s three service districts. The theme of the meeting was “Staying Power.”
Board Secretary-Treasurer Donald Moore reported the cooperative remains fiscally strong, with operating revenues of $112.1 million across all subsidiaries, and noted that MEC returned over $1.1 million in capital credits in 2023. To date, over $45 million in capital credits have been returned to the membership.
Board Chairman David J. Jones reminded MEC members that they have ownership in the cooperative and stated, “Your cooperative’s goals are built on the foundational principle that we are here to serve you.” He then shared significant highlights from 2023 about MEC, focusing particularly on three areas: safety, growth and reliability.
CULTURE OF SAFETY
Addressing the cooperative’s culture of safety, Jones stated, “The first and most critical element for MEC’s success is safety. Work in the electric industry is filled with hazards and danger, and nothing is more important than ensuring we operate an electric utility that not only reliably delivers the power you need, but also does so safely and securely, and that we see our employees return home safely to their loved ones every day and night.
“As of today, your cooperative employees have recorded nearly four years (three years and eight months) of work without a lost-time accident,” he said. “This remarkable number can only be achieved with great focus and a thorough consideration of every task approached, both in daily work and particularly when in outage restoration mode. Our employees undertake these tasks often in the most inopportune conditions: during frigid cold, excruciating heat or even hurricane-strength winds. But they push safely through to get the job done.
GROWTH
“Another indicator of your cooperative’s strength — its staying power — is its growth,” said Jones. “That growth is perhaps best demonstrated by Mecklenburg’s increase in sales of kilowatt-hours of energy. In 2023, MEC’s energy sales reached an all-time high of over 1.2 billion kWh. That is more than double our energy sales from just three years ago in 2020.
“That increase is being prompted by growth in our commercial and industrial sector and is creating a striking change in the percentage MEC collects from each Member category,” he continued. “In years past, as much as 90% of the total energy provided by MEC was for residential accounts, but that trend has undergone a significant change. Last year, 45% of our revenues were generated from residential users, while commercial and industrial revenues grew to represent 44% of your cooperative’s total electric sales.”
RELIABILITY
Jones also cited reliability as another important measure of MEC’s staying power. “Mecklenburg Electric continues to meet our communities’ demands for energy while successfully addressing a growing and unprecedented landscape of commercial and industrial growth, and across our entire system, power was available 99.951% of the time in 2023.”
EMPOWER BROADBAND
Additionally, Jones provided an update on MEC’s wholly owned subsidiary, EMPOWER Broadband, stating, “To date, we have connected over 5,500 locations to EMPOWER’s high-speed, fiber-fed broadband. As we speak, EMPOWER fiber assets are being constructed and offered for service to portions of Brunswick, Charlotte, Halifax, Greensville, Mecklenburg and Pittsylvania counties, providing internet access to our rural communities with the same level of speed and power as those living in urban areas.
“In total, EMPOWER has installed $9.8 million in fiber assets,” he added, “and by successfully securing grant funding and making wise business decisions, the fledgling EMPOWER organization owns 39.7% of that plant, demonstrating our commitment to, and investment in, a business that will meet another of your critical needs for years to come. Our priority for EMPOWER Broadband is to create that same diligence and staying power you’ve come to expect from Mecklenburg Electric.
“We are proud of the performance of these organizations and the quality of service they offer our membership. We also take pride in the capable and caring employees who work hard both day and night to ensure that through our electric and broadband offerings, MEC’s members have all the comforts, conveniences and opportunities afforded to others in the commonwealth of Virginia.”
LEADERSHIP TRANSITION
With a slight waver in his voice, outgoing President and CEO John Lee addressed those in attendance, noting that this would be his last MEC annual meeting. “As I reflect on and bring my 16-year career at MEC to a close, please know that I am so very proud and sincerely thankful to have been a part of your cooperative’s many successes and its continuing efforts to deliver electrons and value to the membership,” Lee said. “I thank our board of directors, our employees and you, our membership, for your support over those years and for the extraordinary opportunity to serve you.”
Incoming MEC President and CEO Casey Logan next took the podium, expressing his commitment to serve the membership. “I am both honored and privileged to be chosen as your new CEO. I pledge to lead with integrity, transparency, and a steadfast commitment to our core values,” he said. “I believe that our success will not only be measured by financial metrics, but also by the positive impact we have on our employees and our communities. Together, let’s build upon our past achievements, embrace change with courage and optimism, and create a future that our children can be proud of.”
From left, Donald Moore, Frank Myers and David Jones were reelected to serve three-year terms on the MEC Board of Directors.
ELECTIONS AND PROXY DRAWING
Also during the meeting, the following board members were reelected to three-year terms: Donald Moore, who represents Gretna District; Frank Myers, who represents Emporia District; and David Jones, who represents Chase City District. Cooperative members not in attendance at the meeting voted using mail-in proxy ballots. A total of 2,493 eligible ballots were received, allowing MEC to meet its quorum. Sixteen lucky members who returned their proxy votes by June 12 were entered into a drawing to receive a credit on their electric account.
Videos of the annual meeting and the proxy drawing can be viewed at www.meckelec.org/annual-meeting.
RESOLUTION
Concluding the business meeting, Board Chairman Jones and Vice-Chairman Myers presented Lee with a Resolution of Appreciation from the Board of Directors. “We thank John for his years of dedicated service to this cooperative, to its employees and the communities we serve. This cooperative has enjoyed many accomplishments during his tenure here,” Jones said. “He’s been an extraordinary leader and a visionary who helped MEC grow into one of the strongest and most respected rural electric cooperatives in our nation.”
–Report by Dolores Cabaniss, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative