John Lee, president and CEO of Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative, was presented an award of recognition for his leadership and guidance at the 19th annual Gaff-n-Go Lineworker Rodeo held last weekend. Lee was the original committee chairman for the event, serving from 2010 until stepping down last year, and during his tenure helped establish the event as one of the premier regional rodeos in the country. Presenting the award was current committee chairman Steve Harmon.
by vmdaec-tommy May 31, 2023 | Connections
John C. Lee, Jr., president and CEO of Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative, was recognized for his leadership and guidance at the 19th annual Gaff-n-Go Rodeo, held May 19-20 at Meadow Event Park in Doswell. The event is hosted each year by the Virginia, Maryland...
Photo by Jim Robertson, VMDAEC.
by vmdaec-tommy May 25, 2023 | Connections
More than 200 compete at annual lineworker rodeo in Virginia Journeyman teams and individual apprentices from electric cooperatives, investor-owned and municipal utilities, contractors and the U.S. Army demonstrated their skills and knowledge while competing for...
NNEC Board of Directors from left: Ralph Sutton, James Wise, Rusty Brown, Hunter Greenlaw, Mary Catherine Jones, Holly Wargo and Jason Kenner.
by vmdaec-tommy May 31, 2023 | Connections
NNEC members elected three of their peers to serve on the NNEC Board of Directors. This year’s election occurred at the co-op’s 86th Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 25. More than 1,000 members participated virtually and voted by returning their proxy designation...
EMPOWER plows ahead with its expansion project, which now includes 3,500 miles of line being installed over the next 3 1/2 years.
by vmdaec-tommy May 25, 2023 | Connections
On May 11, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office announced the Southside Planning District Commission (SPDC) and its internet partner, EMPOWER Broadband, were awarded $8.5 million to expand its fiber network and services to an additional 4,804 addresses in portions of...
Virginia Forester Robbie Lewis (center) presents A&N Electric Cooperative with its Tree Line USA plaque during its Arbor Day and Member Appreciation event. Pictured with him, from left, are A&N’s Mark Belknap and Directors Ted Shockley, Greg Duncan, Mark Hickman, Penney Holland, Garry Drummond and Addison Nottingham.
by vmdaec-tommy May 25, 2023 | Connections
A&N Electric Cooperative hosted more than 450 people during the annual Arbor Day seedling giveaway and Member Appreciation Day event earlier this month at its Tasley headquarters on the Virginia Eastern Shore. The first 250 members received a small gift bag...
William Monroe High School, the Dragons, won for best design with its dragon-themed car.
by vmdaec-tommy May 25, 2023 | Connections
Sixteen high school teams sped around Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative’s property on May 13 in the second annual Shenandoah Valley Electric Vehicle Grand Prix. A soapbox derby for electric vehicles, the grand prix measures how many laps a car can make in an...
CVEC President & CEO, Gary Wood speaking at the Firefly 20k celebration.
by Staff Reports May 2, 2023 | Connections
Central Virginia Electric Cooperative celebrated the conclusion of its rural broadband project and reaching the milestone of 20,000 connections at a luncheon last week. CVEC launched its fiber project in 2018 and offers internet and phone service through Firefly Fiber...
Central Virginia Electric Cooperative President and CEO Gary Wood with REC President and CEO John Hewa.
by vmdaec-tommy May 3, 2023 | Connections
A day that has been years in the making, Thursday, April 27, marked a major milestone in Rappahannock Electric Cooperative’s efforts to bring high-speed internet to unserved and underserved communities. Local and regional leaders joined REC in Louisa County to...
Apogee Interactive CEO Jim Malcom speaks on the final day of the conference. Photo by Jim Robertson.
by Staff Reports May 2, 2023 | Connections
Southeast Regional hosted in Chattanooga The challenges and opportunities facing electric cooperatives are rapidly evolving, and it is critical to build networks and sharpen skills so that your co-op can thrive in this new energy marketplace. The 2023 Regional...
Graduates of the Lineman Technician Apprenticeship Program pose for the obligatory photo with the Storm Soldier statue at the VMD Training Center.
by Staff Reports May 2, 2023 | Connections
OTAP and LTAP students celebrate the completion of a journey The Association hosted two graduation ceremonies at its Training Center in Palmyra, Va., in April. Three new system operators completed the System Operator Certification Program (OTAP) on April 7. Adam...
