Several electric cooperatives have been recognized for their accomplishments in political advocacy and activity.
The ACRE Cup goes to Community Electric Cooperative with (from l) staffer Evan Wagonsomer, Board Chairwoman Jeannette Everett and President and CEO Steve Harmon.
The presentations were part of the January 2020 meeting of the board of directors of the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives, held in Richmond in conjunction with visits to the General Assembly by co-op leaders.
VMD Chief Operating Officer Brian Mosier gave an overview of the successful growth of co-op participation in ACRE, the Action Committee for Rural Electrification, which is the political arm of electric co-ops.
Mosier said the ACRE program set record levels of financial participation in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware in 2019, with similar growth expected this year. There was strong participation from VMD member system directors and key staff, with 13 of 14 cooperative boards at 100% participation, he added.
For the eighth consecutive year, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative received special recognition for having received the highest amount of ACRE contributions. Southside Electric Cooperative had the fastest-growing ACRE campaign in 2019, with Dr. Frank W. Bacon, chairman of both the SEC board and the VMD ACRE Committee, accepting a plaque for the co-op’s work.
Community Electric Cooperative repeated as the winner of the 2019 Virginia ACRE Cup for having raised more dollars per employee than any other system in the state, which included having every CEC employee joining ACRE at the Century Club level.
CEO Steve Harmon, Board Chairwoman Jeannette Everett and CEC employee Evan Wagonsomer accepted the award on behalf of the cooperative.