Getting the job done
Executive V.P./CEO
Those of us who have dedicated our careers to the cooperative system know a thing or two about working hard to bring essential services to our neighbors. From the very beginning, the cooperative mission has been about members of our community coming together to do what the private power companies wouldn’t: bring electricity to rural areas.
We don’t always think about the work that goes into that process. It includes the time and effort it takes for Seminole Electric Cooperative, our wholesale power provider, to generate and transmit electricity to our system. There is also the dedication it takes for SVEC crews to diligently maintain our system and to make the necessary repairs, even on the hottest days of summer or in the pouring rain. Despite all it takes to provide safe, affordable and reliable electricity, it has become an easy thing to take for granted. When we flip on a light switch or turn on the TV, we have grown used to electric power being there instantly at our convenience. Many people today probably don’t even know where electricity comes from — save for the plug in the wall.
In that way, cooperative employees share a solidarity with farmers in our community. There is no job I can think of that requires so many hours of backbreaking work just to break even. And there are few jobs more important to the health and prosperity of our country than growing the food we eat.
Sadly, many of us are as oblivious to what goes into farming as we are to how electricity is provided. I’ve even heard people wonder why we need to farm food when we can just buy it at the grocery store.
That’s why we are spotlighting a farmer in this month’s newsletter. Richard Bennett is the third generation of his family to work his land in Hamilton County. Familyowned farming operations like his are unfortunately becoming a rarity throughout the country, so I hope you’ll take a moment to read through his story. You may even learn something new about the important work farmers like him are doing for all of us.
You can also get to know Tyler Putnal, who represents District 4 on the SVEC board of trustees. Mr. Putnal has been a valuable member of the board these last several years, and he is a strong representative for our members in western Suwannee County and northern Lafayette County.
Finally, you can learn more about the work SVEC is doing in our community, like awarding scholarships to some of our most deserving students and taking part in the Live Oak Quilt Trail. These are just a few of the things we’re proud to do in order to make the Suwannee Valley a better place for us all to live.