By our community, for our community
Executive V.P./CEO
Many of our members probably think about October as the time when college football is in full swing. For others, it might be time to start planning elaborate costumes for Halloween. But around Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, October means one thing: National Co-op Month.
Regular readers of this column could be forgiven for thinking every month is Co-op Month. After all, I do like to celebrate the cooperative difference every chance I get. But October gives us a special opportunity to recognize the impact that the more than 40,000 cooperatives, including 900 electric cooperatives, make across our country.
The theme of this year’s Co-op Month is “By the community, for the community.” It’s an appropriate theme because, just like SVEC, our fellow cooperatives were born out of their local areas and founded by members who decided to serve a need in their community.
But cooperatives do more than simply provide necessary services to their neighbors. Cooperatives across the nation create nearly 2 million jobs, providing more than $74 billion in annual wages. Electric cooperatives alone account for more than one-third of the nation’s electric utility industry, powering over 19 million homes, schools, farms and businesses.
If you’re curious about the impact SVEC has in our local community, you can learn more in this newsletter. You’ll find a report that includes detailed information about how our cooperative contributes to the local economy in terms of labor income, taxes and more.
At the end of the day, though, our primary mission is to bring safe, reliable and affordable electric service to consumer-members like you. Everyone at the cooperative works hard each day to make that service possible and to ensure each interaction you have with us is a positive one. But when it comes to repairing lines and installing new service, the front line for SVEC is most certainly our Service Department.
When you’re experiencing a problem with your electric service or want a new area light installed, it’s our Service Department team who shows up to make sure the job gets done. That means they have to be ready to change gears at a moment’s notice so they can deal with pressing issues. You can learn more about the important work they do day to day in this month's member newsletter.
You can also get to know SVEC board member Hugh Hunter. Mr. Hunter has served on the SVEC board of trustees for more than 30 years, representing our members in District 7. He is one of our longest-serving trustees for good reason: He is always there when our members need him.
That, more than anything, is what cooperatives are all about. When our community needed someone to provide electricity, its residents came together and created SVEC to fill that need. We never forget who we serve, and we will always put you first.