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NASHVILLE – Chelsea Rose is joining the staff of the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association as Government Affairs Assistant. In this position, Rose will track legislation and communicate with law makers at the state and federal levels for the association that represents electric cooperative consumers across the state.
Rose has previous experience with Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey’s office. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree magna cum laude in agriculture communications from Tennessee Technological University and is pursuing a master’s degree through the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Rose lives in Lancaster with her husband, John Rose. They own and operate a farm, which is in both DeKalb and Smith Counties and produces Hereford cattle, tobacco and hay. She has been active in Tennessee Future Farmers of America (FFA) as the state president and as a national vice president. She is a member of the Tennessee FFA Alumni Association, Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation and Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation.
“We are excited to have someone with Chelsea’s skills and rural background join our team,” says David Callis, executive vice president and general manager for TECA. “She will be an asset to TECA and the electric cooperatives of Tennessee.”
The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association is a trade group representing the interests of Tennessee’s 23 electric distribution cooperatives and the 1.1 million consumers they serve.
NASHVILLE – A widespread scam that claims to pay utility bills has made its way to Tennessee. Two of Tennessee’s rural electric cooperatives reported incidents involving the scam on Monday, July 9. Tennessee’s rural electric cooperatives are warning members to be aware of a bill-paying scam that asks them to disclose Social Security and bank routing numbers.
Scammers claim electric consumers can have their utility bills paid under a federal government program. No such program exists.
The solicitations have been made door-to-door, online and by phone. Members are asked for personal information and then given fake bank account numbers to use for making a payment on their utility bill.
Members are urged to alert police if they’re contacted about the scam.
NASHVILLE – Working jointly with other statewide electric cooperative organizations, Tennessee’s electric cooperatives are sending crews to Virginia to help restore electric service to those affected by severe storms on Friday and Saturday, June 29 and 30.
“Six Tennessee cooperatives are sending volunteer lineworkers and equipment to assist cooperatives in Virginia,” said David Callis, executive vice president and general manager for the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association. “With record-setting heat in the area, it is critical that power be restored as soon as possible. Like residents in the affected areas, our lineworkers face some very long and very hot days ahead of them.”
Emergency work plans were put into place on Saturday morning, June 30, and crews from Tennessee headed for Virginia later that day. This cooperation is enabled through mutual aid agreements between electric cooperatives.
Assisting Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative in Mount Crawford, Va.:
- five lineworkers from Mountain Electric Cooperative, Mountain City
- four from Fort Loudoun Electric Cooperative, Madisonville
- five from Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative, South Pittsburg
Assisting Central Virginia Electric Cooperative in Arrington, Va.:
- 10 lineworkers from Powell Valley Electric Cooperative, New Tazewell
- six from Plateau Electric Cooperative, Oneida
Assisting BARC Electric Cooperative in Millboro, Va.:
- 10 lineworkers from Appalachian Electric Cooperative, New Market
Some Tennessee cooperatives received damage from the same storm system that impacted Virginia. Holston Electric Cooperative, Mountain Electric Cooperative, Fort Loudoun Electric Cooperative and Volunteer Energy Cooperative service areas received wind-related storm damage over the weekend.
Holston Electric Cooperative and Powell Valley Electric Cooperative also had outages caused by a fire at TVA’s John Sevier generation plant. All service was restored on Friday evening. The John Sevier plant remains off-line, and TVA is requesting that northwest Tennessee residents conserve energy when possible until the plant resumes production and the high temperatures subside.
“We put our own members first. We only provide assistance to out-of-state co-ops after our own needs are met,” says Callis. “Sending crews and equipment to other states does represent a risk, but our cooperatives are always eager to help when possible.”
The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association is a trade group representing the interests of Tennessee’s 23 electric distribution cooperatives and the 1.1 million members they serve.
Mike Knotts, Director of Government Affairs for the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association
“It will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward evermore.”
— John Adams, second letter to Abigail Adams, July 3, 1776
In my opinion, no single act has shaped modern human history as much as the Continental Congress declaring the United States of America to be a free and independent nation. The ripples of this audacious decision have been felt across the globe ever since. However, as you might remember from history classes, the struggle to realize this declaration took another five years of bloodshed and two more years of negotiation. The Treaty of Paris, which granted formal independence to the American colonies, was signed in September 1783. This was nearly two years after Gen. Charles Cornwallis surrendered the British army at Yorktown, Va.
The courage that was required by the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence was astounding. They surely knew that by affixing their names they would be labeled as traitors to the British crown, the most powerful nation in the world, and likely be signing their own execution papers. Yet they did it anyway, John Hancock boldly making sure his signature was large and clearly seen.
Yet, despite the amount of time that lapsed from the day Hancock famously affixed his signature to the date of actual independence, we continue to celebrate July 4 as the birth of our country. And rightfully so. I hope you will take some time and heed the suggestions of John Adams. Attend a parade, host a picnic for friends and family, play a game with your kids and cheer loudly as the fireworks explode overhead.
The courage of our founders greatly inspires me. Almost every time I travel to Washington, D.C., I take time out of my schedule to visit the National Archives and view the original copy of the Declaration of Independence. I take some time to look at the old and weathered document and think about what those men must have been feeling as they signed away their lives. Was it pure joy, apprehension — or both? I also typically take a moment to pray and thank God for their bravery. We live in the most prosperous nation in the history of the world and are showered with unprecedented blessings because of our founders’ actions.
Your local electric cooperative is keenly aware of these blessings and takes a lot of pride in providing you with the energy required to enjoy so many of them. While I might celebrate July 4 with a day on the lake or perhaps by enjoying a quiet morning at home, many of the men and women of your co-op will be hard at work ensuring the flow of power remains uninterrupted and your events go off without a hitch. These dedicated employees are devoted to protecting your way of life, providing the necessities we take for granted and the luxuries we freely enjoy. They are willing to sacrifice their own time and fortunes to ensure the blessings of others. Maybe that work is not as glamorous as signing the Declaration of Independence, but I think it’s pretty darned inspiring, too.
Another way your cooperative shares the blessings of our liberty is by providing a way for young people in your community to experience American history first-hand. You will read in the pages of this magazine next month about the annual Washington Youth Tour, sponsored by your local cooperative and the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association, but I hope you are fortunate enough to hear the story directly from the young people your cooperative sponsored this year. As you read this article, they will have just returned from Washington, D.C., and their experiences will be fresh. I assure you these young men and women will be full of enthusiasm — phrases like “trip of a lifetime” and “awe-inspiring” will likely fill their explanations to you.
And once ignited, the enthusiasm these young people feel for the “Great American Experiment” is hard to extinguish. Nearly 50 years after penning his prediction about how Americans would commemorate our “day of deliverance,” Adams was asked to suggest a toast be made to his name. He replied: “It is my living sentiment, and by the blessing of God, it shall be my dying sentiment: Independence now and Independence forever.” Four days later, he lay on his deathbed and could hear cannons firing outside. In what might have been among his last words, he very simply shouted, “Independence forever!” The day was July 4.
by David Callis, Executive Vice President and General Manager for the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association
Management gurus James Collins and Jerry Porras penned a book in the mid-1990s titled “Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies.” The book, based on a six-year research project at Stanford University, examined 18 long-lasting companies. In the foreword the authors write, “… visionary companies distinguish their timeless core values and enduring purpose (which should never change) from their operating practices and business strategies (which should be changing constantly in response to a changing world).”
Tennessee’s electric cooperatives aren’t quite as well known as the companies of the study. But, when it comes to longevity and singleness of purpose, we’re definitely in the same league. Our cooperatives have been around for 75 years and counting.
Management techniques come and go, operational strategies flourish and then fade away, but core values remain constant. Over the years, your cooperative has likely had several leadership changes; employees retire and new hires take their place. Each generation brings changes in style and vision.
With an ever-changing cast, how do we stay focused on our primary purpose from decade to decade? The one thing that doesn’t change: the member-owners of the cooperative. Collectively, we’re owned by the members of the communities we serve.
To stay true to that core value, cooperatives answer directly to the membership. Members are elected to act as a governing board — making decisions on behalf of all the members. Board members enact policies that are in the best interests of the membership, and, in turn, the directors select a CEO to manage the day-to-day operations. The CEO answers to the board, and the board answers to the rest of the membership, through periodic re-election.
Breaking that down to Collins and Porras’ statement: The board selects management, which develops business strategies that adapt to a changing world; co-op members select a board that adheres to never-changing core values.
While policies have evolved since Tennessee’s first co-op was formed in the mid-1930s, the basic structure has provided a framework that has lasted well. We’ve not only survived but thrived because of that foundation on which we’re built. That “core value” of member ownership is what provides the enduring purpose of serving our communities.
It’s a model that works best when members participate. Co-op members throughout the state can, and should, attend their cooperative’s annual business meeting.
Each annual meeting is built around a business session, which always contains operating and financial reports that, along with other details, help provide vital information to you as a co-op member — to show that your cooperative’s leaders have been good stewards during the past year.
Most of these meetings are held from August through October. Given the numerous entertainment options that compete for our attention, most feature a variety of other activities — from health fairs to safety demonstrations to live entertainment. It’s just a few hours out of your schedule, and, as Bill Cosby used to say, “You might learn something before it’s done.”
The cooperative business model is one that works for small and large co-ops alike. It’s a model that is built to withstand economic highs and lows. It’s a model that is built to deal with natural disasters or man-made challenges.
It’s a model that’s built to last. The proof is there year after year.
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It’s time for you to have your say in determining the best of all that Tennessee has to offer. We invite — and urge — you to help name the winners of the 2012 Best of Tennessee Readers’ Choice Awards. This year’s “Best of Tennessee” contest divides each category into the three regions of the state.
Vote in as many or as few categories as you feel knowledgeable, but keep in mind that only ballots with 15 or more categories with at least one vote will be eligible for a drawing for entertaining Tennessee-themed prizes.
You can vote for a “Best of” up to three times in any given category. As an example, if you have a favorite state park in each region of the state — West, Middle and East — then you can vote for one in each.
Please be as specific as possible. For example, for Favorite Hiking Trail, specify the name of the trail such as the Fiery Gizzard Trail in the South Cumberland Recreation Area. Please include the town where businesses or parks are located. Generic answers will not be counted. To celebrate the uniqueness of Tennessee, please exclude national franchises and chains (restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, etc.) from your responses.
Our annual “Best of Tennessee” is a fun way to interact with our readers and honor the great aspects of our state.
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Official Rules
- No purchase necessary.
- One entry per person.
- Ballot must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, Aug 15, 2012.
- To be eligible for the prize drawings, ballots must have a “Best of Tennessee” vote in at least 15 categories. You may cast votes in any or all of the regions.
- Drawing to be held by Friday, Aug. 31.
- Must be 18 years old to win. Grand-prize winners will be notified by mail.
- Best of Tennessee results will be published in the October edition of The Tennessee Magazine.
- Employees of electric cooperatives and their immediate families are not eligible for the prize giveaways.
Enter online for a chance to win $250
For the first time you can vote online. To encourage online balloting, we will randomly choose one entry from our online submissions to win $250.
How to enter via mail
Complete the contact information form below, cast your votes on the ballot on the next page and mail both to the address on the form below.
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Prize packages
Winners will be chosen randomly from a drawing of all entries received. Three grand-prize packages will be awarded (one each from West, Middle and East Tennessee). Remember, you must vote in at least 15 categories to be eligible for the prize drawing.
- Winners will receive certificates courtesy of Tennessee State Parks for up to a four-night stay at any of the six state resort park inns. The resort parks are Fall Creek Falls, Henry Horton, Montgomery Bell, Natchez Trace, Paris Landing and Pickwick Landing. Visit www.tn.gov/environment/parks.
- Each winner will receive a basket of farm-direct and locally made artisan foods from Pick Tennessee Products, a division of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
- The Tennessee Magazine will award $250 to each winner to spend while you’re enjoying your state park visit.
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Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association
2964 Sidco Drive, Nashville, TN 37204
Phone : 615.367.9284