inside your co•op


A monthly newsletter of Choctaw Electric Cooperative.


BOARD OF TRUSTEES


George Burns, President Joe M. Silk, Vice President


James Woods


Mike Brewer, Secretary Treasurer Bill Woolsey


Danny Antwine Norman Ranger Marcia Wright


Becky Franks MANAGEMENT AND STAFF


Jon K. Miles, Chief Executive Officer Susan G. Wall, Executive Assistant Jia Johnson, Director of Public Relations Craig McBrain, Chief Financial Officer Jim Malone, Director of Operations Darrell Ward, District Supervisor


HUGO OFFICE


PO Box 758 Hwy 93 North


Hugo, Oklahoma 74743


Toll Free: (800) 780-6486 Local: (580) 326-6486 FAX (580) 326-2492


Monday-Friday • 8 am - 5 pm IDABEL OFFICE


2114 SE Washington Idabel, Oklahoma 74745


Toll Free: (800) 780-6486 Local: (580) 286-7155


Monday-Friday • 8 am - 5 pm


ANTLERS OFFICE HC 67 Box 62


Antlers, Oklahoma 74523 (One mile east of Antlers)


Toll Free: (800) 780-6486 Local: (580) 298-3201


Monday-Friday • 8 am - 5 pm On the Web:


www.choctawelectric.coop


24 Hour Outage Hotline 800-780-6486


2 | MARCH 2016 | CEC Inside Your Co-op FIND IT ONLINE


■ Know the principles You know Choctaw Electric is a cooperative, but did you know that co-ops have a set of unique principles that sets them apart from other businesses? They are the known as the "Seven Cooperative Principles" and you can found them at www.choctawelectric.coop.


n 2012, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) released a report entitled, “The Electric Cooperative Purpose - A Compass for the 21st


I Century.”


Among their findings, the task force comprised of a dozen co-op leaders from across the country concluded that an electric cooperative’s purpose is to, “Power communities and empower members to improve the quality of their lives.”


NRECA is the national trade organization representing 900 electric co-ops across the nation. Choctaw Electric Cooperative (CEC) is a member of NRECA and we firmly believe that you, our members, need to be at the heart of everything we do.


MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE The Importance of Member Engagement


That was CEC over 75 years ago. As we look to the future, it's important to point out that your active participation is still needed in determining the future of our co-op.


BY JON K. MILES cHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER


Co-ops enjoy the support of people from all walks of life. We operate in every type of business from agriculture, housing, finance, health care, technology, small business, food and many more. Co-ops are found in the most rural to the most urban areas.


CEC welcomes your input on what we can do to make sure we are meeting your needs. Members


are free to attend CEC's monthly board meetings the last Tuesday of the month, or email your suggestions and ideas to customerservice@choctawelectric.coop.


CEC is different from investor-owned utilities such as AEP/PSO and Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG&E), and we are proud of that fact. Investor owned utilities exist to generate profits for their stockholders. The majority of these stockholders don’t live in the communities served by their utility. They may not even live in the same state.


While CEC must generate enough revenue to cover our costs, making a big profit is not our main motive. Serving you and your neighbors is our number one priority.


As the Electric Cooperative Purpose report noted, “Our story is about ordinary people that banded together to improve the quality of life by providing electricity to our community when no one else would do it.”


Your cooperative trustees make themselves available to members because they are your sounding board at the co-op. If you would like to visit with your elected board member, you'll find their contact information posted on our website at www.choctawelectric. coop, or give us a call at 800-780-6486 and we will provide it to you.


With a new board of trustees and new management, Choctaw Electric's core values are reaffirmed. One more thing you can count on from your locally owned electric co-op: We won't be moving operations to Mexico or China like so many corporations are doing. Choctaw Electric is local and that means we're staying right here. We are committed to our local members and making life in southeast Oklahoma the very best it can be.


CEC


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