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Until 1971, this building served as the Kiamichi Electric office. Today it serves as the Wilburton City Hall.


Growing Pains Kiamichi electric directors ponder new building proposals


Built in 1971, the Kiamichi Electric Cooperative (KEC) office building is suffering from age-related problems that include water infiltration along the walls, puddling on the floor, and a leaky roof that has defied several attempts at repair.


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"It was a state of the art facility in its time," said CEO Jim Jackson, "When it was built it was expected to meet our needs for the next forty years. We're at 42 now."


When the board decided to build the current 16,500 sq. ft. facility, the co-op served 7,969 members out of a 2,000 sq. ft. building in Wilburton. System growth and technological changes prompted the construction of KEC's current facility. For years, the 'new'building housed all segments of the business; however, by 1990 the co-op served 14,512 accounts and needed more


s your electric cooperative board of trustees pours over architect blueprints and possible building plans, the rain keeps pouring in.


room."We moved our warehouse to a small building behind the main headquarters, and expanded the headquarters building by 3,315 square feet to house dispatching, engineering, operations, and more administration functions," Jackson recalled.


Today, KEC employs 47 people and serves 21,445 accounts over 4,079 miles of line. To operate efficiently and allow for future growth, Kiamichi Electric must consider a new or expanded facility that can grow with the co-op. Remodeling the existing structure is a possibility,Jackson said, but it may not be worth the cost. "A huge issue is the low ground where the building sits, plus bringing the building up to current safety and ADA codes," he explained. "A main concern for us is to have a building that is safe for our employees and the general public."


Co-op directors and staff continue to research building options and meet with architects. Please watch your newsletter for more information.■


Kiamichi Electric Cooperative is dedicated to providing excellent service for its members. The following employees are available to help you when you have questions regarding your electric service. Please call 800-888-2731 or 918-465-2338, or email questions to your co-op at support@kiamichielectric.org.


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administration Jim Jackson, Chief Executive Officer Linda Baldwin, Executive Assistant Sharla Blackledge, Management Assistant


operations Bob Owens, Manager of Operations Tony Nixon, Manager of Construction Kevin Davis, Manager of Engineering


office services Crystal Butler, Chief Financial Officer Renae Taylor, Customer Service Supervisor Charlie Watkins, Chief Customer Service Representative Mandy Holy, Customer Service Representative Rashell Ward, Customer Service Representative Susan Conley, Customer Service Representative Jakiebeth Ben, Customer Service Representative Michael Cawley, Customer Service Representative


meter services Cindy Cockburn, AMR Systems Coordinator Brenda Saxon, Connects/Disconnects Rick Sheppard, Meter Technician


new services Jodie Miller, New Services Representative Wendy McCarley, New Services Assistant


accounting Julie Guazdausky, Assistant Accountant


engineering Allen Littlejohn, Field Staking Technician Chris Alexander, Field Staking Technician


dispatching services Heather Ziverk, Dispatcher John Cook, Operations & Engineering Clerk


public relations/member relations (Includes Newsletter, Co-op Connections, Exede Internet, Energy Rebates, Safety, Youth and Operation Roundup) Todd Minshall, MR-PR Director


Kiamichi Electric headquarters in Wilburton may be too expensive to remodel to meet safety standards. Light Post | march-april 2013 | 3


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