May 2026 Country Living

country living

FOR MEMBERS OF EAST CENTRAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

My Co-op Is...

Inviting members in Districts 1, 3, and 6 to participate in their District Meetings on Thursday, May 14.

District 1, 3 & 6 Meetings

Thursday, May 14 - 6:30 p.m.

East Central Electric Cooperative Multipurpose Center

2001 S. Wood Drive, Okmulgee

District Prizes:

The first 50 members who register in person for each district will receive a $10 bill credit. Every member in attendance will also be entered into a per-district drawing for:

1 - $100 Bill Credit

1 - Three free months of 1GB ecoLINK service

2 - Gifts valued at $50

3 - One free month of 1GB ecoLINK service

Official Notices:

If you live in Districts 1, 3 or 6, look for your Official Notice in the mail the week of May 4.

Save the Date: This all leads up to our favorite day of the year. Join us for our co-op wide Annual Meeting, Wednesday, June 24.

Honoring Decades of Leadership and Service

Trustee Max Shoemake Retires

FOLLOWING 23 YEARS OF BOARD SERVICE

What changes have you seen at the cooperative and in the electric industry during your service?

There has been a lot of growth in the number of East Central Electric Members from new housing additions, and an increase in the number of employees as well.

What accomplishments are you most proud of from your time on the board?

We built our new headquarters, we got a new logo, we started ecoLINK, and we created the Operation Round Up program, which has been a huge benefit to our members and communities.

Which responsibility did you take most seriously?

Members are always first. It starts with how we work together as a board, with cooperation and respect. Making sure office workers and the linemen have the equipment they need for their jobs ensures their safety and that members are well taken care of.

What has serving members meant to you?

I felt it was a responsibility and privilege to ensure members have reliable service and outages are restored as quickly as possible.

What words of wisdom do you have for the next District 3 Trustee?

Be yourself, be honest, be dependable. Work well with the manager, the board of trustees, and the employees, to always put members first.

Trustee Larry Harvey Retires

FOLLOWING 18 YEARS OF BOARD SERVICE

What changes have you seen at the cooperative and in the electric industry during your service?

I have seen East Central grow 17% in the number of homes and businesses we serve, increasing our employees. Demand for electricity has also increased, requiring our G&Ts to utilize a variety of energy sources including solar, wind, natural gas and coal to maintain a reliable grid.

What accomplishments are you most proud of from your time on the board?

Providing reliable ecoLINK fiber to our members in five years is an accomplishment I am proud to have played a part in. This fulfilled a need during COVID when many were isolated at home and required reliable communication.

Which responsibility did you take most seriously?

During my tenure, the greatest responsibility was hiring a new CEO for East Central Electric. Ensuring the cooperative remained financially sound was constant, and it was important we identify someone who would lead with cooperative values.

What has serving members meant to you?

Serving as a trustee has allowed me to help ensure safe, reliable electricity for our members. It has been important not only to represent my district but also to serve on the OAEC board.

What words of wisdom do you have for the next District 1 Trustee?

Serving as a trustee is not just a once-a-month meeting. You will spend time educating yourself, researching, and studying the cooperative model and its relationship to East Central Electric. It will be your responsibility to learn about the industry and share with those you serve.

notes from the chair

Working with Great Men

By Lowell Hobbs, President, East Central Electric Cooperative Board of Trustees

Serving with Max Shoemake and Larry Harvey is one of my life’s blessings. Luther Shoemake, Max’s dad, served ECE for 33 years, many as chairman of the board. When Luther retired, Max was appointed to represent the ECE district of the Morris area and has done so for 23 years. He also represented us on both Oklahoma Statewide Board and Western Farmers Electric Board for several years.

Max was active in Morris FFA, recognized as a Chapter Star Farmer, and Jr Master Farmer at State level. He still is an active supporter of the activities of Morris schools where his brother Don served as superintendent. His father Luther, and brothers Don and Jerry all served multiple years on the M&L Rural Water Board with me. Jerry was elected as State Representative and was Superintendent of Equine dept at the Tulsa State Fair. Max’s wife Phyllis is there supporting him in all his endeavors. The Shoemake dairy was in business for 60 years. I do not look forward to being without him but thank you Max and Phyllis for your long-term service and positive influence.

Larry Harvey, second only to my dad, Earl Hobbs, was the best VoAg teacher in the state of Oklahoma in my opinion. Even more unusual, Larry’s wife Helen also taught school at Beggs. She has retired and has been a constant support for Larry at ECE.

The “unusual” mention is because as my dad taught VoAg at Cleveland, OK, my mother taught school too. One of Larry’s former students, Jim Hall, is currently on the Board and up for election this year. Larry’s family has been a foundation family at Beggs. My mother wrote in her book about moving to Beggs as a young girl and mentioned the Harvey family store and the good people they were. Larry and Helen’s kids have family on their ranch and are active in the community. Larry represents ECE on the OAEC Board, his departure will leave a void at OAEC and ECE.

I do feel confident someone will adequately fill the shoes of Max and Larry. It will be a challenge for whoever does, but I look forward to welcoming the next new Board members.

Represent Your Cooperative

TRUSTEE QUALIFICATIONS AND FILING PERIOD

Trustee elections for Districts 1, 3 and 6 will take place at the 2026 Annual Membership Meeting to be held Wednesday, June 24. Eligible members residing in Districts 1, 3 and 6 may serve as a Cooperative Trustee for a term of three years, if elected.

ECOEC Bylaws, Article IV, Section 3 - Qualifications

A. No person shall become or remain a Trustee of the Cooperative who:

i. has not been a member continuously for the previous five (5) years; or

ii. ceases to be a member of the Cooperative after election as a Trustee; or

iii. does not receive electric service from the Cooperative at the Trustee’s primary, permanent residence in the Trustee District from which the Trustee is elected or appointed; or

iv. is in any way employed or financially interested in any manner in an enterprise or a business competing with the Cooperative or its subsidiaries or which sells or provides services or supplies to the Cooperative or its subsidiaries; or

v. is the incumbent of or becomes a candidate for an elected public office which pays a salary or provides compensation in excess of $1000.00 per year; or

vi. has been convicted of a felony or who has pled guilty, no contest or nolo contendere to a felony, whether such plea results in a conviction or not; or

vii. is or becomes or was an employee of the Cooperative or of a subsidiary of the Cooperative or a labor union which represents or has endeavored to represent an employee of the Cooperative or its subsidiaries within the previous five (5) years; or

viii. is or becomes a “close relative” of another Trustee, or of a current employee of the Cooperative, or of a person who was an employee of the Cooperative within the previous five (5) years. A “close relative” is a person who is related to the Trustee, by consanguinity (blood) or affinity (marriage), to the third degree such as a spouse, child, grandchild, great grandchild, parent, grandparent, great grandparent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, nephew, or niece by blood or marriage and also any person who resides with the Trustee.

Filing Period: May 11 - 21, 2026

Any interested member may pick up a candidate packet from the Cooperative during the filing period and gather the 15 member signatures required to be a nominee for the board seat. For details, contact gtrammell@ecoec.com.

“My co-op is important to me because we have a board who fights for us to keep rates as low as possible. Especially matters as we as senior citizens are living on a budget. If you as a board didn’t consider all the pros and cons, a lot of us senior citizens would be looking for part-time jobs. Thank you!”

- VONNA LAMPKINS, MEMBER OF 54 YEARS

ELECTRICAL SAFETY

TIP OF THE MONTH

You can help Mom this Mother’s Day by not overloading the electrical sockets and extension cords in your home. Plugging too many appliances or devices into a single outlet can cause overheating and increase fire risk.

SOURCE: SAFEELECTRICITY.ORG