A publication for West Florida Electric Cooperative employees & trustees February/March 2018
WFEC News: Congratulations to Crystal Hood, Marketing Coordinator in the Graceville office was the January Top Health Quiz winner! She won $100 for completing her quiz and returning it to Donnie Worley by the deadline. Freddy Wood, Shop Leader, Graceville was the February winner. Don’t forget to complete your quiz and turn it in for your chance to win! WFEC’s customer satisfaction scores among new members and service order applicants are at their highest mark in 10 years at 87% and 88% respectively. A survey including customer satisfaction questions is sent to each new member applicant as well as members who had specific work done through a service order request. Survey results and reports for the 2017 year revealed the increase in customer satisfaction. Ty Peel, VP, Engineering & Operations recently received his Management Internship Program Certificate (MIP) a the Fluno Center for Executive Education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The Robert I. Kabat Management Internship Program (MIP) is a comprehensive, six-week program, broken into three two-week units, that provides in-depth analysis of the functions and processes of co-op management. More importantly, it emphasizes practical applications of these competencies. This executive training facility offers business leaders and corporate teams a dynamic learning experience in a world-class environment. The Management Internship Program Certificate (MIP) is earned by completing all three units (Unit A, Unit B, Unit C) and completing and presenting the results of a personal project that applies some of the MIP classroom experience to issues at a cooperative. Learning objectives include: developing understanding and skills across multiple functional areas within the co-op and an appreciation for how the work of each area impacts the functioning of the entire organization; gaining exposure to key roles and responsibilities associated with executive level leadership; gaining an appreciation for their leadership and management style, strengths and weaknesses and fostering a more strategic view of critical cooperative needs for delivering high value utilizing a comprehensive planning framework. Line crews in the Sneads office were praised by member, Willie Nix, who called to commend the men that came out to his location and for fixing the problem with his meter. He was very thankful and appreciated how quickly they responded and wanted to thank them.
WFEC News (continued): The co-op also received the following message on our Facebook page recognizing Tracey Crutchfield: I would like to recognize an employee of West Florida Electric, Mr. Tracy Crutchfield. Early Tuesday morning we had some cows get out of a pasture and on to the highway. While I was calling for assistance Mr. Crutchfield passed by. He took it upon himself to stop, herd the cows off the road and close the gate to contain them before any harm could come to them or others. His assistance was deeply appreciated and I would like for you to know this. You should be proud of your employee! The Sneads office partnered with Altha High School’s Culinary Program and donated items to the Back Pack Program for Altha School, back over the holidays. The Graceville office donated 53 pounds of food to the pantry in Washington County over the holidays. Bonifay district employees are “IN” - the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce has launched a new campaign, “I’m In” to drum up excitement about supporting local businesses while boosting chamber membership. Currently, only 30 of Holmes County’s 848 businesses are members of the chamber of commerce. Holmes County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Rebecca Prince says the program will help emphasize the networking opportunities provided through chamber membership. Donald Hatcher, Bonifay district E&O Manager, currently serves on the Holmes County Chamber board. The Bonifay district hosted a retirement reception for Anthony Register, Thursday, February 1, 2017. Several employees and guests were present to wish him a long and happy retirement. Register stated he had been blessed to have worked for WFEC and he is going home to enjoy his family while he still has all of his faculties. He encouraged the linemen attending the reception to work safe so they can do the same. He retires after 36 years and 11 months of service with WFEC.
WFEC has four tickets for the upcoming performance of On Golden Pond at the Spanish Trail Playhouse in Chipley. The play, written by Earnest Thompson and directed by Kevin Russell will take the stage March 9-11, 2018. Show times are 7:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. This is the love story of Ethel and Norman Thayer, who are returning to their summer home on Golden Pond for the forty-eighth year. He is a retired professor, nearing eighty, with heart palpitations and a failing memory—but still as tart-tongued, observant and eager for life as ever. Ethel, ten years younger, and the perfect foil for Norman, delights in all the small things that have enriched and continue to enrich their long life together. They are visited by their divorced, middle-aged daughter and her dentist fiancé, who then go off to Europe, leaving his teenage son behind for the summer. The boy quickly becomes the “grandchild” the elderly couple have longed for, and as Norman revels in taking his ward fishing and thrusting good books at him, he also learns some lessons about modern teenage awareness—and slang—in return. In the end, as the summer wanes, so does their brief idyll, and in the final, deeply moving moments of the play, Norman and Ethel are brought even closer together by the incidence of a mild heart attack. Time, they know, is now against them, but the years have been good and, perhaps, another summer on Golden Pond still awaits. Presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York. If you are interested in attending this show, please contact Candace Croft for more details. Tickets will be given to employees on a first-come, first-serve basis. Limit of 2 tickets per employee for this show. The co-op will also have tickets for three additional shows at Spanish Trail Playhouse this year. For info on upcoming shows, visit www.spanishtrailplayhouse.com. Tickets for those shows will be made available to employees as they become available.
WFEC Employee News: Lee Dunaway achieves dream of owning Paramore’s Pharmacy and Gifts Paramore’s Pharmacy and Gifts is the oldest pharmacy in Marianna, established in 1958 and celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. How fitting that a Marianna native is taking over as the new owner. Lee Dunaway is a 1996 graduate of Marianna High School, a 1998 graduate of Chipola College and a 2002 graduate of the University of Florida School of Pharmacy. He is married to Emily Goff Dunaway and they have two children, Julian, who is six years old and Vivian who is four years old. Lee worked for a chain drug store for 16 years prior to returning home to Marianna and in July 2016, he began working as a pharmacist at Paramore’s Pharmacy and Gifts and knew that is where he wanted to be. Dunaway worked at two other local pharmacies while in school and interning. He worked for Lucien Watson at Watson’s Pharmacy in high school and learned about the profession first hand from one of the best. He returned to Marianna for his internship at Kelson Drugs under Virgil Watson and Cleburne Tew. That solidified Lee’s dream of owning his own pharmacy one day. He says he plans to keep everything status quo as he takes over ownership of Paramore’s Pharmacy. They currently offer medication synchronization, allowing one trip to the pharmacy per month or every three months if you are filling a 90-day supply. This eliminates the confusion of what medicines are filled what week of the month. They will continue offering free delivery in Marianna and surrounding areas as they have always done. Lee says they will strive to keep a very minimal wait time, that rarely exceeds 15 minutes, with as many as 10 prescriptions being filled. They can also assist patients in choosing Medicare Drug plans and can run a plan comparison report for their customers. They also offer drive through services, eliminating the necessity of getting out of your car in inclement weather. Lee is the son of WFEC EVP & CEO, Russell Dunaway.
Willie Earl Paramore in front of his original drug store (left). Lee and Emily Dunaway, Julian and Vivian (right).
WFEC Employee News: Callie Sanders, daughter of Jennifer Sanders, has started playing softball for the year at Bethlehem. She plays the catcher position for the middle school and Jr Varsity teams. Her mother is very proud of her. The team has won 3 games so far and lost one.
Austin Whitehead, grandson of Susie and Tommy Johnson, was one of three Cottonwood High School Varsity Football Seniors chosen for the Wiregrass Athletic Conference (WAC) All Conference Football Team. Players are nominated by their high school’s coaching staff and those nominations are submitted along with each nominee’s game film highlights and stats. Head coaches from high schools in the conference review each nominee and those players receiving the most votes are chosen for the All WAC football team. Pictured below with Austin are his teammates Ben McCardle (#9) and Roderick Petty (#33). Also, Laura Bond, granddaughter of Susie and Tommy Johnson, recently tried out for JV Cheerleader at Cottonwood High School and made the team - she is in the 7th grade there.
Lights. Heat/AC. Clean Clothes. Internet.
Remember to #ThankALineman
2018 Lineman Appreciation Day Luncheon will take place on Wednesday, April 18 at Rivertown Community Church in Marianna. Stay tuned for times and more details.
Lineman Appreciation Day April 18, 2018
Brought to you by your local electric lineworkers.
2018 Youth Tour Winners & Scholarship Recipients Announced: Holmes County High School junior, Bailey Rich and Altha School junior, Anna Alday were named West Florida Electric’s Youth Tour competition winners on Tuesday, February 20. Elizabeth Carnley of Malone was named the alternate. These two students will represent WFEC on the National Rural Electric Youth Tour June 9-14, traveling to Washington, D.C. with over 30 other Florida students to join over 1,600 high school juniors representing co-ops from across the country. Thirteen area students participated in the Youth Tour program this year. They were: Anna Alday, Altha School; Haley Mitchell, Bethlehem School; Samera Baker, Blountstown High School; Emily Broom, Chipley High School; Lilly Ball, Cottondale High School; Aliyah Wilburn, Graceville High School; Bailey Rich, Holmes County High School; Elizabeth Carnley, Malone School; Jonah Mercer, Marianna High School; Zach Prescott, Ponce De Leon High School; Reagan Joiner, Poplar Springs School; Georgia Cloud, Sneads High School and Lana Bush, Vernon High School. 2018 Youth Tour participants were: (front row: l-r) Elizabeth Carnley, Malone School; Haley Mitchell, Bethlehem School; Lana Bush, Vernon HS; Georgia Cloud, Sneads HS; Samera Baker, Blountstown HS; Lilly Ball, Cottondale HS; (back row: l-r) Emily Broom, Chipley HS; Jonah Mercer, Marianna HS; Bailey Rich, Holmes Co. HS; Zach Prescott, Ponce De Leon HS; Anna Alday, Altha School & Aliyah Wilburn, Graceville HS. Not pictured, Reagan Joiner, Poplar Springs School.
The cooperative’s Board of Trustees created a scholarship program linked to Youth Tour participation. Each year, a scholarship of $4,000 to Chipola College is awarded to the highest scoring participant from each county. Participants are ranked on a scale of 100 points using a panel interview process and the following categories: Communication Skills, Knowledge of Subject, Personality, Community Service and Poise/Appearance. Those scholarship recipients were: Anna Alday, Calhoun County; Bailey Rich, Holmes County; Elizabeth Carnley, Jackson County and Emily Broom, Washington County. The Washington, D.C. Youth Tour Program has been in existence since 1957 when co-ops sent students to Washington, D.C. to work during the summer. By 1964, the program caught on, and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) began to coordinate the efforts of the co-ops. Since then, thousands of young people have experienced this opportunity. WFEC has participated in the Youth Tour since 1979, sending two students to Washington, D.C. each year since.
2018 Youth Tour Scholarship winners: (front: l-r) Washington County winner, Emily Broom, Chipley HS; Jackson County winner, Elizabeth Carnley, Malone School & Holmes County winner, Bailey Rich, Holmes Co. HS with WFEC's Board of Trustees: (back l-r) George Clayton Owens, Randy Bush, John Adams, Myron Hudson, Tim Alford, A.C. Miles & Joe Rone. Not pictured, Calhoun County winner, Anna Alday, Altha School. (pictured below) Remember, that the children and grandchildren of employees and members of the board of trustees are eligible to compete in a separate essay contest sponsored by FECA each year to win a FREE trip to Washington, D.C. The only requirement is that they are a high school junior. So, if you have a child or grandchild who will be in the 11th grade next school year, see Candace Croft for details.
The Calhoun County 2018 YT Scholarship winner, Anna Alday, Altha School with Terry Mullen, WFEC Manager of Marketing & Communications. Alday will also travel to Washington, D.C. this summer to represent WFEC on the National Youth Tour.
February Birthdays (Belated):
Feb. 2: Wayne Williams Feb. 7: Josh Brown Feb. 7: Mike Birge Feb. 11: Joey Landry & Tiffany Treadway Feb. 17: Freddy Wood Feb. 24: Faye Peel & Katie Herrington
March Birthdays:
March 4: Donnie Worley March 5: Kevin Nelson & Candace Croft March 21: Josh Schwegler March 22: Josh Rabon March 28: Will Melton March 29: Helen Davis March 30: Brent Miller
February Service Anniversaries (Belated): Donnie Worley, 38 years Bob McDaniel, 34 years Wayne Williams, 31 years Randy Weeks, 30 years Will Melton, 30 years Theo Hobbs, 30 years Mike Birge, 30 years Tony Day, 30 years Shannon Holton, 19 years Darrell Crell, 18 years Wes King, 6 years Sheridan Golden, 2 years Tawana Bowers, 2 years Janet Watson, 2 years
March Service Anniversaries Brent Miller, 35 years Shane Rustin, 29 years Trey Burrell, 6 years Holley Brown, 3 years