CURRENT LIGHT
FLASHES JUNE 2026 | VOL. 76 NO. 6 | www.westflorida.coop Alford Recognized for Service as Board President West Florida Electric Cooperative’s (WFEC) Board of Trustees recently recognized outgoing Board President, Tim Alford, for his years of dedicated service and leadership. Alford was first appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2017, and has been re-elected to serve its members several times. He’s played an integral role in guiding the cooperative, including serving the past two years as board president. 61406004 Alford has provided steady leadership, thoughtful direction and a strong commitment to the cooperative’s mission. As board president, he worked closely with fellow trustees and WFEC leadership
to ensure the cooperative remained focused on delivering reliable, affordable electricity while meeting the changing needs of its members. Alford’s responsibilities as board president included presiding over board meetings, helping set the strategic goals and direction of the cooperative, and fostering collaboration among the trustees and co-op staff. Serving as a key liaison between the board and executive leadership, he ensured that decisions were made with transparency and in the best interest of the membership. His role also required a deep understanding of continued on page 2
I nside Page 2: Medley Joins Board as District 8 Trustee Page 3: WFEC Hosts 88th Annual Meeting Page 4: Apprentices Complete Program Milestone Page 4: Energy Efficiency Tip
ROW U pdate WFEC Right-of-Way Crews will be cutting & trimming in the following area(s) during
JUNE: Pittman and Hwy. 81 areas When ROW crews are trimming in your area, there may be several days between ROW cutting & clean-up crews due to inclement weather, equipment failure, or other unforeseen circumstances.
Spot your WFEC account number & earn a $25 bill credit! Tim Alford (left) was presented with a token of appreciation for his service as President of West Florida Electric’s Board of Trustees by incoming Board President, David Tatum (right).
Find your account number inside the articles in this publication and give us a call or send an email to clf@westflorida.coop with your name and account number to verify.
the electric cooperative business model and a steadfast commitment to upholding the cooperative’s core values. This level of board service requires a significant time commitment including additional training and continuing education. The role of president also requires a strong leader with a willingness to learn new skills and expand their cooperative and board knowledge.
WFEC Board of Trustees (l-r): Tim Alford, District 1; Nathan Berry, EVP & CEO; George Clayton Owens, District 6; John Adams, District 4; David Tatum, District 1; David Corbin, District 5, Randy Bush, District 7; Jackie Pooser, District 3; Lance Medley, District 8 and Myron Hudson, District 9.
At the conclusion of his term as president, Alford was presented with a plaque by newly elected Board President David Tatum. The plaque reads: “With heartfelt appreciation for your service as President of the Board of Trustees from April 2024 to April 2026. Your unwavering commitment to West Florida Electric Cooperative, its members, and employees is to be commended. Thank you for your leadership and dedication to serving the membership with honesty, integrity, and with their best interests at heart.” WFEC extends its sincere gratitude to Tim Alford for his years of continuous board service as well as his leadership as Board President.
Medley Joins Board as District 8 Trustee Lance Medley was recently elected to the West Florida Electric Cooperative (WFEC) Board of Trustees by its membership, and he will serve a one-year term. As a dedicated member-owner of the co-op and lifelong resident of Holmes County, Medley intends to serve WFEC’s members with integrity, experience, and a strong commitment to his community. He is married to Melissa Simpson Medley of Blountstown, and together, they have three children and four grandchildren. Living and working in Holmes County, Medley understands firsthand the importance of reliable, affordable electric service for local families, farmers, and small businesses. He values the cooperative model and believes decisions should always reflect the needs and priorities of the member-owners.
He has been employed at Arnold Lumber Company for 35 years, where he currently serves as Mill Manager. In this leadership role, he oversees daily operations, manages personnel, and ensures efficiency, safety, and responsible financial management. His handson management experience has equipped him with practical knowledge in budgeting, strategic planning, and operational oversight skills directly relevant to serving effectively on the cooperative’s board. 87262006 Medley earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology with a minor in sociology from Florida A&M University. His education has served to strengthen his understanding of leadership, organizational structure, and
2 • Current Light Flashes • June 2026 • Toll Free Outage Hotline: 844.OUTAGE1 (844.688.2431)
Lance Medley
community engagement. Over the past ten years, Medley served as a member of the Holmes County Development Commission, working to promote economic growth and sustainable development throughout the county. He is also an active member of Northside Assembly of God, where his faith and dedication to service continue to guide his leadership.
West Florida Electric Cooperative Hosts 88th Annual Meeting West Florida Electric Cooperative welcomed members on Saturday, April 25, for its 88th annual meeting. Members were treated to a homemade pancake breakfast with sausage and bacon, making a great start to the day. The event also featured musical entertainment from Leah Pettis. Throughout the day, attendees had the opportunity to watch safety demonstrations presented by neighboring co-op, Gulf Coast Electric. These exhibitions highlighted the importance of electrical safety and gave members insight into the work linemen do to keep our communities powered safely.
During the business meeting, Executive Vice President and CEO, Nathan Berry addressed the membership, sharing his gratitude and optimism as he reflected on his first nine months at WFEC. Berry spoke about the importance of the annual meeting as a time to reflect on the past accomplishments of the cooperative and look ahead to future opportunities. He also expressed his appreciation for the support shown to him and his family since stepping into his role as CEO. “I am truly blessed to be able to work with a very talented team here at West Florida. This is more than just a cooperative; it’s a family and I am
incredibly proud to now be a part of that family,” said Berry. In addition to his remarks, scholarship recipients from local schools were recognized for their achievements, underscoring the cooperative’s commitment to supporting education in the communities it serves. Election results for the Board of Trustees elections were also announced. In District 6, George Clayton Owens received 1,412 votes, Danny Exum received 1,249 votes, and Cullen Bailey received 320 votes. In District 8, Lance Medley received 1,561 votes, Jack Faircloth received 752 votes and Danielle Dubin received 646 votes. Members also voted to approve the minutes from the 2025 annual meeting with 2,661 votes in favor and 86 opposed. 98780002 Theresa Johnson of Grand Ridge and Richard Saliba of Alford were the $250 bill credit winners.
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WFEC offers a variety of ways to pay your monthly bills. Check out your options and decide what’s best for you. 3 • Current Light Flashes • June 2026 • Toll Free Outage Hotline: 844.OUTAGE1 (844.688.2431)
Apprentices Complete Program Milestone West Florida Electric Cooperative apprentice linemen, Karl McClamma and Josh Carr have completed all of the bookwork required for their apprenticeship program, a crucial part of their training. 107313001
WFEC Board of Trustees
DAVID TATUM
TIM ALFORD
JACKIE POOSER
JOHN ADAMS
DAVID CORBIN
GEORGE C. OWENS
RANDY BUSH
LANCE MEDLEY
MYRON HUDSON
NATHAN BERRY
District 1/President
The apprenticeship Congratulations to Karl McClamma (left) and Josh Carr (right), who have completed all of the bookwork required for their apprenticeship program. program is designed to combine classroom developing the technical skills and instruction with handssafety practices necessary for workon experience. While completing ing in the field. the academic portion is a major achievement, it represents one part Typically, apprenticeship programs of the broader training required. require 8,000 hours of on-the-job Apprentice linemen must also training, which generally takes about complete thousands of hours of onfour years to complete. During this the-job training under the supervision time, apprentices gain valuable of experienced journeymen. This experience in a wide range of tasks, real-world experience allows including constructing and mainapprentices to apply what they’ve taining power lines, troubleshooting learned in the classroom while outages, and working safely.
District 3/Treasurer
District 5/Vice President
District 7
District 2
District 4
District 6
District 8
Efficiency Tip of the Month: During warm summer months, a smart thermostat can keep your home comfortable while reducing cooling costs. Smart thermostats learn your routine and automatically raise the temperature when you’re away and cool things down before you return, avoiding unnecessary energy use. You can also adjust settings remotely from your phone, so you’re never cooling an empty house. Setting your thermostat a few degrees higher while you’re away or asleep can lead to significant savings. Many smart thermostats provide reports and tips, helping you finetune your energy use and stay cool while keeping your electric bill in check.
R ecipe of the M onth Mama’s Sweet Pickle Recipe Submitted by: Faye Clark Submit your event by email clf@westflorida.coop. Visit the link below to view a list of events. Find this recipe and more: www.westflorida.coop/recipes 4 • Current Light Flashes • June 2026 • Toll Free Outage Hotline: 844.OUTAGE1 (844.688.2431)
District 9/Secretary
Executive VP & CEO
Notifications Statement: Notice is hereby given that the West Florida Electric Cooperative Association, Inc., Board of Trustees regularly meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 1:00 PM, unless special circumstances warrant a change. If a change is warranted, it could include changing the time or date of the meetings. It is best to verify the details by calling (800) 342-7400. If you would like to address the Board of Trustees, please consult Board Policy 114 (located on the co-op website).
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