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Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative

Celebrates 75th Annual Meeting

Members of Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative celebrated a milestone this month when they convened for the co-op's 75th annual meeting.

A crowd of approximately 1,800 members and guests were treated to a morning of fun and informative displays, opportunities to win prizes, music from the Wayfarers and lunch.

Just prior to the noon start of the business meeting, a special 75th annual meeting video was shown. The video featured a history of the cooperative along with first-hand accounts from members about the days when electricity was brought to their homes. During the course of the business meeting, nearly 50 members in attendance were recognized for remember "when the lights came on" and presented with a special memento.

Board president Ed Bay told members that even with the recent slowdown, the cooperative has seen 10 percent growth in the last 10 years. "That tells me that people prefer to live in the country, even in today's economy," he said. Bay commented on the cooperative's safety record. "Safety is our first priority,' he said. "In 2011, we had zero lost-time injuries. "Service is second only to safety," he added.

Bay noted the cooperative takes steps to provide reliable electric service and, to help improve reliability, spent $1.4 million in 2011 on substation improvements. The cooperative also has programs to help members such as offering free energy audits and selling quality water heaters at a rebated price, he said.

Bay also discussed Operation Helping Others, where participating members have their bills rounded up to the next dollar with the extra change being pooled to help out in the community which has been in existence since 1998. "You can't imagine the amount of good those few cents from each of us can do the community," Bay said.

Celebrates 75th Annual Meeting - continued

General Manager/CEO Garry Mbiad addressed his final annual meeting, as it was announced he would be retiring in the coming months. "2011 was a tough year for your cooperative, as it was for everybody in southeast Ohio," Mbiad said.

The mild winter led to decreased energy sales in the final quarter of 2011. While this was good for members' bills, it hurt the cooperative's bottom line, he said. In response to financial pressures, Mbiad discussed a variety of ways the cooperative was working to control costs. "These are not great big changes, but a lot of little changes to take the edge off your electric bill." Mbiad also noted efforts the cooperative takes to maintain reliability, including the right-of-way maintenance program to keep trees from interrupting electric service.

Members also heard from Ken Keylor, vice president of Statewide Services with the Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives. He told the meeting that Guernsey-Muskingum's wholesale power provider, Buckeye Power, is completing major environmental upgrades at its power plants. "You're power plants are going to be, probably, among the cleanest in the world," he said.

Keylor urged members to stay informed about government regulations that could affect their power bills and be supportive of their cooperative. "In order for us to reliable represent your needs, we need your voice,' he said. "Your cooperative has been advocating for rational policies. It's going to be a tough fight because there are a lot of extreme voices."

Members exercised their right to elect their representatives on the cooperative's board of directors during the meeting. Brian Hill was re-elected to serve District 1 and John Enos was re-elected to serve District 4. (In the photo above) Members also passed by nearly a 6-1 margin, an amendment to the cooperative's code of regulations allowing directors to use electronic communications devices to participate in meetings.

The achievements of the cooperative's youth were recognized during the meeting. The eight winners of the cooperative's traditional scholarship program were announced along with the winner of the Touchstone Energy Achievement Scholarship. The two selected to represent the cooperative on the upcoming Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., also were recognized.

The meeting concluded with a number of door prize drawings for appliances and energy credits. Guernsey-Muskingum serves nearly 17,000 members in Guernsey, Muskingum, Tuscarawas, Morgan, Noble, Harrison, Coshocton, Licking and Perry Counties.