Baldwin EMC Holds 2009 Annual Meeting
Friday, December 11, 2009
Baldwin EMC held its 2009 Annual Meeting on Friday, Dec. 11 at the company’s headquarters office in Summerdale. The meeting was marked by member voting, Board of Trustee elections and a few significant announcements about the future of the cooperative.
Baldwin EMC Board President and District 6 Trustee Peggy Vanover along with District 2 Trustee Joe Coleman, who both ran unopposed, were reelected to their respective positions on the Board. The District 4 Trustee position came down to a race between incumbent Tommie Werneth and challenger Iris Ethridge. Tommie Werneth, who has served on the Board for the past 13 years, was reelected to serve another three year term to represent District 4.
Board members representing the four other districts, Tom Bradley, Jack Taylor, Aubrey Fuller, and Jimmy LaFoy were all in attendance and introduced.
Both Vanover and Baldwin EMC Chief Executive Officer E.A. “Bucky” Jakins, Jr., addressed the members in attendance at the meeting. Vanover encouraged members to have confidence in the leadership at the cooperative, even during uncertain economic times, and praised the hard work of the company’s nearly 200 employees.
During his address, Jakins talked about the future of power cost and delivered some good news to members about their 2010 power bills. Jakins said that due to significant decreases in the cost of coal and natural gas, Baldwin EMC members should see, on average, a 6.5 percent decrease on their power bills as compared to 2009. Jakins explained that figure , which equates to approximately $9.69, was calculated based on an average Baldwin EMC member, and the number would change based on each members’ typical power usage.
Members were also treated to live entertainment from popular local bluegrass band The Wayfarers, along with door prizes and giveaways. Baldwin EMC representatives also manned booths offering information about energy efficiency along with some of the cooperative’s current programs and services.