Baldwin EMC held its 2017 Annual Meeting on Friday, November 3. The meeting included voting in elections for trustees and bylaw revisions.
Robert J. Kaiser of Foley was re-elected to another term representing District 5 and Jimmy A. LaFoy of Gulf Shores was re-elected to serve as the representative for District 7 on Baldwin EMC’s board. Bylaw changes were also approved by the membership. More than 17,000 members voted either in person or by mail in this year’s election. The Annual Meeting also included special addresses from Board President Peggy Vanover Barnes and Chief Executive Officer Karen Moore.
Kaiser has served on the Board of Trustees for six years and has earned the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) Credentialed Cooperative Director Certificate and NRECA Board Leadership Certificate. He graduated from Foley High School and worked five years at farming while attending Southwest State Technical College, where he received his degree in electronics technology. Kaiser began his career working in engineering for the Boeing Company. He then worked as a Broadcast Engineer and earned a first-class radiotelephone license from The Federal Communications Commission. In 1978, he joined Alabama Power Company at Barry Steam Plant as a control technician, instructor and manager of outside contractors. In 1990, Kaiser retired from the power company. In 1993, he joined Gulf Telephone Company as a telephone engineer. Kaiser is married to Dianne Epperson Kaiser and has three sons, six granddaughters and one great grandson. He is a member of Vernant Park Baptist Church, a deacon and member of several other committees. He is also a member of the Gideon’s International.
LaFoy has served on Baldwin EMC’s Board of Trustees since 2009 and has been named a Credentialed Cooperative Director by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). He has also earned the NRECA Board Leadership Certificate. LaFoy holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce and business administration with a major in accounting from the University of Alabama. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has owned and operated an accounting practice for many years. His office is located in Gulf Shores, Alabama, where he has conducted business and been a permanent resident for the past 15 years. LaFoy serves on the Board of Directors of Southern States Bank of Anniston, Alabama. He is a member of the Alabama Society of Certified Accountants, and served a term as president; the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and served on the national council for four years; and the Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation for the past three years. LaFoy is married to Shirley Bradford LaFoy, and has two children and four grandchildren. He attends and is a member of First United Methodist Church of Gulf Shores.
Immediately following the Annual Meeting, Baldwin EMC’s board of trustees held a re-organizational meeting to select board officers for the upcoming year. Peggy Vanover Barnes was re-elected to serve as president, Tommie Werneth was once again chosen to serve as vice president and Jimmy LaFoy was re-elected to serve as secretary/treasurer.