Baldwin EMC held its 2023 Annual Meeting at its Summerdale headquarters on Friday, November 3. The meeting included voting in elections for trustees and a bylaw revision.
Robert Kaiser was re-elected to another term representing District 5 and Carolyn Doughty was re-elected to serve as the representative for District 7 on Baldwin EMC’s Board of Trustees, and the proposed bylaw revision passed. There were 16,898 members who 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.
Robert Kaiser of Foley has served on the Baldwin EMC Board of Trustees since 2011. Since his election to the Board, he has earned the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Credentialed Cooperative Director Certificate, NRECA Board Leadership Certificate and the Director Gold Certificate. He holds a degree in electronics technology from Southwest State Technical College. Kaiser began his career with the Boeing Company working in engineering. 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. He is married to Dianne Epperson Kaiser and has three sons, six granddaughters and two grandsons. He is a member of Gideon’s International and a member and deacon at Vernant Park Baptist Church.
Carolyn Doughty of Gulf Shores has served on Baldwin EMC’s Board of Trustees since September 2022 and has earned the Credentialed Cooperative Director certification by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Doughty earned a BS Degree in Microbiology at the University of Alabama and worked as a Medical Technologist in Birmingham and Columbiana. In 1979, she moved to Gulf Shores where she worked with Dr. Sam Roberts and Dr. Tom Norton, and joined Meyer Real Estate. During her 44 years as a REALTOR® with Meyer Real Estate, she’s earned many professional designations and was awarded the Baldwin REALTOR® of the Year Award, the National Association of REALTOR’S® REALTOR® Emeritus Award and the Baldwin REALTOR® Lifetime Achievement Award. Doughty served on the Gulf Shores Planning Commission for 12 years before being appointed to the Gulf Shores City Council in 2001, where she served for 15 years, with the last 12 years as Mayor Pro Tempore.
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 elected to serve another term as president, Tommie Werneth was once again chosen to serve as vice president and Joe Coleman was elected to serve another term as secretary/treasurer.
