DUNCAN’S DIGEST

MOVE OVER SANTA CLAUS

SECO Energy employees are here to fill the sleigh with toys collected for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. As a Marine myself, Toys for Tots is particularly special to me. Our employees have also embraced Toys for Tots because they know the organization is delivering Christmas morning happiness to children in our local communities.

Toys for Tots plays Santa for thousands of less-fortunate children. Toy donation boxes were made available in all Member Service Centers through early December for employees and members alike to donate new, unwrapped toys to this worthy cause.

The collected toys remain right here in our local communities to be distributed to local children. Hundreds of employees and members displayed their Christmas spirit by dropping a toy or two into the Toys for Tots collection box. The number of new bikes donated by our employees this year is definitely a record-setter. For thousands of children, the donated toys are the only gifts waiting for them under the Christmas tree.

I believe Charles Schulz of Peanuts fame said it best, “Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.” Many of our employees and members do a little extra for others by contributing to Toys for Tots every year. I thank you all for your generosity and willingness to give.

From the SECO family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Jim Duncan

Chief Executive Officer

Meet SECO Champions Kathy and Kurt – two examples of our 400+ SECO Champion employees. Kathy and Kurt are dedicated to providing exceptional service to members, co-workers and communities.

KATHY POSSO – MEMBER SERVICES SUPERVISOR

LENGTH OF SERVICE – 4 YEARS

“We’re here for members.”

Member Services Supervisor Kathy Posso is a SECO Champion who is a friendly face assisting members in our Sumterville Member Service Center. In 2005, Kathy’s family moved to Central Florida, and she joined the SECO team in 2014. In 2017 during Hurricane Irma restoration, Kathy was especially humbled by members’ stories of devastation after the storm. Kathy’s passion is helping members. She recalls a time when a member who recently lost a spouse was grateful when she took extra time to help him read and understand the bill and complete a payment. Kathy and her husband are leaders at their church. Kathy’s family is proud that she works for SECO Energy, a cooperative that believes in putting members first and also appreciates and recognizes its employees.

KURT CAMPBELL – R&D TECHNICIAN

LENGTH OF SERVICE – 14 YEARS

“My family is proud.”

SECO Champion Kurt Campbell is an R&D Technician working throughout Sumter, Lake and Citrus Counties performing meter work to ensure accurate account billing. During Hurricane Irma restoration in 2017, Kurt worked with the warehouse team transporting supplies to crews restoring power in the field. Kurt interacts with members every day and is grateful that he was on-hand during several emergency situations. While waiting for emergency personnel, Kurt comforted a member whose husband suffered a stroke. He has also helped members with vehicle trouble. Kurt was born and raised in Sumter County and lives with his family in Coleman. Kurt says his family is glad to know that he is part of the effort to restore power to SECO members after a hurricane or major storm.

UNITED WAY

SECO Energy employees are truly blessed with a giving spirit. Our 2019 United Way Pledge Drive was an overwhelming success. Employees pledged over $66,000 to United Way – a $13,000 or 25 percent increase from last year.

The pledges will make a big difference in the lives of those in need in our service territory. SECO’s 400+ employees live in or near the counties we serve, and employees are able to choose the county where their donated dollars will benefit.

Citrus, Lake, Marion and Sumter Counties are the four counties in our service area with the highest member count. The majority of our employees live and work in these four counties as well.

United Way’s mission is to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities around the world to advance the common good. Education, income and health are the United Way’s key focuses. Visit United Way online to find a local branch, register to volunteer or to donate.

Donate your extra pennies to help your fellow SECO Energy members in need or to support worthy causes right here in our service territory. Enroll in Pennies from Heaven to have your monthly bill automatically rounded up to the nearest dollar. The donated pennies provide financial assistance through the Angel Fund.

Angel Funds are used to provide bill payment assistance to members, help those in dire and unique circumstances or support other worthy causes in the counties we serve. Requests for Angel Fund assistance are administered through several local agencies by calling 2-1-1.

LENDING A HAND IN NORTH FLORIDA

On October 10, 2018, Category 4 Hurricane Michael blazed a deadly path through North Florida, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Destructive and deadly, Michael left 400,000 Floridians without power for weeks.

The day after Hurricane Michael, a team of SECO employees voluntarily packed their bags, leaving their families to help our cooperative neighbors’ restoration efforts.

Initially, the module traveled to Tri-County Electric in Madison before trekking to Talquin Electric Cooperative near Tallahassee. Additional line techs and warehouse personnel joined the module, and some returned home while additional employees accompanied the group as it traveled to assist Gulf Coast Electric in Wewahitchka.

SECO is very proud of our employees’ willingness to assist our cooperative neighbors. 53 SECO employees (named below) worked an almost four-week restoration effort assisting three cooperatives restoring power to thousands.

YOU ARE HEROES!

Read the full December 2018 SECO News online.