According to the NRECA, the Board Leadership Certificate is a series of courses that focus on specific industry and governance issues that directly impact electric cooperatives. Participants learn more about risk management, power supply, parliamentary procedure, technology and policy development. The Board Leadership Certificate is designed to prepare directors and trustees of electric cooperatives to navigate the issues and challenges facing electric co-ops today and in the future.
A SECO member since 2004, Boyatt lives in Clermont and has represented the District 1 members on SECO Energy’s Board of Trustees for five years. Boyatt was first elected to SECO’s Board in 2013.
Trustee Boyatt stated, “The NRECA’s Director Certificate Programs provide a solid foundation of skills that are helpful in serving SECO members on SECO’s Board of Trustees. Continuing my education through the NRECA provides meaningful skills that enhance my ability to serve members’ interests. I am thankful for the opportunity to expand my knowledge of the utility industry and to put those skills into practice while representing members in District 1 and SECO’s membership at large through my years of Board service.”
CEO Jim Duncan praised Trustee Boyatt’s commitment to enhancing his education to benefit SECO members. Duncan stated, “I am proud of Trustee Boyatt for taking the next step in his Trustee education by engaging in the NRECA’s Board education program. I commend Mr. Boyatt’s willingness to serve SECO members as the District 1 Trustee and salute his commitment to our members.”
Photos and brief bios of the Trustees along with an interactive District map are available online. “Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.
SECO Energy organized a module of SECO employees to travel to the Florida Panhandle to aid in power restoration after Hurricane Michael’s 155 mph winds, torrential rains, and immense storm surges ravaged the area. SECO also released contract crews who are also traveling Thursday morning to the damaged areas to aid in restoration.
Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, on Wednesday afternoon as a powerful Category 4 hurricane with 155 mile per hour winds. The hurricane moved swiftly east through Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina before being downgraded to a tropical storm around midnight Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands of consumers are without power in Alabama, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. Michael is responsible for at least two deaths in Florida.
A module of SECO first class line technicians, a superintendent, a crew supervisor, a mechanic and a project engineer departed from the SECO Energy headquarters compound early Thursday morning to assist in power restoration at Tri-County Electric Cooperative in Madison, Florida. Tri-County serves members in Dixie, Jefferson, Madison and Taylor Counties along the Gulf of Mexico coast.
Wednesday evening, SECO released a portion of its contractor work force to aid in restoration as well. Crews from overhead line contractor Pike are traveling to West Florida Electric Cooperative in Graceville, Florida.
CEO Jim Duncan stated, “Cooperative members in North Florida desperately need assistance. Cooperation among Cooperatives is one of the seven Cooperative Principles, and SECO and its employees are honored to be called upon to aid in power restoration. The cooperative bond is strong, and we believe in working together to help our members’ lives return to normal.”
Duncan added, “My thoughts and prayers are offered for all who were devastated by Hurricane Michael and for the safety of our crews and contractors who are traveling to assist.”
Vice President of Operations John LaSelva stated, “A Category 4 hurricane like Hurricane Michael wreaks havoc on homes, businesses and electric systems that consumers rely on. The news coverage clearly shows that the hurricane’s destruction was catastrophic. SECO employees were quick to volunteer and answer the call for aid. After Hurricane Irma’s destruction in SECO’s territory last year when so many crews came to assist us, SECO employees believe they have a duty to help our neighboring cooperatives and their members. It was a proud moment this morning seeing our employees off and praying for their safety.”
SECO Traveling Module Team Members:
• Bubba Cole
• Kenneth Budd
• Rodney Lipps
• Mark Locklear
• Kenny Merritt
• Gary Zachary
• Robby Pruett
• Eric Fort
• David Olszanski
• Cory McNeal
• Kent Sprague
• Derek Eveleth
• Brandon Blackmon
• Tommy Lakin
• Logan Delk
• Troy Clough
• Robert Recanzone
• Ryan Hendrix
• Rick Walsh
• Rich Freyser
SECO Energy provides online resources to help families prepare for tropical storms and hurricanes. View an emergency checklist, generator safety information and storm preparation tips online. Bookmark SECO’s StormCenter outage map on your smartphone and tablets to easily access the outage reporting platform. Enroll to receive outage communications via voice, text or email. StormCenter is available online at SECOEnergy.com>StormCenter.
“Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates. Visit our Community page online to learn more about SECO’s corporate citizenship and other community outreach initiatives.
SECO Energy has been closely monitoring Hurricane Michael and its outer storm bands that bring the possibility of heavy rainfall, winds and even tornado threats into Central Florida.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), as of 7 a.m. CDT on Wednesday, Hurricane Michael is moving north at 12 mph and is located 90 miles southwest of Panama City in the Florida Panhandle. Michael has quickly picked up speed and intensity to become a Category 4 hurricane. Forecasters project landfall will be early this afternoon between Panama City and Pensacola.
Tropical storm force winds extend 150 miles from the hurricane’s center. The hurricane’s current position puts SECO’s service territory outside of this range. SECO’s area is forecast to have winds in the 20 mph range, but wind gusts and rain in the outer bands will impact Marion and Levy Counties.
Though wind speeds will not be hurricane or tropical storm force in SECO’s territory, strong storm bands passing through SECO’s service territory are a significant threat. Members should prepare for a rainy Wednesday and possibly Thursday. Heavy rains coupled with wind, could cause trees to fall and result in power outages. Tornadoes spawned by these winds and rains are a danger as well.
After the threat of storm bands from Hurricane Michael have passed the area, SECO plans to release contracted Pike crews to the North Florida areas damaged by the hurricane to aid in restoration. Additionally, a module of SECO employees will be sent for restoration aid after hurricane dangers have passed.
CEO Jim Duncan asks members to remain vigilant, “Hurricane Michael will not make landfall near SECO’s service territory, but members will experience rains and high wind gusts. Be alert for the possibility of tornadoes which can be extremely dangerous. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Panhandle residents in the direct path. I’m grateful that SECO is in the position to send reinforcements to damaged areas.”
SECO Energy is StormReady and is committed to keeping members informed of weather that impacts the area. Visit Storm Preparation online to view an emergency checklist and storm preparation ideas. Watch our Facebook and Twitter pages for Tropical Storm Michael updates. Most important, be sure you’ve bookmarked our new StormCenter outage map and set your email, text and voice notifications preferences. StormCenter is mobile friendly and designed to perform on smartphones and tablets.
SECO Energy is preparing for the possibility of high winds, rain and the threat of tornadoes in Central Florida from Hurricane Michael’s outer bands.
As of 7 a.m. CDT on Tuesday, Hurricane Michael has picked up speed and is moving north-northwestward through the southern Gulf of Mexico at 12 mph. Hurricane Michael is currently a Category 2 hurricane with winds speeds between 96 and 110 mph. Tropical storm force winds extend 150 miles from the hurricane’s center.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Michael is strengthening and forecasters believe the storm will continue to increase in speed and intensity before making landfall near Panama City in the Florida Panhandle Wednesday afternoon.
SECO forecasters project the strongest winds to remain outside of our service area. Marion and Levy County members will experience the brunt of the strong winds, but still well below 30 mph. The tropical storm force wind speeds should remain at least 50 miles outside of SECO’s territory.
Though wind speeds will not be hurricane force, be only slightly high, strong storm bands passing through SECO’s service territory are a significant threat. Members should prepare for large amounts of rain beginning Tuesday and lasting through Thursday, coupled with wind, could cause trees to fall and result in power outages. Additionally, the threat of tornadoes will increase on Wednesday and into Thursday. Strong storms have impacted the east coast early this morning.
Citrus County’s Emergency Operating Center (EOC) is activating as of 5 p.m. today, and they have issued an evacuation order for coastal areas and manufactured homes as of 3 p.m. today. Citrus County is opening four shelters today, and schools are closed through Wednesday. The Sumter, Lake, Marion, Levy, Hernando and Pasco EOCs are monitoring the storm closely. A coastal evacuation order is in effect in Levy and two shelters open there today.
CEO Jim Duncan assures members that SECO is prepared for inclement weather created by Hurricane Michael. Duncan stated, “SECO continues to closely monitor Hurricane Michael’s progress as it travels through the Gulf of Mexico. We are prepared for Hurricane Michael’s rain bands and winds that will reach into our service territory. SECO’s employees, contract crews and leadership team are all prepared to escalate our response if Hurricane Michael’s path shifts toward SECO’s area.”
Duncan added, “Members should continue to keep a close eye on Hurricane Michael. Forecasted tracks have been known to shift hourly right up until landfall. Gather your hurricane supplies now if you have not already done so.”
SECO Energy is StormReady and is committed to keeping members informed of weather that impacts the area. Visit our Storm Preparation page online to view an emergency checklist and storm preparation ideas. Watch our Facebook and Twitter pages for Tropical Storm Michael updates. Most important, be sure you’ve bookmarked our new StormCenter outage map and set your email, text and voice notifications preferences. StormCenter is mobile friendly and designed to perform on smartphones and tablets.
SECO Energy is monitoring the soon-to-be Hurricane Michael as it moves north toward Florida’s gulf coast.
The current Tropical Storm Michael is on the verge of being upgraded to Hurricane Michael. As of 4 a.m. CDT on Monday, Hurricane Michael is slowly moving north at 7 mph with sustained winds of 70 mph.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasts Michael to increase in both speed and intensity over the next 48 hours. The storm is predicted to make landfall in the Apalachicola area late Wednesday night into early Thursday morning. As Michael moves into the Gulf of Mexico, it may strengthen significantly – forecasters predict Michael’s strength at landfall may be as high as a Category 2 or 3.
SECO members should prepare for the likelihood of gusty winds for most of SECO’s seven county service area. SECO members in the western portions of the service area, including large numbers in Citrus, Marion and Sumter Counties, will likely experience the strongest sustained winds.
CEO Jim Duncan is urging SECO members to prepare for Michael. Duncan stated, “Tropical Storm Michael, soon to become Hurricane Michael, is on track to make landfall on Florida’s west coast. Ensure that your hurricane supplies are fully stocked and that you and your family are prepared for the possibility that Michael’s high wind speeds will cause power outages. At SECO, we are carefully watching this storm, and I encourage our members to do the same.”
SECO Energy is StormReady and is committed to keeping members informed of weather that impacts the area. Learn more about Storm Preparation online and view an emergency checklist. Watch our Facebook and Twitter pages for Tropical Storm Michael updates. Most important, be sure you’ve bookmarked our new StormCenter outage map and set your email, text and voice notifications preferences. StormCenter is mobile friendly and designed to perform on smartphones and tablets.
Some are as big as your hand, while others could fit on the head of a tack. Regardless of size, butterflies are creatures of beauty that are a joy to watch. According to entomologists, there are 200 species of butterflies and moths with breeding populations in Florida. Many others visit or migrate through our State.
The most successful butterfly habitat includes plants which meet the needs of butterflies during all four stages of their life cycle: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and adult. After mating, female butterflies search for the perfect host plant on which to lay their eggs. Not just any plant will do, and native plants are favorites. Females must find a plant that will provide food for their young who emerge as caterpillars with voracious appetites and survive on leaves of the host plant. Most caterpillars have defenses other than coloration. Some hide in curled leaves or silk webbing, while others emit an odor that is repulsive to an enemy.
A caterpillar’s best defense is quick growth, escaping would-be predators by shedding skin to change into a chrysalis. It quickly attaches to plant stems protected by surrounding vegetation. Inside the chrysalis, the adult butterfly is formed by metamorphosis and emerges to sip the sweet nectar from Florida’s flowers.
Time from egg to adult is five weeks. Adults lead a life of leisure, eating, mating, laying eggs, sleeping, and of course, escaping predators. Enemies of these gorgeous, day-flying insects are primarily human creations – vehicles, pesticides and parking lots. Others fall prey to disease and natural predators. Ants, particularly fire ants, along with other insects, arachnids (spiders) and birds are among the major predators of butterfly eggs and caterpillars.
Adult butterflies are capable of traveling considerable distances. During the fall, monarchs travel from southern Canada to central Mexico. In Florida, the monarch is not the only long-distance traveler. From August to mid-October, huge numbers of cloudless sulphurs, long-tailed skippers, common buckeyes, gulf fritillaries, clouded skippers and others come south with the rest of the snowbirds to spend the winter in Florida.
SECO Energy is a company of Champions. Our employees are local people who work hard and raise families in the communities SECO serves. When you call, email or visit a SECO location with a question or a service need, the employees who respond are right here in Central Florida.
The Operations employees who come running – braving the wind, rain and lightning to restore power – are viewed as everyday superheroes when storms blow through or equipment fails. Our Champions live and work all across our service area for the quickest response time. Nights, weekends and holidays are regular business hours for these Champions who are committed to the highest quality, most reliable electric service possible.
Serving your energy needs is personal for us, so we want you to get to know our employees. Whether you run into them in the grocery store, at a ball game or restoring service after an outage, I can assure you that SECO is a company of dedicated employees and upstanding citizens committed to the members we serve.
Meet our first two SECO Energy Champions – Paul Byrd and Aaron Vaughn. Paul is a Service Technician who works in the central part of our service territory. Aaron is a Crew Supervisor who works the second shift and covers all areas of SECO’s service territory. Read more about these gentlemen on the next page, visit our website and click on the Champions banner to watch Paul and Aaron’s videos as our very first featured Champions.
Watch for next month’s SECO News, engage on our social media platforms or on SECO’s homepage as we unveil a few more SECO Energy Champions every month. Each and every SECO employee works to provide you with affordable, reliable electric service. Our employees are the brightest and best in our industry, and I hope you enjoy learning more about them.
Together, we are “StormReady.” It is our privilege to serve your family’s energy needs.
Sincerely,
Jim Duncan
Chief Executive Officer
Meet two SECO Champions – Aaron and Paul – two examples of our 400+ SECO Champion employees. Aaron and Paul are dedicated to providing exceptional service to our members, co-workers and communities.
AARON VAUGHN – TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION SERVICE SUPERVISOR
LENGTH OF SERVICE – 6 YEARS
“I love my job.”
Aaron Vaughn is a SECO Champion who supervises SECO’s two-man rapid response line crews who are on-call and ready to dispatch 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Aaron and his family have lived in Central Florida for ten years, and during leisure time they enjoy local church events, fishing, gardening and raising animals in Citrus County. During storm season, SECO crews – led by supervisors like Aaron – are staged throughout our service territory so they can respond quickly when lightning takes out a transformer, a tree falls on a line or winds bring down a pole. Aaron wants members to rest assured that “SECO has crews available at all times to restore power outages whether it’s during a weekend, at midnight or a holiday – SECO is here for you.”
SECO Champion Paul Byrd is a Service Technician who is prepared to restore power any time – day or night. A lifelong resident of Lake County, Paul creates amazing works of art in his spare time, and he feels blessed to work for SECO while raising a wonderful family. In 2004, Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne blazed paths through Florida, and Paul remembers working 16-hour days for two weeks straight during each hurricane. He credits the challenge of three devastating storms as the reason he aspired to be a SECO Service Tech. Paul believes his commitment to keeping the lights on for SECO members has a positive impact on his own family and the community – recognizing teachers, firefighters and law enforcement officers who serve the needs of the community as a whole.
SECO CONTRIBUTES TO LOCAL PUBLIC EDUCATION FOUNDATIONS
SECO Energy’s 2018 back-to-school program has contributed $10,500 to local school districts in Citrus, Lake, Marion and Sumter Counties. These four counties are home to over 200,000 homes and businesses across the SECO Energy service territory.
As your local not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO Energy believes in bolstering the communities we serve by contributing financial support to local schools, dedicated educators and students.
As the last quarter of the year approaches, we in the cooperative world begin to address Capital Credits. Most members, both residential and businesses, will ask “what are capital credits?” As a not-for-profit electric utility and like most businesses, SECO Energy sets an annual budget to pay operating costs, make payments on loans and ensure a reserve for emergencies. At the end of the year, expenses are subtracted from collected revenue and the remaining balance is referred to as margins. Based on the financial strength of the cooperative and member equity, SECO’s Board of Trustees annually makes a determination to refund a portion of these margins also known as Capital Credits. These Capital Credits represent the member’s share of ownership or “member equity” in SECO Energy.
Through 2017, SECO Energy has returned $57.8 million in Capital Credits to our membership. These distributions, returned to the members, are expressed as general retirements and are typically paid out each November. Current members receive a credit on their electric bill and former members receive a check if the amount exceeds $10.00. Capital Credits are issued to businesses in the same manner as individuals. Therefore, it is important to notify SECO Energy if your account status changes. Having updated contact information on file, especially a valid mailing address, will ensure Capital Credits accumulated in your name continue to make their way to you in the future. Don’t be like others who have moved away and didn’t update their information resulting in unclaimed Capital Credits on our books. For a complete list of unclaimed Capital Credits accounts, both residential and commercial, visit our Unclaimed Capital Credits page.
Team Building At Blackjack Sporting Clays
Team building exercises boost morale, improve communication, motivate employees to be more productive and to get to know each other better. If you think team building activities must meet strict criteria to produce benefits, then think again. Sometimes, just an offsite activity that allows your employees to interact away from the workplace is all you need. Maybe, a visit to Blackjack Sporting Clays in Sumterville is in order.
Blackjack Sporting Clays is a beautiful facility nestled among thousands of acres of pristine Florida landscape. Dale Walker, owner/operator, describes his venue as a “country club” for folks that want to shoot with some of the finest equipment in the business. He offers something for everyone at all levels of the shooting sport spectrum. A beautifully decorated clubhouse with TVs and a billiard table are available for non-shooters or those waiting to shoot.
Each course at Blackjack Sporting Clays is laid out along a paved path that meanders through “old Florida” type landscape. There are two separate 16 station courses, and an additional six station Sub-Gauge Course. Along with these courses, there is also a standard five stand range as well. The shooting stations are fully covered with drinking water and restroom facilities throughout each course. Golf cart and gun rentals are available. There is even a large pavilion with seating for 300+ available for public and private use.
To find out more about this “country club for folks that want to shoot,” visit Blackjack Sporting Clays online or stop by and check out their beautiful facility at 3372 County Road 526 in Sumterville, Florida.
Lake County Water Authority’s NuRF Facility
The Lake County Water Authority (LCWA) is committed to conserving and protecting freshwater resources. In 2007, they invested in a state-of-the-art facility designed to remove 67% of pollutants from water, specifically from the Harris Chain of Lakes. “The facility, known as the Lake County Nutrient Reduction Facility (NuRF), is the largest of its design in the world and is very unique in operation” according to Ron Hart, Chief Scientist with LCWA. The results of the facility are clear and so is the positive impact it is having on our environment.
Served by SECO Energy, NuRF is located at the headend of the Chain of Lakes, west of Astatula, on County Road 48. The plant takes in water from Lake Apopka, the “single largest controllable source of water pollution in Lake County,” according to LCWA. The water is cleaned by a process of injecting liquid alum which binds with the pollutants to create snowflake-like particles. The particles, referred to as floc, fall like snowflakes from the water to the bottom of two 9-acre holding ponds. Once the floc or pollutants have settled on the bottom of the pond they are dredged and pumped to a centrifuge. Like a washer, wringing water from clothes, the centrifuge separates the water from the floc – a process known as dewatering. The clean water is then pumped back into the canal feeding the Harris Chain of Lakes. The floc is allowed to dry and used in several beneficial applications such as landfill cover.
Lakes Beauclair, Dora, Eustis and Griffin are the biggest benefactors of the Nutrient Reduction Facility. The process of removing the targeted algae-feeding nutrients results in increased water clarity allowing for beneficial plant growth and better fish habitat.
In a day and age where water quality is becoming more and more of a hot topic, our hats are off to LCWA for pro-actively taking steps to enhance water quality in Central Florida. Visit the LWCA website to learn more about the NuRF Facility.
SECO Energy’s back-to-school program has contributed $1,000 for Citrus County school students through the Citrus County Education Foundation. As a local not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO believes its support bolsters the community and provides much needed financial assistance to dedicated educators.
The Citrus County Education Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation with a vision that educators are innovators. The Foundation relies on grassroots support and community involvement to combat diminishing public school budgets. The Foundation believes it must advocate and provide for children in public schools.
The Foundation has pledged to “Building Pathways to Literacy” by earmarking SECO’s $1,000 contribution for its First Library program. The program recognizes the need for lower income students to have access to reading materials at home. The program provides at risk students with books to create their own personal libraries at home. The goal is to increase the students’ chances of reading success by third grade.
The Citrus County Education Foundation also supports the Golden Citrus Scholars Awards that recognizes the best and brightest graduating seniors in the district, student scholarships and the annual “Stuff The Bus” event to provide school supplies to Citrus County students.
Additional supplemental programs in Citrus County supported by the Foundation include student art festivals, math field days, Citrus Regional Science Fairs, web-based learning programs, Marine Science Center Summer Camps, school-to-work and S.T.E.M. focused after-school programs, the WTI Electrician Certification Program and more.
CEO Jim Duncan stated, “As a not-for-profit cooperative, SECO supports its members by participating in community endeavors that support education. We have deep roots in Citrus County and serve over 15,000 families and businesses in that county alone. Financially supporting education is an investment in future community leaders, members and possibly future employees. SECO is honored to provide $1,000 to the Citrus County Education Foundation to strengthen education in the community.”
“Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates. Visit our Community page to learn more about SECO’s corporate citizenship and other community outreach initiatives.
The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season started strong with three named storms in the season’s initial six weeks. In early August, however, the outlook was revised to predict a “below-average” season. Still, a storm can hit at any time. To protect your family, property and for the safety of SECO employees, read and follow these safety tips before installing or operating a generator.
Before purchasing a generator, research options and discuss your home’s size and watt needs with a knowledgeable retailer. Read and follow the generator’s operating instructions and safety guidelines provided by the manufacturer.
Installing an emergency generator is not a do-it-yourself job. To avoid injury, only a certified electrician is qualified to install the generator, install the disconnect and transfer switch and connect the generator to the home’s electric panel. Always follow local, state and national fire and electric codes, a permit for installation may be required.
Electric generators require proper ventilation and airflow. Never operate a generator inside a building – even an enclosed garage. During operation, electric generators emit fumes that contain deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gas – which is odorless and invisible. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 400 Americans die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning and more than 4,000 are hospitalized.
Fuel safety is critical. Always store gasoline and diesel in approved containers out of the reach of children, and extinguish all flames and cigarettes when handling fuel. A fully charged fire extinguisher should be staged near the generator at all times.
Generator engine parts are very hot during operation – do not touch. Severe burns may result. Warn children to stay away from a generator in operation. Only use an extension cord free of exposed wires and frayed shielding. If the generator is faulty, contact a qualified repair technician for service. Similar to installing a generator, repairing a generator is a project best left to an expert.
To avoid injury to SECO employees, always disconnect from your metered electric utility service before starting the generator. Never remove or tamper with a generator’s safety devices.
Follow these safety tips to operate a generator safely during power outages. Visit SECO Energy’s website to learn more about generator safety.
“Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for the latest storm alerts and company news.
