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Author: Amanda Richardson

SECO Sponsors Youth Fair Participants

On Tuesday, February 21, Kathy Judkins, SECO Energy’s Deputy Director of Civic, Charitable and Government Affairs, attended the Marion County Southeastern Youth Fair at the Ocala Livestock Pavilion to continue SECO’s support of young people in rural agriculture activities. SECO has supported Youth Fairs in its service territory for decades.

 

Hundreds of students involved in local school chapters of 4-H or Future Farmers of America (FFA) participate in the fair each year. By showing and selling a steer at the Fair, students learn responsibility, marketing, communication and record keeping. Students are responsible for the animal’s feed, health and well-being and maintain the health records for their animal. Participants strengthen their communication and marketing skills by writing letters requesting sponsorship and generating interest in a final sale for their animal.

 

The Marion County Southeastern Youth Fair is the largest Youth Fair event in Florida. The foundation of the Fair began in 1941 with the Steer Show and the current Youth Fair format began in 1978. Hundreds of volunteers contribute thousands of hours to make the Youth Fair a success in Marion County.

 

As SECO’s representative, Judkins purchased a 1,004 pound steer from Dunnellon High School’s Tyler Matthew. Tyler is active in his school’s FFA Chapter, which includes 50 students under the guidance of teacher Austin Skipper. A senior this year, Tyler plans on attending college in the fall and will use his proceeds from the sale to assist in financing his education.

 

Judkins stated, “We live in a fast-paced world. In the age of social media and an infinite number of other distractions, it is a delight to see kids participating in farming events. FFA and 4-H gives kids a chance to slow-down, unplug and dedicate their time to caring and raising animals.”

 

Visit SECO Energy’s Community page online about its community outreach programs. “Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

Members Re-elect Richard Dennison District 4 Trustee

On Thursday, February 16, members voted to re-elect Richard Dennison to represent District 4 on SECO Energy’s Board of Trustees.  A SECO member since 1999, Dennison was first elected to the Board in 2015 when a former Trustee stepped down.

 

As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO members vote for the person they choose to represent the members in a particular district and to make governance decisions that serve the best interests of the members at large.  SECO’s Board of Trustees are members themselves and provide governance and financial oversight to the cooperative.

 

A crowd of members gathered at the Marion Oaks Community Center in Ocala to cast their vote for the representative of their choice.  Dennison and Ocala residents Sheila Anderson and Edwin Million, Jr. expressed a willingness to serve the members in District 4 and submitted their letter of intent in January.

 

Dennison stated, “I am both humbled and grateful for your continued support for me as your District 4 Trustee.  Your confidence in me encourages me to work hard on your behalf for the cooperative that has an outstanding performance record.  Thank you again, it is a pleasure being your Trustee.”

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “I would like to congratulate Mr. Dennison on his re-election.  SECO’s Board of Trustees provides the cooperative with sound governance, and collectively represents all SECO members.  And a thank you to the hundreds of members who attended this year’s District Meetings.  Members are an important part of the cooperative difference – the cooperative exists to provide members reliable power at a fair price, while delivering first-rate customer satisfaction.”

 

Dennison added, “I look forward to continuing my work on the Board with my peers and working with Mr. Duncan, who I believe is the best CEO in the state.”

 

SECO members should plan to attend its 79th Annual Meeting of the Membership on Saturday, March 25.  Registration opens at 8:00 a.m., and the business meeting begins at 10:30 a.m.  The meeting is located across the street from the corporate headquarters at the junction of highways 301 and 471 in Sumterville.

 

View photos of the Trustees and a District map online.  “Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

SECO Employees Aid in Power Restoration for Clay Electric Members

Late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning, a strong line of thunderstorms swept into SECO Energy territory. Heavy rains soaked the area causing downed trees, poles and electric lines.

 

Central Florida has been the target of powerful winter thunderstorms this year, and SECO’s system continues to fare very well. This stability is attributed to solid design, quality construction, consistent maintenance and balanced vegetation management protocol.

 

At the height of the storms, almost 4,000 SECO members in Marion and Levy Counties experienced a service interruption when a Duke Energy transmission line failed. A second large-scale outage occurred when a tree fell into a line, affecting the Westwood Acres and Rainbow Lakes communities. SECO Operations employees were immediately dispatched to the affected area and worked throughout the night. Service was restored to all members by 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.

 

Clay Electric Cooperative’s members were affected by widespread outages due to the strong late night storms and asked SECO for aid. SECO was fortunate to have recovered quickly from the storm and was more than willing to lend a hand to a fellow electric cooperative. The SECO Operations team jumped into action. In just over an hour, the cooperative sent 20 of SECO’s employees to help restore power and also sent released 11 of its contracted line crews to Clay’s service area that afternoon.

 
Crews travel to Clay Electric

John LaSelva, Vice President of Operations, stated, “SECO is always willing to assist our neighbors when possible. We have answered the call to assist fellow cooperatives, investor-owned utilities and municipalities, and understand our duty to render aid when needed. SECO’s efforts to storm harden its system continue to pay off. A well-designed system that includes comprehensive vegetation management is key to not only preventing outages but is paramount to restoring outages quickly and safely when they occur.”

 

LaSelva added, “The most important consideration is the energy consumer. Power is necessary for SECO members, and all consumers for that matter, to maintain their quality of life. SECO supports cooperation among cooperatives and stands Storm Ready when weather conditions turn volatile in The Sunshine State.”

 

Learn more about preparing your family’s emergency kit online. Bookmark SECO’s Storm Center so you can quickly report an outage using just your last name and house number. Establish a SmartHub account or download the app to update your phone number. “Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

Members Re-elect Earl Muffett District 6 Trustee

On Tuesday, February 7, members voted to re-elect Earl Muffett to represent District 6 on SECO Energy’s Board of Trustees. Muffett has been a SECO member since 1979 and has served on the Board for over 25 years.

 

As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO members vote for the person they choose to represent the members in a particular district and to make governance decisions that serve the best interests of the members at large. SECO’s Board of Trustees are members themselves and provide governance and financial oversight to the cooperative.

 

A crowd of members gathered at the Village View Community Church in Summerfield to cast their vote for the representative of their choice. Both Muffett and Oxford resident Michael Tucker had submitted their letter of intent in January and expressed a willingness to serve.

 

Muffett stated, “I am excited to continue my board service and be a strong representative for District 6 members as I have for over 25 years. Thank you to all members in my district who believe I am the best choice to represent them. I look forward to continuing my work on the Board with my fellow trustees and representing the members of District 6.”

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “I would like to congratulate Mr. Muffett, and I am proud to work with him and his board peers. With the Board’s guidance, SECO has kept members’ rates low, upgraded our system to offer members world-class reliability and earned two consecutive J.D. Power awards for member satisfaction. As a CEO, I couldn’t ask for a better Board to work with, and I am thankful for their service.”

 

View photos of the Trustees and a District map online. “Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

Members Re-elect District 2 Trustee Dillard Boyatt

On Thursday, February 2, members voted to re-elect Dillard Boyatt to represent District 2 on SECO Energy’s Board of Trustees. Boyatt has been a SECO member since 1978 and has served on the Board since 1990.

 

As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO members vote for the person they choose to represent the members in a particular district and to make governance decisions that serve the best interests of the members at large. SECO’s Board of Trustees are members themselves and provide governance and financial oversight to the cooperative.

 

Almost 200 members arrived at the Sumter County School Board to cast their vote for the representative of their choice. Both Boyatt and Bushnell resident Phillip Longo had submitted their letter of intent in January and expressed a willingness to serve.

 

Boyatt wishes to thank his community for their continued support. Boyatt stated, “I am proud to be a loyal Sumter County resident for 58 years and equally as proud to continue my service as a SECO Trustee. I am happy to see many positive changes for SECO members during my tenure on SECO’s Board. As a former SECO employee and long-time Trustee, watching the cooperative grow from a small operation to a nationally recognized model of customer satisfaction is especially gratifying.”

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “We had a large turn-out for SECO’s District 2 Meeting and I would like to thank the community for joining us. Our members continue to prove that the cooperative business model is alive and well, and that SECO member-owners enjoy their ability to vote for their District’s Trustee. The Board’s industry knowledge and oversight is invaluable and I look forward to working with them to continue SECO’s success.”

 

View photos of the Trustees and a District map online. “Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

Students Consider a Future in Energy

On Thursday, January 19, SECO Energy representatives met with The Villages Charter High School students at their College and Career Expo. SECO’s Operations and Engineering staff members, as well as SECO’s District 3 Trustee Richard Belles, joined the cooperative’s Human Resources team to spread the word to students about their possible future in the energy industry.

 

The Villages Charter High School students were encouraged to visit with businesses, colleges, military and vocational/technical institutions to begin planning their education and career path after high school. The Expo also invited parents of students and alumni to stop in and visit with businesses that are currently hiring.

 

On Thursday, February 2, high school students from Citrus, Levy and Marion Counties attended the 2nd Annual Youth Career Expo for High Schools sponsored by Career Source CLM. SECO Energy I.T. Human Resources professionals met with hundreds of students and provided information about careers at SECO Energy in its Information Technology department.

 

SECO’s Human Resources department also attended the Crystal River Middle School Career Day on Friday, February 3. Middle school-aged students are just beginning to decide what their interests are and what they would possibly like to do in the future. SECO was on hand to offer middle schoolers a glimpse of careers in energy and possibly spark an interest.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “SECO is actively recruiting for open positions within the company. Not only are we currently hiring, but we are hoping to attract the bright, talented young people who live in our area to our industry. With the newly announced Villages of Fenney expansion, it is clear that Central Florida is growing and not only are there current job opportunities, there will be positions available in the future as well.”

 

Duncan added, “SECO is also currently offering graduating high school seniors who live in a home served by SECO, the chance to win a $3,000 scholarship. The application deadline is March 31, 2017. Applications are available online, at SECO’s five Member Service Centers and from school guidance counselors in our service territory.”

 

Visit SECO’s Community section online to learn more about the scholarship program and other corporate citizenship initiatives.

 

“Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

Nature’s Reflections-Florida’s Cattle Egret

The Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), native to Africa and Asia, is believed to have traveled across the Atlantic to South America in the late 1800s. From there, it migrated north to the US in the early 1940s. Over the next fifty years, it became one of the most prolific herons in all of North America. Today it is found in almost every state and on every continent except Antarctica. It is a year round resident of Florida.

 

The Cattle Egret generally lives in pastures and wetlands. During the breeding season, it seeks out woods near water, but generally remains far away from water. This small white heron is commonly seen in groups along roadsides and in pastures as constant companions to cattle. Often it is seen perched on the backs of cattle where it gobbles up the bugs, ticks and other parasites that plague livestock – their diet benefits cattle, ranchers, farmers and themselves. It is an opportunistic feeder and will travel great distances to follow a tractor plowing, or mowing a field to catch grasshoppers, crickets, spiders and moths that are stirred up by farm machinery.

Florida's cattle egret profile

 

Both male and female are similar in appearance, standing eighteen to twenty-two inches tall with a three-foot wingspan. Coloration is generally white with a yellow bill and dark green legs. Breeding age begins at two to three years of age. During its twenty-day courtship, the bill and legs of breeding egrets turn a vivid red and display orange-buff colored plumes on the head and back. Non-breeding egrets remain white.

 

Cattle Egrets form colonies and prefer to roost and nest in trees near water. Males establish and defend a territory while the female lays two to six light blue-green eggs in a shallow, platform-like nest of twigs. Both parents incubate the eggs for twenty-one to twenty-four days. Down-covered young have dark legs and a black bill. The young leave the nest about three weeks after hatching and are on their own at six weeks.

Flock of cattle egret

 

In captivity the Cattle Egret has been known to live more than ten years – lifespan in the wild is unknown.

 

Column and photo by Sandi Staton

SECO News, February 2017

Duncan’s Digest: 2017 Annual Meeting

It’s that time of year, and we are gearing up for our 79th Annual Meeting of the Membership. The event takes place on Saturday, March 25, at our Sumterville Compound at 293 S. Highway 301. Gates open at 8:00 a.m., registration opens at 8:30 a.m. and the business meeting begins at 10:30 a.m.

 

Our Annual Meeting is about you – our member. As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO is operated for the benefit of and owned by the members. SECO does not share dividends with stockholders or investors. Instead, and per the requirements of our business model and bylaws, our margins are allocated to the members themselves, used as equity for the financial health of the cooperative and returned/retired to the members upon Board of Trustee approval.

Fun, Food and Prizes

 

However, the meeting isn’t all business – we have fun around here too. Join us for breakfast biscuits, coffee, sodas, doughnuts and cookies. Browse our Energy Showcase to learn more about energy savings and visit with SECO’s energy partners. Kick up your heels to some of the best live entertainment by Margo Rochelle and the Rodeo Drive band. And visit with the Facebook Help Squad to learn how to enter the Facebook drawing for the $300 bill credit.

 

If you’ve attended before, you know that we give away prizes galore! The grand prizes up for grabs this year are $1,500 in cash, a truck and a golf cart. SECO is also giving away a $1,000 cash prize, two $500 cash prizes and a $300 Facebook bill credit. Additionally, we have a host of door prizes – many of which are donated by local businesses and vendors that are also our members.

 

All registered members receive a special SECO gift and a copy of our 2016 Annual Report, with an additional gift available in the Energy Showcase. A Q&A session wraps up the business meeting, so don’t be shy about asking a question. The door prizes start after the business meeting portion, so be sure to stay for the entire meeting. Given that we host nearly 4,000 guests in a short timeframe, parking is a pretty well-oiled machine managed by SECO employees supported by local law enforcement.

Annual Meeting Invite 2017

 

Your official Annual Meeting notice will arrive in either your February or March billing statement – depending on the date of your billing cycle. You don’t need to bring the notice to the meeting with you as we’ve developed an electronic check in process that works best with a copy of your bill. Join me, along with your fellow cooperative members, the SECO Board of Trustees and many of SECO’s employees for the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Membership.

 

Let’s pray for mild weather this year. I hope to see each of you there.

 

Read the full February 2017 SECO News here.

SECO Tops in ACSI Among Utilities

SECO Energy members continue to rate the utility high in customer satisfaction per the company’s 2016 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) score that increased to 89. The ACSI measures customer satisfaction, across multiple industries, in the United States.

 

This latest ACSI increase complements SECO’s two consecutive J.D. Power awards for highest customer satisfaction among midsized utilities in the South in 2015 and highest in customer satisfaction among electric cooperatives in the nation in 2016. As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO operates for the benefit of and is owned by the members its serves. The business model allows SECO to make customer satisfaction a top priority.

 

The average score for electric cooperatives in the 2016 survey is 77. Rated an 89 by its members, SECO is proud to hold a high score among our peers in the electric co-op segment.

 
ACSI logo 2017

SECO’s satisfaction rating also tops the average city municipality and investor-owned utility’s score. The average city municipal utility score is 72 and the average investor-owned utility score is slightly higher at 76.

 

Members who participated in the ACSI survey indicated that SECO’s employees are top-notch and rated them as “excellent.” SECO also received excellent ratings for the measures it takes to prevent outages and its responsiveness to service disruptions.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “The ACSI is one of the country’s mainstream benchmarks of customer satisfaction. The index and our two consecutive J.D. Power awards make it clear that SECO’s greatest asset and strength is our friendly, knowledgeable employees. I couldn’t be prouder of the SECO team and its dedication to member satisfaction – congratulations on a job well done.”

 

“Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

Strong Thunderstorms Cause Widespread Power Outages

SECO Energy was “Storm Ready” this weekend and has restored power to all members affected by lines of strong thunderstorms that passed through its seven Central Florida counties on Sunday. Tornado warnings and watches were in effect throughout the day Sunday.

 

SECO took steps before the weekend began, to prepare for the possibility of the thunderstorms and high winds creating power outages. Field crews, tree trimming contractors, warehouse and customer support employees worked overnight replacing broken poles, removing fallen trees and communicating with members.

 

The storm came in from the west and first reached northern Marion and Levy Counties just before 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. The high winds brought down a large oak tree near the Ocala Park area that destroyed three spans of lines and other equipment. That large outage began a series of wind and tree-related service disruptions that continued into the evening.

 

An additional line of storms brought the possibility of tornados and hail as it blew through Citrus, Marion and Northern Lake Counties before impacting Sumter and south Lake Counties around 9:00 p.m. Sunday. High wind speeds and heavy rain accompanied this second line of storms along with unconfirmed reports of tornados in the area.

 

The total outages during the storms per county were:

 

Marion and Levy: 5,342
Citrus: 2,239
Lake: 977
Sumter: 938

 

Kathryn Gloria, Vice President of Corporate Communications and Energy Services stated, “SECO’s system held up very well when the storms brought high wind and rains yesterday. Less than 9,500 members experienced an outage during the storms last night and early this morning. Field crews and tree trimming contractors are out in full force today inspecting the system for damage along with identifying and removing damaged trees that have the potential to cause outages in the future.”

 

Gloria added, “We are thankful that our employees returned home to their families safely after working in adverse conditions over the weekend. We appreciate our members’ patience and support during the disruptions, and we’re grateful that the storm caused only minimal damage in our service area.”

 

SECO Energy is Storm Ready. Visit our Reliability page to learn how to build an emergency kit and take steps to keep your family safe when storms blow through SECO’s territory.

 

“Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.