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Category: Press Releases

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.

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.

Sparking Interest in Energy Industry Careers

SECO Energy is participating in job fairs in Central Florida, helping to spark an interest in the energy industry for young students and current job seekers in the area.

 

On January 12, representatives from SECO’s Human Resources and Information Technology departments attended the Youth Career Expo at On Top of the World’s Circle Square Cultural Center in Ocala. Career Source of Citrus, Levy and Marion worked with the Marion County School District to introduce middle school students to an assortment of careers available in Marion County. Many careers available at SECO require a solid “S.T.E.M.” (science, technology, engineering and math) background.

Meagan and Rina at the job fair

 

SECO team members from Human Resources and Operations personnel attended the Construction Trades Job Fair at Wildwood Middle-High School sponsored by Compass HRM on Saturday, January 14. The job fair was attended by job seekers who live in or near Lake County who want to learn more about open positions in the area. Florida Governor Rick Scott also made an appearance at the job fair. Governor Scott is spreading the word that Florida is hiring and is open for business.

Governor Scott, Todd and Rina

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “SECO is hiring and our Human Resources group is actively recruiting at job fairs in Central Florida. We are a regional utility serving members in seven counties in Central Florida. The commute from Tampa, Orlando, Daytona, Ocala and surrounding areas to our headquarters in Sumter County is only about an hour.”

 

Duncan added, “By attending job fairs geared for students, we are presenting students with information they need to make career plans. We want to attract current students to the energy industry for future employment. And we want them to know there are stable, well-paying jobs, with benefits, right here in their Central Florida hometowns.”

 

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

Students Vie for $36,000 in SECO Scholarships

Annually, SECO Energy offers graduating high school seniors, who reside in its service area, the chance to compete for a $3,000 college scholarship.

 

Once again, SECO’s Board of Trustees has approved up to $36,000 in scholarships for twelve deserving high school seniors. For over 20 years, SECO Energy has awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships. As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO is proud to have a hand in launching hundreds of young scholars on their path to a college education.

 

To be eligible, student must:

 

  • Reside in a home served by SECO.
  • Graduate high school by the end of the current school year.
  • Provide proof of acceptance to an accredited college, university or vocational/technical school by the end of 2017.
  • Plan to be enrolled as a full-time college student.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “Concern for Community is a key cooperative principle and what better way to connect with the communities we serve than through scholarship awards. SECO helps young citizens embark on their college careers and lightens the financial load for their parents who are our members. I hope they bring their new-found knowledge and skills back to the area and seek future employment with SECO.”

 

Board of Trustees President Ray Vick, stated, “I have served on SECO’s Board of Trustees for over 35 years, and I am so happy to have a hand in continuing SECO’s scholarship program for the last 20 years. On behalf of the entire Board, we are very proud of SECO’s community outreach programs and its strong corporate citizenship ties to the communities it serves.”

 

An independent panel of educators from SECO’s service territory evaluates all applicants and selects each year’s winners. Scholarship selections are based on past and present achievements in school, community service, financial need and scholastic records.

 

The scholarship application period begins January 1, 2017. Applications will be available at SECO’s five Member Service Centers in Lake, Sumter, Marion and Citrus counties, area high school guidance offices, at the SECO corporate offices in Sumterville and online.

 

To be considered, completed applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on March 31, 2017. Applications can be dropped off at any SECO Member Service Center or mailed to:

 

SECO Energy

Attn: Youth Scholarship

330 South Hwy 301

Sumterville, FL  33585-0301

 

Winners will be notified by phone or mail on or about April 28, 2017. For additional questions, visit SECO’s scholarship page or call Eneida Robaina at (352) 569-9561.

 

“Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates. Visit SECO online to learn more about additional community outreach programs.