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Tag: John LaSelva

Officials and Key Community Leaders Attend Storm Preparation Meeting at SECO Energy

Representative Yvonne Hinson (Florida House of Representatives) asking questions during SECO Energy’s Storm Preparedness and Readiness meeting.

SECO Energy hosted a Storm Preparedness and Readiness meeting as Atlantic hurricane season begins. The meeting focused on engaging with officials and key community leaders to discuss detailed strategies for hurricane season. The meeting was an essential part of the cooperative’s ongoing efforts to ensure the safety and resilience of the communities we serve.

 

Attendees included several notable figures such as Representative Yvonne Hinson; staff from the offices of Representative Ryan Chamberlin, Congresswoman Kat Cammack, and Congressman Daniel Webster; Citrus County Fire Chief Craig Stevens; and various emergency management officials from Marion, Citrus, and Sumter counties. 

 

The meeting was opened with a warm welcome from SECO Energy’s CEO, Curtis Wynn, and followed up by a presentation led by John LaSelva, Chief Operating Officer, focusing on the cooperative’s storm readiness process involving extensive pre-storm preparation that includes system hardening, vegetation management, and the development of an emergency response plan with FEMA contracts in place. Also mentioned were meticulously planned pre-storm logistics, such as securing hotel accommodations for assisting crews, fuel, and staging personnel and equipment.

 

SECO Energy Storm Preparedness and Readiness Meeting held at SECO Energy headquarters on Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Following a storm, SECO conducts thorough damage assessments and restores service in the priority order mandated by the State – shelters, hospitals, feeders with the highest member count, then individual services and area lights. All reports and invoices are compiled and submitted for FEMA reimbursement to ensure financial accountability and recovery. SECO Energy’s Vice President of Financial & Administrative Services, Anh Reynolds, discussed FEMA reimbursement requirements and how the cooperative plans and prepares for the potential financial aftermath of a storm.  

 

Kathy Judkins, Manager of Community and Economic Development and Government Relations for SECO Energy, provided information on Emergency Operation Center preparations and post-storm activities. She also shared SECO Energy’s role in providing timely and accurate information to officials and key community leaders, which helps them offer information when their constituents call on them. 

 

Joint group discussion networking with Chris Evan, Director of Emergency Management for Citrus County; David Casto, Director of Emergency Management for Sumter County; Anh Reynolds, SECO Energy’s VP of Financial & Administrative Services; and Ben Dawson, SECO Energy’s VP of Growth, Smart Grid & Operational Technology

SECO Energy places a strong emphasis on communication internally and externally. Amanda Richardson, Manager of Corporate Communications for SECO Energy, concluded the presentation by highlighting the cooperative’s strategic storm communication efforts. She discussed the cooperative’s strategic storm communications plan, implemented to ensure that all the employees, members, and communities served have the information and support they need to weather the storm. This includes updates on the storm’s track and intensity, restoration progress, and essential community alerts.

 

The meeting was an essential step in reinforcing the community’s resilience and readiness for the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which spans from June 1 to November 30. The collaborative efforts and shared insights will significantly contribute to a coordinated and effective response to future storm events. 

 

CEO Curtis Wynn emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts and the role of community leaders in ensuring an effective and swift response to storm impacts. “Our preparedness and readiness are crucial to the safety and well-being of the communities we serve,” said Mr. Wynn. “The collaborative efforts of our leaders and emergency management teams are vital in ensuring a quick and effective response. At SECO Energy, we are committed to leveraging all our resources and expertise to protect our members and maintain service reliability during the hurricane season.” 

 

For more information about SECO Energy’s storm preparedness and response efforts, visit SECOEnergy.com. 

 

“Like” SECO Energy on Facebook and follow @SECOEnergy on Twitter for prize drawings, news releases, and severe weather alerts affecting SECO Energy’s service territory. Manage your outage notification preferences at StormCenter. To see when SECO Energy crews/contractors are working in your area, visit our new System Improvement Map. To learn more about SECO Energy as a not-for-profit cooperative, visit About SECO Energy.   

SECO Energy CEO Curtis Wynn Visits South Lake Chamber with Energy Industry Update

SECO Energy’s Chief Executive Officer Curtis Wynn breakfasted with the South Lake Chamber of Commerce and provided a company and energy industry update at its May 20 meeting held at the Clermont City Center. Mr. Wynn addressed local business owners and professionals who are integral to South Lake County’s population, commercial and industrial growth. Mr. Wynn provided the crowd with an update about SECO Energy and the current state of the energy industry.

 

Mr. Wynn was joined by SECO Energy senior leadership Tracy de Lemos, Deputy General Counsel; Gene Kanikovsky, CFO; and John LaSelva, Vice President of Reliability and Operations. Kathy Judkins, Senior Consultant for Civic, Charitable & Government Relations also attended the meeting along with Manager of Key Accounts & Revenue Programs Jeff Light and Amanda Richardson, Manager of Corporate Communications and Energy Services. South Lake Board Chair Aimee Stanley introduced Mr. Wynn.

 

Mr. Wynn hosted SECO Energy’s 84th Annual Meeting virtually on March 24 and was eager to share the “state of the company” news in person with the South Lake Chamber members. The overview included a review of rising cost of capital, maintenance expenses and the rising natural gas market that are causing rate and fuel cost pressure for SECO Energy and its members. Supply chain issues were covered in detail, along with the labor shortage that is affecting so many businesses across the county, state and the nation.

 

Industry-related topics like solar energy, technology advancements in metering and electric vehicle potential were also part of Mr. Wynn’s presentation at the Chamber and during the Virtual Annual Meeting. To hear from Mr. Wynn and to win one of five prizes SECO Energy members can watch the 2022 Virtual Annual Meeting video and answer the question at SECOEnergy.com by clicking on the homepage banner. Enter before June 15 for a chance to win one of the following prizes:

 

• $500 SECO Energy bill credit
• $250 SECO Energy bill credit
• Nest Learning Thermostat
• HoneyWell Wi-Fi Thermostat
• 2021 Apple TV HD

 

“Like” SECO Energy on Facebook and follow @SECOEnergy on Twitter for prize drawings, news releases, and severe weather alerts affecting SECO Energy’s service territory. Manage your outage notification preferences at StormCenter. To see when SECO Energy crews/contractors are working in your area, visit our new System Improvement Map. To learn more about SECO Energy as a not-for-profit cooperative, visit About SECO Energy.

 

SECO Energy Celebrates 14 Years of Tree Line USA Recognition

SECO Energy is celebrating 14 years of being recognized as a Tree Line USA utility by the Arbor Day Foundation. Tree Line USA recognizes public and private utilities who take part in activities that protect and enhance America’s urban forests.

 

The Arbor Day Foundation inspires people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. There are five program standards that SECO Energy achieved to be recognized as a Tree Line USA utility. Utilities must follow industry standards for quality tree care; provide annual worker training in best tree care practices; sponsor a tree planting and education program; maintain a tree-based energy conservation program; and participate in an Arbor Day celebration.

 

Dan Lambe president of the Arbor Day Foundation congratulated SECO Energy on its achievement. Lambe stated, “Trees are a critical part of urban landscapes all across the United States. They provide important benefits to residents, including clean air, clean water and a tolerable climate. Service providers like SECO Energy demonstrate that it’s possible for trees and utilities to co-exist for the benefit of communities and citizens.”

 

Jim Duncan CEO stated, “Earning the Tree Line USA designation for 14 years is a one-of-a-kind achievement for SECO Energy. Trees play a significant role in our members’ focus on energy efficiency. Planting the right tree in the right place can help SECO members reduce their yearly energy costs. Our participation in the Tree Line USA program helps us raise awareness with members and be good environmental stewards as well.”

 

SECO Energy Vice President of Reliability and Operations John LaSelva is pleased by the Tree Line USA recognition. LaSelva stated, “I am honored and humbled that SECO Energy continues to achieve the Tree Line USA designation. Our Vegetation Management team works to increase service reliability by overseeing tree care near our power lines. Trees that pose a danger to power lines are removed while healthy trees are allowed to flourish in urban landscapes. Congratulations to the Vegetation Management team for their hard work in earning this recognition for the 14th straight year.”

 

To learn more about how trees can reduce yearly energy costs, visit our Right Tree, Right Place page. The not-for-profit cooperative has also developed online energy efficiency tools to help members reduce energy use and costs. The Home Energy Assessment is an online energy audit tailored to the member’s home and lifestyle. Members input their home’s details and submit their email address to receive no-cost and low-cost tips to increase energy efficiency. The Energy Estimator calculates the cost of common household electronics found in most homes. Members who submit their data receive energy-efficiency suggestions and more ways to save.

 

“Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates. Visit our About SECO page to learn more about the Central Florida not-for-profit electric cooperative.

SECO Energy Honored as a Tree Line USA Utility

SECO Energy has once again been honored as a Tree Line USA Utility by the Arbor Day Foundation. Tree Line USA recognizes best practices in utility arboriculture. This is the eleventh year that SECO has received this honor.

 

The Arbor Day Foundation was founded in 1972 and its mission is to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. The Foundation recognizes that communities depend on safe, reliable electricity to power homes and businesses, while protecting and enhancing community treescapes.

 

Tree Line USA recognition is awarded to utilities that follow the Arbor Day Foundation’s five core standards of Quality Tree Care; Annual Worker Training; Tree Planting and Public Education; Tree-based Energy Conservation Program; and participating in an Arbor Day Celebration.

 

“Trees are a critical part of urban landscapes all across the United States,” said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. “They provide important benefits to residents, including clean air, clean water and a tolerable climate. Service providers like SECO Energy demonstrate that it’s possible for trees and utilities to co-exist for the benefit of communities and citizens.”

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “The SECO Energy team is extremely proud to once again be recognized as a Tree Line USA Utility by the Arbor Day Foundation. Central Florida is a natural paradise, we understand our members love their trees and landscaping and expect their cooperative to maintain reliable service. The Arbor Day’s five core standards enable SECO to find the proper balance between member reliability and encouraging a healthy tree canopy.”

 

SECO Energy Vice President of Operations John LaSelva stated, “Maintaining SECO’s Tree Line USA Utility status is a priority for our Vegetation Management team. The National Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Line USA Utility status benefits our service area by strengthening our urban forest and reducing tree-related outages. On behalf of the SECO’s executive leadership and the Vegetation Management team, we are honored to receive the 2020 Tree Line USA designation.”

 

Visit our Right Tree, Right Place page to learn how strategically planted trees can help reduce energy usage. “Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

SECO Energy Tracking Tropical Cyclone Nine

SECO Energy is closely watching the track of Tropical Cyclone Nine that is expected to increase in speed and become Tropical Storm Humberto within the next 24 hours. Tropical Cyclone Nine appears to be on a similar path as Hurricane Dorian that passed Florida earlier this month, but this current tropical system is much weaker.

 

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Tropical Cyclone Nine is located over the central Bahamas with maximum sustained winds of 25 mph. The current track continues to move further east of Florida posing less of a threat to SECO’s service area. SECO Energy members on the east side of I-75 may experience gusty winds around 35 mph on Saturday and Sunday with passing showers.

 

SECO Energy Vice President of Operations John LeSalva stated, “Currently, Tropical Cycle Nine is not expected to be a major weather threat for SECO Energy members. We will continue to monitor the cyclone’s track as it moves closer to Florida, but for now it appears that it will remain offshore and bring only rain and winds.”

 

September is the peak of Atlantic hurricane season and SECO Energy has created a new Hurricane Handbook to help members prepare before, during and after storms. Our Hurricane Handbook is available online at SECOEnergy.com.

 

StormCenter is SECO Energy’s outage and communications platform for members to report outages, check the status of an existing outage and enroll in outage communications and alerts via email, text, voice or all three. Visit StormCenter today and bookmark on your smartphone or tablet to report outages quickly and easily.

 

Stay up to date on weather affecting SECO Energy’s service area, the latest news releases and cooperative updates by “liking” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter.

SECO Sends Fresh Aid to Panhandle for Hurricane Michael Restoration

SECO Energy has organized a fresh module of employees to travel to Florida’s Panhandle to assist in power restoration.

 

Hurricane Michael was a powerful Category 4 hurricane with 155 mile per hour winds when it made landfall near Mexico Beach on Wednesday, October 10. At landfall, Hurricane Michael was stronger than the infamous Hurricanes Katrina and Andrew. Almost three weeks after the hurricane ravaged North Florida’s gulf coast, thousands of Floridians remain without power. Over those three weeks, teams of SECO employees and contractors have assisted Tri-County and Talquin Electric Cooperatives with their restoration efforts. Many of those employees are preparing to return home and a new group of employees departed for a utility still in need.

 

A module of SECO first class line technicians, a superintendent, a crew supervisor, a mechanic and a reliability engineer departed from the SECO Energy headquarters campus early this morning to join the Hurricane Michael restoration effort at Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative headquartered in Wewahitchka. Gulf Coast’s headquarters is located only 22 miles north east of Mexico Beach. Gulf Coast serves 20,000 members in six North Florida counties, approximately 6,500 or thirty-two percent of its members remain without power.

 

The module who left this morning is the third module of SECO employees sent to the area. On October 11, the day after Hurricane Michael’s landfall, twenty-one SECO employees traveled first to Tri-County Electric Cooperative in Madison to help restore Tri-County’s electric system. Once released, SECO employees joined the restoration effort at Talquin Electric Cooperative headquartered in Quincy. After additional employees joined in the effort, thirty-four SECO employees have been working in Talquin’s territory for over a week.

 

Talquin’s restoration effort is almost complete and the co-op has begun releasing out-of-area crews. Of the employees working on Talquin’s system, twenty-two will return home later today, and four will join the SECO module who left SECO’s headquarters this morning to restore power to Gulf Coast members. The majority of SECO’s overhead and tree trimming contract crews remain in the hurricane ravaged area.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “The restoration effort after Hurricane Michael has been a long, time-consuming process. As a cooperative, SECO believes in helping its neighbors and answering the call when our fellow utilities need assistance. SECO and its employees are honored to be in a position to lend our resources and help where we can.”

 

Duncan added, “Working with energized lines is inherently dangerous, and power restoration after a major hurricane is even more dangerous. In Florida, 35 deaths have been attributed to Hurricane Michael including three of our fellow line personnel who were killed while working in Chipley. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of these linemen. I pray for the safety of our crews and contractors who are working in the area, and for all who are working to rebuild after Hurricane Michael.”

 

Vice President of Operations John LaSelva stated, “Once again, SECO employees are willing to leave their families to work with neighboring utilities to help restore power. When we asked for volunteers, SECO employees didn’t hesitate. They understand how important an everyday necessity like electricity is to these families. Three weeks without electricity is a long time. I am proud of our employees and pray for their safety.”

 

SECO Traveling Module Team Members:

 

• Roy Fort
• Kenny Davis
• Terrill Cuyler
• Paul Gannon
• Adan Ybarra
• David Boone
• Cody Chandler
• Michael Gonzalez
• Logan Land
• Kyle Stephenson
• Justin Little
• Kyle Rich
• Frank Ray
• Matt Akins
• Will Smith
• Jimmy Johns
• Austin Ferguson
• Brian Bailey
• Jimmy Bedgood
• Andy Andrews
• Bill Durham
• Vic Singer
• Mark Cummings
• Wayne Taylor
• Byon Smiddy
• Darren Adkins
• Jeff Jowers
• Robert Scott
• Gary Lamb
• Mark McIntosh
• Vic Keesling
• Brian Jefferson
• Chris Reynolds

 

SECO Energy provides online resources to help families prepare for tropical storms and hurricanes. Visit our Storm Preparation page online to view an emergency checklist, generator safety information and storm preparation tips. 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.

 

“Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates. Visit the Your Co-op page online to learn more about SECO’s corporate citizenship and other community outreach initiatives.

Internship Candidate is 2016 SECO Scholarship Awardee

SECO Energy’s decades-long scholarship program has paid off for the cooperative and the local community. Megan Elliott, a 2016 SECO Energy scholarship awardee, has applied for a summer internship within SECO’s Operations or Engineering departments.

 

Megan graduated from Tavares High School in 2016 and served as class valedictorian. While still in high school, Megan began classes at Lake Sumter State College and earned her Associate of Arts degree before she finished high school. Megan is currently majoring in mechanical engineering at the University of Central Florida and plans to settle in Central Florida after graduation to be near her parents and siblings who are SECO Energy members in the Tavares area.

 

SECO is excited to potentially welcome Megan into to the SECO family. Megan interviewed with Vice President of Operations John LaSelva and Vice President of Engineering Ben Brickhouse to determine which area of engineering will align with her skillset and future career goals. LaSelva and Brickhouse are both encouraged by the concept of an internship with an engineering focus – something that touches both of their departments. The photo makes it clear that Megan’s candidacy is important to both of the Vice Presidents.

 

Vice President of Corporate Services and Human Resources Gregg Morrell stated, “As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO believes in participating in activities that enrich the communities it serves. Offering educational assistance and the potential for future employment opportunities brings local young people and their talents back to Central Florida. SECO looks forward to Megan qualifying and joining the team to begin her hands-on, field-training and work experience in the engineering field.”

 

Morrell added, “It is especially gratifying to watch the scholarship program come full-circle with Megan’s internship possibilities. Megan is a promising young future engineer with a bright career ahead.”

 

SECO Energy’s Board of Trustees has continued its long-standing college scholarship program for 2017. The Board has approved for up to $36,000 in college scholarships be awarded to graduating high school seniors who live in a home served by SECO. There is still time for interested applicants to apply – the application deadline is March 31, 2017.

 

Visit SECO’s Scholarship program page for more details or to print an application. “Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.