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Tag: SECO Scholars

SECO Energy and Dunnellon High School Partner for Energy Careers

SECO Energy and Dunnellon High School in Marion County are working together as Power Partners to develop local students’ interests in energy careers.

 

Dunnellon High School’s Power Generation Academy helps prepare students for the thousands of high-skilled, high-tech, in-demand jobs in the power and energy industry. Upon program completion, students will receive a National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) certification in Power Generation Maintenance as an Industrial Maintenance Technician.

 

To celebrate this Power Partnership, SECO Energy’s Kenny Rodrigue, Manager of Substation and Transmission, and Rina Rivera, Senior Human Resources Generalist, delivered SECO sponsored Power Partner t-shirts, gloves, safety glasses and scrap aluminum for welding. Rodrigue spoke with the students about the utility industry and careers at SECO. Rodrigue and Rivera also discussed the education path required to best prepare students for the energy industry, along with technical knowledge and skills needed for future employment.

 

As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO believes supporting students and schools in local communities is a worthwhile investment. Annually SECO awards $36,000 in scholarships to 12 graduating seniors who live in a home served by the cooperative. In Citrus, Lake, Marion and Sumter Counties, SECO recently contributed $15,500 to the counties’ public education foundations benefitting students and teachers.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “Our partnership with Dunnellon High School’s Power Generation Academy is an exciting opportunity for local students and SECO. The students enrolled in the program are introduced to careers in the utility industry and local utility leadership. For SECO, we lend a hand in cultivating the future work force and possibly offer future employment or internship opportunities at SECO.”

 

Duncan added, “Our local utility offers a variety of career opportunities for students who want to work in a stable environment with competitive compensation while remaining close to family and friends.”

 

Applications for SECO’s 2019 Scholarship Program will be available starting January 2, 2019. Find program criteria and a printable application online on our Scholarship page. Applications are also available through school guidance counselors.

 

“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 News, January 2018

 

Duncan’s Digest

Reliability, Raptors and a River

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2018 marks SECO Energy’s 80th year as a not-for-profit electric cooperative in Central Florida. The cooperative has grown alongside the counties it serves, and now provides safe, affordable, reliable power to 200,000 homes and businesses.

 

63,000 of our 200,000 members reside in Lake County – famous for its vast number of waterways. In fact, almost 20 percent of the county is covered by water. SECO’s Operations crews responsible for building and maintaining SECO facilities must adapt to the unique watery landscape. In the past, crews sometimes installed poles and lines using the most direct route possible, spanning small bodies of water and poles were often installed in standing water.

 

Duncan's Digest January 2018

 

Reminding us of by-gone construction standards, a concrete pole supporting a main feeder line rises out of Tavares’ Dead River. An osprey nesting dish at the top has offered a home for raptors inhabiting Lake County waterways. The longstanding nest on this dish was inactive and had collected years of debris. Recently, rotting debris falling off the dish made contact with the feeder line and caused an outage for 250 members. Operations crews restored power to the affected members in under an hour by temporarily rerouting (aka backfeeding) through a different feeder line.

 

To permanently fix the problem, we needed a complex plan. Crews would replace the damaged equipment and remove the burned debris from the nesting dish – all while suspended 45 feet above the river. Multiple support personnel would be on-site and a rescue boat would be launched in the river. Standard bucket trucks aren’t equipped for this type of job – SECO needed heavy equipment, including a 75-ton crane.

 

Access to the pole was limited and stationing a crane of this size near the marshy river bank was impossible. The pole would have to be accessed from the river overpass on Highway 441. With assistance from the Florida Highway Patrol and permitting from Lake County, the right two lanes were closed after 7 pm. The crane rolled in while SECO personnel set up a roadside job site. The line was grounded and de-energized for safety.

 

Line techs from SECO’s Eustis Operating Center – Nathan Rioux and Brandon Blackmon – volunteered to work from the crane basket suspended over the river while Sumterville line tech Logan Land observed from the rescue boat.

 

Before work commenced, SECO’s Safety Manager was on-site to oversee the security of the crane and basket’s connection. Nathan and Brandon donned their personal protective equipment and inspected their safety harnesses. The basket’s maneuvers were tested while empty and with the team in the basket.

 

Once testing was complete, the hard work began. The team replaced the damaged insulators and spliced in 20 feet of overhead conductor before installing new animal protections. The old nest debris was removed while Logan observed the work from the rescue boat below and watched for alligators and fishing boats.

 

The project took hours but was worth the wait and effort. The power line is reliable again, and with a cleaner, safer dish available, ospreys will soon build anew. Future plans are in the works to redesign this feeder line as an underground service. This enhancement requires a St. John’s Water Management District permit, as SECO plans to bore under the Dead River. The pole will remain in its current location to support existing communications cable and fiber lines belonging to other entities.

 

The pole and nesting dish will stand available for future generations of roosting osprey making their home near the river. This project is just one of many examples of SECO’s support of environmental protection.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jim Duncan

Chief Executive Officer

 

SECO Energy Home Energy Assessment

 

Home Energy Assessment – Increase Your Energy Efficiency IQ

 

MAKE A RESOLUTION to increase your energy efficiency IQ in 2018 and save money on your monthly energy bill with SECO’s online Home Energy Assessment, a whole-house energy audit you can complete from the comfort of your home.

 

SECO’s Home Energy Assessment will help you identify energy wasters. Get started by visiting our Home Energy Assessment page and input the specific details of your home and your family’s lifestyle.

 

In just minutes, SECO will send you an email with low-cost energy-saving tips tailored to your home. Review the energy-saving tips and implement those that best apply to your home and lifestyle. Increasing your home’s energy efficiency will decrease your energy use and ultimately lower your monthly energy bill.

 

For a more in-depth audit of your home’s energy wasters, SECO offers in-home energy audits at no charge. To request an on-site energy audit with one of our Energy Services Specialists, visit our website or give us a call.

 

 

Scholarships 2018

 

2018 SECO Scholarship Program

 

SECO ENERGY is proud to renew its commitment to local, young scholars through its 2018 SECO Scholarship program. SECO will award up to 12 $3,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors who live in a home served by SECO Energy. Our not-for-profit cooperative has awarded scholarships for more than 20 years, contributing over $500,000 to 250+ local students seeking higher education.

 

Who is eligible to apply? High school seniors graduating in the current year (May/June) who live in a home served by SECO Energy. Recipients must be enrolled full-time in an accredited college, university or vocational/technical school located in Florida by the end of 2018.

 

Applications are available beginning January 1 at all Member Service Centers or on our Scholarship page online. Completed applications must be received by 5 p.m. Friday, March 30, 2018. Mail the application to:

 

SECO Energy
Attn: Corporate Communications
P.O. Box 301
Sumterville, FL 33585

 

Applications can also be delivered to a Member Service Center. If you have questions, email Communications@secoenergy.com or call (352) 569-9561. Winners will be notified by phone or mail in late April.

 

 

Correction

 

In December SECO News, January’s Board of Trustees Meeting date was incorrect. The correct date of January’s Board Meeting is January 29, 2018.

 

Read the full January 2018 SECO News here.

 

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.

$36,000 Awarded to Scholarship Recipients

Jim Duncan, CEO of SECO Energy, is congratulating the 12 graduating seniors from SECO’s service territory who have each been awarded a $3,000 scholarship.

 

SECO’s Board of Trustees first approved the scholarship program in 1996. In the 20 years since SECO began awarding the scholarships, it has pledged over $500,000 to 257 deserving high school seniors that live in the communities it serves.

 

“As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, Concern for Community is one of the seven cooperative principles that is near and dear to all of us here at SECO. I am thankful that our Board of Trustees has approved the continuance of the scholarship program for 20 years. As a business leader, it is exciting to meet future leaders first-hand as they begin to achieve their goals for their future,” said Duncan.

 

SECO Energy Scholarship, $36,000 Awarded to Scholarship Recipients

 

SECO’s Board of Trustees President Ray Vick looks forward to meeting the 2016 scholarship awardees. “As the Board President, I am proud that SECO continues to enable young people in the community to begin their career path by assisting in their education expenses. SECO has a number of technology focused careers available and I hope to have the opportunity to work with some of our scholarship awardees in the future.”

 

The applicants were evaluated based on their scholastic achievements, school and community service activities, and financial need. The 12 SECO scholarship awardees for 2016 are:

 

SECO Scholars

  • Merari Flores Saldana from Ocala – West Port High School
  • Megan M. Elliott from Tavares – Tavares High School
  • Citlali Barragan-Hernandez from Summerfield — Belleview High School
  • James C. Cato from Summerfield — Lake Weir High School
  • Cayley L. Buckner from Silver Springs – West Port High School
  • Melissa L. Moreno from Ocala – West Port High School
  • Shelby C. Smith from Webster – South Sumter High School
  • Ana J. Mata from Summerfield — Belleview High School
  • Elijah T. Hughes from Bushnell – South Sumter High School
  • Karla G. Carvajal from Wildwood – Wildwood Middle-High School
  • Raul A. Bayas from Ocala – Vanguard High School
  • Richanda M. Pierre from Ocala – West Port High School

The applicants were judged by SECO Energy’s Scholarship Committee of independent educators. The Committee chose 12 outstanding seniors based on the application materials each student submitted. Scholarship awardees and their families will be honored at a special reception at SECO Energy’s headquarters building in Sumterville on Monday, May 23, at 4:00 p.m.