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May 6, 2008 - Dublin ISD, Lingleville ISD Receive Energy
Efficiency Grants
Through the newly created EnergySmarts Grant Program, United Cooperative Services is providing much-needed grant funding to eligible schools and/or independent school districts served by the electric cooperative for the installation and implementation of energy efficiency measures. United director Larry Bays presented two this month, one to Dublin ISD for $4,300 and the other to Lingleville ISD in the amount of $5,000.
Dublin ISD will use the grant to pay for 30 new energy efficient T8 fluorescent light fixtures in each of its high school’s two gyms. According to Dublin ISD, this will alleviate the need to turn on all of the current 400-watt halide fixtures, which are significantly less efficient.
“It’s great that a business like United, focused on providing electricity, is helping Dublin ISD reduce its usage and preserving our way of life,” said Dublin ISD Superintendent Roy Neff. “We hope this will help us meet the 5 percent energy reduction goal that the state is requiring of schools,” he added.
Lingleville ISD will use the grant for a number of projects, including installation of programmable thermostats and energy efficient T8 fluorescent fixtures throughout the building. In addition, it will apply some of the grant toward installing an energy efficient air conditioner for its computer room. Currently, the school must use a large, higher use cooling unit.
We’re excited that
United Cooperative Services is taking the lead in the community on
energy conservation,” said Lingleville ISD Superintendent Dennis Hughes.
“We’re certainly going to enjoy the savings this grant will provide now
and down the line,” he added. “We’ve needed to do these upgrades for a
long time, but didn’t have the means.”
United Cooperative
Services is committed to helping members use energy more wisely through
greater efficiency and conservation. For several years, educating
“With Texas H.B. 3693 requiring schools to set energy conservation and reduction goals, our EnergySmarts Grant program can benefit the schools we serve in our communities,” said United CEO Ray Beavers.
Schools seeking an EnergySmarts Grant must complete the EnergySmarts Grant Application, including a description of the proposed energy efficiency upgrades. The application is available on United’s Web site, www.united-cs.com.
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April 25, 2008 - United Cooperative Services to Award $87,000 in Scholarships in 2008
Demonstrating its commitment to the communities it serves, this summer United Cooperative Services will award $87,000 in Energy Scholarship Awards to 70 students who are members of the cooperative. United’s scholarship award program was created to encourage and assist in the educational pursuits of the co-op’s members and their families. United will award 67 scholarships valued at $1,000 each. Three additional scholarships will be awarded: two scholarships valued at $5,000 each and one scholarship valued at $10,000.
“As a member-owned electric co-op, United is committed to informing members that getting power from a not-for-profit cooperative has its privileges,” said United CEO Ray Beavers. “Our scholarship award program is one of the most telling ways we demonstrate to the members and communities we serve that we look out for their best interests,” he added.
The scholarship application process will begin May 1, 2008, and end June 6, 2008. Applications will not be accepted after June 6. Applications must be filled out online at United’s Web site: www.united-cs.com. Graduating high school seniors must meet a number of criteria, which includes being an active member of United or a dependent of parents or legal guardians who are active United members at their principle residence. Additional criteria can be obtained online at the United Web site. More than 20 years ago, United Cooperative Services awarded its first scholarships to local high school students and returning college students. United made the funds available with the idea in mind to reinvest into the communities it serves. In those first years, United awarded one scholarship to one student at each high school in its service area. “United is serious when it comes to meeting its obligation to educate the young members in our communities about the unique advantages of being served by an electric co-op,” said United Board President Jack McCaslin. “In representing the interests of the United membership, the United board of directors, through this scholarship application process, strives to help these young people learn more about the cooperative way of doing business, while also showing that United is more than just an electricity provider,” added McCaslin. In 1997, new funds were made available by House Bill 3203, which allows not-for-profit electric cooperatives like United to put unclaimed member dividends to use for student scholarships. This change in the law allowed United to take advantage of money previously lost to the state’s general revenue fund and reinvest it locally, where it would have a greater impact on the people United serves. In 2007, United awarded $86,000 in Energy Scholarship awards. Designated for 69 recipients, the scholarships were representative of the number of years United has served members in this area. Of the 69 students to receive scholarships, 66 students won a $1,000 scholarship, two winners accepted $5,000 college scholarships and one fortunate student won a $10,000 college scholarship!
To date, more than 720 students have
received United scholarships totaling more than $760,000 in award money.
Winners are chosen from numerous applicants area-wide based on financial
need, leadership, community involvement and school activities. |
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April 24, 2008 - United Crews Restore Power to 7,500 Members in Less than 24 hours CLEBURNE—Severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and hail hammered the service territory of United Cooperative Services last night, leaving approximately 7,500 members without power at the height of the storm. The storms were indiscriminate in their devastation, knocking down lines and poles throughout the electric co-op’s 14-county service territory. By 1:30 a.m. today, United line crew restoration efforts had whittled the number of outages down to roughly 5,000 members. By 8 a.m. the number of members still without power totaled nearly 2,000, at 1:30 p.m. there were 1,200 members without power, and at 5 p.m. only about 220 members remained without power. United crews will continue to work to restore power to the remaining outages as quickly and as safely as possible. “This
is one of the most challenging outages our cooperative has ever
encountered,” said United CEO Ray Beavers. “The sheer volume of
individual outages surpasses anything our crews and customer service
reps have ever faced. That’s why I’m so proud of the way our employees
have tackled such a test and have restored power to more than 7,000
members in less than 24 hours,” added Beavers. |
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| Howard Named Senior VP of System Engineering, McCollum Promoted to VP of Operations | ||||||
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CLEBURNE—United Cooperative Services CEO Ray Beavers today promoted
two longtime employees to leadership positions within the electric
co-op. Announced at the co-op’s monthly employee meeting, Quentin Howard
was promoted to Senior Vice President of System Engineering/Operations
and Murray McCollum was promoted to Vice President of Operations.
“Nothing pleases me more than to play a role in helping someone grow,”
said Beavers. “Ever since I started at United, Quentin has exceeded all
of the expectations I’ve placed on him and has grown to be one of the
most important leaders of this great organization,” he added. Howard began his career at the co-op in 1992 at the former Erath County Electric Cooperative, which consolidated with Johnson County Electric Cooperative (JCEC) in 2000 to create United Cooperative Services. His main areas of concern cover field engineering, staking, meter reading, delinquent collections and administration of construction contractors. Howard earned his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University.
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| March 12, 2008 - Morgan Mill ISD Receives Energy Efficiency Grant | ||||||
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$5,000 grant from United Cooperative Services to help control heating and cooling costs.
“There is no circulation in our gym, so the heat hovers at the ceiling,” said Edwards. “The objective is to reduce the amount of heat used in the winter, and to reduce the cooling in the hotter months. The manufacturer of the fan told us that some of its customers have gotten as much as a 30 percent reduction in heating costs because of the fan,” added Edwards.
United Cooperative Services is committed to helping members use energy more wisely through greater efficiency and conservation. For several years, educating members on how to manage energy consumption has been a top priority for the cooperative, a position that is now garnering attention from the state Legislature.
“With Texas H.B. 3693 requiring schools to set energy conservation and reduction goals, our EnergySmarts Grant program is the shot in the arm that the schools in our community need,” said United CEO Ray Beavers.
Schools seeking an
EnergySmarts Grant must complete the EnergySmarts Grant Application,
including a description of the proposed energy efficiency upgrades. The
application is available on United’s Web site,
www.united-cs.com.
As of March 12, only eight grants remain. |
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February 19, 2008 - Students Eligible for United Cooperative Services’ Washington, D.C., Youth Trip |
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CLEBURNE – United Cooperative Services has launched its promotion of a truly unique educational opportunity for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors — the 2008 Government-in-Action Youth Tour. United Cooperative Services seeks high school applicants for the 2008 Washington Youth Tour. This spring, United will host a contest to select four lucky students from our service area to fly to Washington, D.C., this summer for an all expenses-paid, weeklong trip with more than 1,400 other students from across the country. “Each year, we look forward to providing the high school students in our communities this opportunity of a lifetime.,” said United CEO Ray Beavers. “It demonstrates our commitment to these young people—the future leaders of our state and our country—and gives them a front row seat to witness democracy in action and a tour of some of our nation’s most important monuments,” he said. Sophomores, juniors, or seniors who attend a school or live in United’s service area are eligible to apply for the trip of a lifetime. Along with team-building and leadership activities, students have the opportunity to learn more about how their U.S. government operates. The purpose of the Youth Tour is three-fold:
Applications can be completed online at www.united-cs.com. All applications must be completed and returned to United Cooperative Services by March 10, 2008. Youth Tour participants are selected through a written test and short interview. This contest is open to high school sophomores, juniors and seniors who attend a high school full-time in United’s service area. The applicant is not required to be a member of United Cooperative Services. Winners of any past Youth Tour are not eligible to enter and immediate family members of United employees or directors are not eligible to enter. Applications must be submitted no later than March 10, 2008. The Youth Tour aligns with Cooperative Principle #5, which obligates co-ops to educate the public, the membership and elected leaders about the distinct characteristics of the electric cooperative way of doing business. |
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| January 21, 2008 - United Director Billy Poland Retires After 31 Years of Service | ||||||
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CLEBURNE, TEXAS—United
Cooperative Services Director Billy Poland
retired today after serving on the electric cooperative’s board for 31
years. During hi One of the most noteworthy decisions made during Poland’s years of service was the 2000 consolidation of JCEC and neighboring Erath County Electric Cooperative. Through the process, Poland’s contributions in helping to fulfill this endeavor directly led to the improved efficiencies of both former cooperatives. As a result of the consolidation, United is consistently rated one of the most efficiently operated electric cooperatives in the nation. “United wouldn’t be where it is today, nor would it be regarded so highly, if not for the contributions and leadership of Billy Poland,” said United Board President Jack McCaslin. “Throughout his years of service on this board, many of them as board president, Billy could always be counted on to focus on the needs of the membership first and foremost, a characteristic that is contagious throughout United’s board and employee group,” said McCaslin. Born in Crowley, Texas, Poland has resided in Bono for more than 40 years, where he’s a retired dairy representative who has spent recent years farming and baling hay. He was instrumental in the formation of the North Texas Milk Producers, Inc. (now known as Associated Milk Producers, Inc.), for which he was a voting delegate during the mid-1970s. He is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and Masonic Lodge, was a board member for the former Nolan River Volunteer Fire Department and serves as president of the Bono Cemetery Association. He is also a past director of Brazos Electric Cooperative. “I have no doubt
that United is a much better organization, that the membership has
benefited greatly, and that the cooperative is poised for a strong
future because of the role Billy Poland played on the co-op’s board of
directors,” said United CEO Ray Beavers. “It’s been a pleasure working
with someone so dedicated to the cooperative business model and he will
be sorely missed,” added Beavers. |
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January 16, 2008 - United CEO Beavers Receives National Award for Communication Leadership |
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CLEBURNE, TEXAS—Ray Beavers, chief executive officer of United Cooperative Services, Cleburne, Texas, yesterday won the 2008 J.C. Brown CEO Communication Leadership Award conferred by the electric co-op industry’s Spotlight on Excellence Awards program.
Beavers was presented the award during the
CEO Close-Up, an annual conference for chief executives a
“I accept this award on behalf of the best 150 people I could ever imagine working with—United’s employees,” said Beavers. “This is one of the greatest honors I have received and I’m humbled by the recognition,” he added.
The competition’s judges noted Beavers’ strong support of the cooperative’s ongoing information and education campaign about the cooperative business model targeted NRECA
CEO Glenn English Presents 2008 J.C. Brown toward members, news media and the general public. Beavers created a vice president of communication position, added other communication professionals and devoted significant resources to increase communications outreach. In addition, all employees who frequently interact with members are continually trained to communicate the cooperative difference while performing their professional duties.
Beavers was credited for his leadership in conducting quarterly member satisfaction surveys to evaluate member awareness of and satisfaction with the cooperative’s service and to measure the cooperative’s effectiveness in communicating the merits of the cooperative business model. The judges noted Beavers’ directive that the communication function be included in each department’s strategic objectives and that the cooperative’s staff should assess communication activity, recommend improvements and provide members and the public a “real world” view of industry-related issues, including potential shortfalls in generation capacity and communicating the importance of energy conservation.
Judges’ comments included – “Beavers’ leadership in identifying United Cooperative Services as an electric cooperative and ensuring that every employee uses every opportunity to communicate the advantages of co-op membership are management best practices. ...United’s employee newsletter contains educational articles about the foundational principles set forth by the Seven Cooperative Principles. …The cooperative’s willingness to fund communication and advertising initiatives and the CEO’s readiness to talk with news and information media are hallmarks of proactive communication. …The cooperative’s overall member satisfaction ranking is high. Survey results correlate members’ interest in energy efficiency and the cooperative’s communication about that topic with higher member satisfaction scores.” “Communications at cooperatives is as important now as it ever has been in my 31 years in this great program,” said Beavers. “But I think, working together, cooperatives will always be the class of the electric utility industry; we just need to continue to tell our story,” he added. The J.C. Brown CEO Communication Leadership Award is a major component of the Spotlight on Excellence Awards, which recognize electric cooperative excellence in communication and marketing. The Spotlight program is sponsored by the Council of Rural Electric Communicators, a volunteer group of communication professionals working with NRECA and other national co-op organizations to advance the recognition, education and professionalism of electric cooperative communicators. The Council also sponsors a National Orientation for New Communicators, and the Certified Cooperative Communicator (CCC) credential, a certification program administered by a separate board of certified communicators. The award memorializes J.C. Brown, a true champion of cooperative business. Brown served as editor and publisher of both RE Magazine and Rural Electric News Letter, the predecessor of Electric Co-op Today, and retired from NRECA in 1993 as publications director. Earlier he was chief executive of North Carolina’s association of electric cooperatives and edited the statewide magazine Carolina Country. He died in 1999, leaving a legacy of unwavering dedication to communication as a vital link connecting electric cooperatives with each other and with their consumer-owners, and to advancing the cooperative business model.
The panel of judges consisted of
communication and management experts in academia, business and industry,
including cooperative electric utilities. Presenting the award to
Beavers were Keith Stapleton, Chief Communication Officer, Sam Houston
EC, Livingston, Texas, and Allegra Brigham, Chief Executive Officer,
4-County Electric Power Association, Columbus, Mississippi. Also
participating in the ceremony was NRECA CEO Glenn English. |
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January 9, 2007 - United Launches
EnergySmarts Grant Program in 2008
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CLEBURNE—Through the newly created EnergySmarts Grant Program, United Cooperative Services will provide grant funding to eligible schools and/or independent school districts served by the electric cooperative for the installation and implementation of energy efficiency measures. Up to 10 EnergySmarts grants will be distributed to qualifying facilities and cover up to a maximum of $5,000.
United Cooperative Services is committed to helping members use energy more wisely through greater efficiency and conservation. For several years, educating members on how to manage energy consumption has been a top priority for the cooperative and some of the best venues to expand its energy conservation initiative is in the educational institutions it serves.
“Our EnergySmarts grants will help schools implement projects to help offset rising energy costs, reduce energy consumption, protect our environment and help ease the state's growing demand for electricity,” said United CEO Ray Beavers.
To emphasize United’s commitment to conservation and to help educate school personnel about the merits of operating more efficiently, pre-installation energy audits will be required to identify and validate potential energy conservation measures, respective costs, energy savings and estimated payback periods. All projects should be completed within one year of accepting the grant.
Schools seeking an EnergySmarts Grant must complete the EnergySmarts Grant Application, including a description of the proposed energy efficiency upgrades. The application is available on United’s Web site, www.united-cs.com. Once the proper documents have been submitted, United’s energy experts will conduct a pre-retrofit evaluation. Grant recipients will be required to submit proper documentation noting goals and tasks or deliverables.
United will consider grant applications on two occasions throughout the year. The deadlines for submitting EnergySmarts grant applications are:
One of the criteria of the program is to devote time to educating students about energy conservation, explaining to them the merits of the energy efficient retrofits being undertaken by the grant recipients.
After schools have completed energy efficient upgrades, United experts will provide a post-retrofit evaluation as a way of giving the schools peace of mind that their investment in energy efficiency will.
“Our
commitment to helping members with their energy use is clearly evident
in our residential and business sectors as we are continuously providing
useful information on ways to manage consumption,” said Beavers. “We
think it makes just as much sense to help the schools we serve in the
same fashion and that’s what our EnergySmarts Grants will accomplish,”
he added. |
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| November 27, 2007 - New Co-op Connections Program Offers Value to United Members | ||||||
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CLEBURNE – United
Cooperative Services this week launched a program that offers further
proof that being a member of an electric cooperative has its advantages.
As a distribution cooperative, United never stop looking for ways to
help members control their energy costs. Through a national program,
however, United has an opportunity to help its members save
money---possibly significant sums of money---while also demonstrating
another benefit of being a member of an electric co-op and showing that
United looks out for its members’ best interests. The Co-op Connections card, a new member benefit program introduced this week to United Cooperative Services members, is designed to deliver added value to cooperative members. United is implementing this program in conjunction with the other co-ops across the nation.
A free offering for co-op members and participating businesses, the program benefits cooperative members by offering valuable discounts at participating local and national businesses. At the same time, those businesses benefit from increased customer visits by co-op members participating in the program.
United members received their Co-op Connections cards in the mail this week. Once the member has signed the back of the card, it may be used at participating businesses locally and nationwide. Co-op members can get a flavor for which businesses are participating in the Co-op Connections program by logging on to United’s Web site: www.united-cs.com. More than 100 local businesses have signed up to participate in United’s program, including dentists, car washes, florists, restaurants, chiropractors and many more.
It will be easy to pick out which local businesses are participating. Look for the Co-op Connections stickers in their windows. Whenever a Co-op Connections customer — whether from United or from one of the hundreds of Touchstone Energy electric co-ops across the country — shows their card at a participating business, they receive a discount. The card has a new pharmacy discount associated with it, too. Members will save 10-60 percent on prescriptions at more than 48,000 national and regional pharmacy chain stores, including Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreens, Target and many more—thanks to a deal with New Benefits, a nationally recognized provider of noninsured health benefits. The discounts may also be available at many locally owned pharmacies. “The Co-op Connections
card is a valuable tool that creates an even greater sense of membership
and reinforces United Cooperative Services longstanding commitment to
community,” said United CEO Ray Beavers. “While helping our members
reduce energy costs is a primary goal for United, our hope is that, by
using the card, a member could save the equivalent of one month’s
electric bill using the Co-op Connections Card,” said Beavers. “This
program is truly a win-win for our members and the participating
businesses in our local communities,” he added. |
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| November 1, 2007 - United Recognized for Exceptional Service | ||||||
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The most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey reinforced that United employees continue to deliver when it comes to meeting members’ needs. United received a satisfaction rating of 87, higher than any of the nation’s top 30 investor-owned energy utilities. United’s score also is consistently higher than nearly all of the electric cooperatives participating in the ACSI survey.
“I’m proud of our employees because day in and day out they demonstrate that they take their jobs seriously in serving our membership,” said United CEO Ray Beavers. “The employees consistently outdo their industry counterparts in customer satisfaction and that’s because they stay focused on United’s objective to provide the best service possible,” he added.
Each quarter, United’s members are surveyed by a third-party research organization. Survey responses are submitted to the ACSI, which provides a score for participating companies based on a 100-point scale. The index, managed by the University of Michigan’s Business School and sponsored by the American Society for Quality, measures customer satisfaction in 16 major industries and 190 leading corporations.
“Our industry is in
transition,” said Beavers. “The general public has a sour perception of
energy-related organizations, and I truly believe that we’re able to
capture these high ACSI scores because the employees always keep the
members’ interests at the forefront of what we do. And, more
importantly, the employees are always striving to score higher,” said
Beavers. |
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October 18, 2007 -
United
Cooperative Services Informs Members on Industry Issues at 69th
Annual Meeting Directors Bays and Rollins Re-Elected to Co-op Board |
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More than 2,000 United Cooperative Services members and their guests descended on the Glen Rose High School Auditorium (Glen Rose, Texas) Oct. 16 to participate in the 69th Annual Meeting of the electric co-op’s membership. Voting on site and by mail-in ballot, two United board directors were re-elected to three-year terms. Board Vice President Larry Bays was re-elected to represent the co-op’s members in District 8 (Southwestern Erath, Hamilton, & Bosque Counties). Board member Johnnie Rollins was re-elected to serve the members in District 7 (Lake Granbury Area & Northeast Hood County). “Larry Bays and Johnnie Rollins have been integral in shaping the direction of United Cooperative Services,” said United CEO Ray Beavers. “The members they represent have benefited immensely by the excellent decisions both have made while serving on the board and I look forward to their exceptional leadership as we continue down the path of success,” he added. Meeting attendees heard utility industry perspectives from Beavers and Board President Jack McCaslin on a range of topics, including Texas’ shrinking electric capacity reserves, economic and political issues influencing the direction the industry is going, and the significance energy conservation will play in addressing the future of the state’s utility market. “There just aren’t enough power plants to meet the growing demand in Texas,” Beavers explained to meeting attendees. “It’s simple economics, when supply is outweighed by demand, the price of power on the open market will rise.” Beavers clarified that while United’s rate of distributing power has been essentially flat since 2001 (currently at 3.2 cents/kwh), the price for energy that United purchases from power supplier Brazos Electric Cooperative has continually climbed (currently at about 8 cents/kwh). National and statewide capacity deficiencies are evident today. Therefore, without new generation and more efficient utilization of Texas’ existing fleet of power plants, not only will the price for electricity rise, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (which oversees Texas’ electric grid) has forecasted that North Texans could be subjected to controlled outages by as early as 2009, said Beavers.
“That’s why three years ago, United made a commitment to help members reduce power costs through conservation and that’s why tonight we handed out more than 1,500 energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs to help our members get started.” Because of the electric capacity scenario, United also offers free home energy audits to its members, having conducted more than 1,000 since 2003. But that’s not good enough for United’s board and management, said Beavers. The co-op has a goal of providing free energy audits for each of its 50,000 members, he said.McCaslin assured the members that the co-op’s board and employees would continue to look out for the members as they have done for 69 years. He also reported that as a result of the co-op’s fiscal diligence, it was able to return more than $3.1 million in member dividends in 2007 and that the co-op’s financial strength will continue to benefit the membership.“We at United—the board,
management and employees—will continue to provide the strong leadership
and direction necessary to position United Cooperative Services to meet
tomorrow’s energy challenges,” said McCaslin.
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September 21, 2007 -
UCS Returns $3.1 Million
to its Membership
United Cooperative Services margins shared with the consumers who benefit from its service. |
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United Cooperative Services today distributed member dividend checks totaling more than $3.1 million to current and former member-owners in parts of 14 counties adjacent to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. As a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, the member dividends (referred to as “capital credits” by other electric co-ops) represent the member-owners’ return on equity in United Cooperative Services.“For-profit utilities serve two masters—their shareholders and then their customers. In an electric cooperative, they’re one in the same,” said United CEO Ray Beavers. “The electric cooperative business model, by its very nature, is defined as one owned by the people who benefit from its service. Nothing demonstrates that our members are owners more clearly and succinctly than when they receive a member dividend check,” emphasized Beavers.“On behalf of the United Cooperative Services board of directors, which clearly understands and exudes the merits of the cooperative business model, it’s a privilege for United to return more than $3.1 million in member dividends to approximately 180,000 present and former member-owners,” said Beavers.Electric cooperatives presently have only one primary source of equity capital, that which is contributed by the members. Member equity is the essential tool for United to build, maintain, and upgrade the facilities necessary in providing the reliable, economical electric service its members have grown accustomed to receiving from their electric cooperative. Since 2000, United has returned more than $20 million in member dividends to current and former members.
“When members pay their electric bill each month, they’re not only paying for the reliable service, but investing in the company in which they partly own,” said Beavers. “As a result of that equity stake in the business, United members share in cooperative margins, meaning that after paying for all operating costs for the fiscal year, members may receive a part of the money left over, which comes in the form of a member dividend check,” added Beavers.United’s electric rates are among the lowest in North Texas—something the co-op hopes its members are as proud about as United’s 151 employees and the eight board members who direct the policies that exemplify what a member-owned electric cooperative embodies. “Receiving a member dividend demonstrates how United Cooperative Services really is united with and committed to its members,” said United Board President Jack McCaslin. “The board takes its responsibility seriously in representing United’s 50,000 members and will continue to do so with integrity, accountability, innovation and our longstanding commitment to community,” added McCaslin. |
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| August 15, 2007 - United Scores Top Customer Satisfaction Score in Utilities Industry | ||||||
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Members of United Cooperative Services know about good service, because they receive it every day from their electric co-op. And, according to the second quarter 2007 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey, they’re willing to talk about it.
With a score of 87 on a 100-point scale, United Cooperative Services was 15 points higher than the industry average and six points better than the combined score for all Touchstone Energy cooperatives when it comes to customer satisfaction. The second quarter also showed an improvement over last quarter’s ACSI score of 86. The top investor-owned utility score belonged to Southern Company, which scored 83. In Texas, TXU continued its run of "below industry average" scores, collecting an abysmal 64 in the second quarter.
“We’re fortunate to serve a membership that recognizes our efforts,” said United CEO Ray Beavers. “Our employees consistently deliver the highest-quality service to our members,” he said. “However, one of the best qualities of United employees is their unwillingness to rest on their laurels. They’re always striving to be better, which separates us from other utilities,” Beavers said.
United measures satisfaction each quarter to ensure members are receiving the high level of service that the co-op is committed to providing. The ACSI, sponsored by the American Society for Quality and administered by the business school at the University of Michigan, tracks consumer satisfaction levels across 16 industries and 190 corporations. |
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August 4, 2007 - Ray Beavers Elected Vice Chair of Texas Electric Cooperatives Board of Directors |
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Ray Beavers, CEO/general manager of United Cooperative Services, has been elected vice chair of the board of directors of Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC). The statewide organization serves 74 electric cooperatives in Texas. TEC members voted to elect Beavers on August 1 during TEC’s 67th Annual Membership Meeting in Austin.
“I am flattered to have been chosen to serve our association in this role,” Beavers said. “I look forward to coordinating with other electric cooperatives during this critical time of great growing demand coupled with generation and transmission restraints. To meet the need, we will work with our members and educate them about the important role they play in energy-efficiency and conservation. As usual, Texas’ cooperatives will do all that we can to ensure that reliable and affordable power is there for our member-consumers.”
Beavers has been the general manager at United since 1999. He served as CEO of Southwest Rural Electric Association in Tipton, Okla., from 1987 to 1999, and has worked with Cotton Electric Cooperative in Walters, Okla., and the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives.
Beavers and his wife, Pat, have three sons: Brandon, Brady and Blake. |
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| August 3, 2007 - United Honors 2007 Scholarship Recipients at Local Banquet | ||||||
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More than 230 people descended on the Cleburne Civic Center Aug. 2 as United Cooperative Services awarded $86,000 in scholarships to 69 students during a celebration banquet. As an electric cooperative committed to the communities it serves, United’s scholarship award program was created to encourage and assist in the educational pursuits of the co-op’s members and their families.
“As a local, member-owned electric co-op, United Cooperative Services is committed to the communities we serve,” said United CEO Ray Beavers. “Our scholarship award program demonstrates how we look out for our members’ best interests and that being part of an electric cooperative has advantages that go far beyond reliable electric service,” he added.
Scholarship recipients came from Alvarado, Burleson, Cleburne, Cranfills Gap, Dublin, Glen Rose, Godley, Graford, Granbury, Grandview, Hico, Joshua, Mansfield, Meridian, Strawn, Stephenville, Tolar and Venus. In 1997, new funds were made available by House Bill 3203, which allows not-for-profit electric cooperatives like United to put unclaimed member dividends to use for student scholarships. This change in the law allowed United to take advantage of money previously lost to the state’s general revenue fund and reinvest it locally, where it would have a greater impact on the people United serves. At the award banquet, 66 students received $1,000 scholarships, while two winners accepted $5,000 college scholarships and one fortunate student received a $10,000 scholarship. The $5,000 awards went to Margaret Bivins from Grandview and B.J. Hill from Stephenville. Mikka Moncrief, from Stephenville, received the $10,000 college scholarship. To date, more than 700 students have received United scholarships totaling more than $760,000 in award money. Winners are chosen from numerous applicants area-wide based on financial need, leadership, community involvement and school activities.
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August 3, 2007 -
United
Redistricts Service Territory Move Will Not Affect Service to Any Member |
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CLEBURNE – In an effort to streamline efficiencies and control costs, the United Cooperative Services Board of Directors made redistricting amendments to the bylaws during its July 2007 board meeting. In accordance with the bylaws, all members were notified of the redistricting through a mailer postmarked July 27, 2007. The redistricting does not and will not affect the service enjoyed by all of United’s existing members.
The cooperative’s board considered the efficiencies and the economies which might be realized as a consequence of reducing the number of directorate districts from 9 to 8, while still protecting members’ board representation. The board concluded that such a reduction of the number of districts and reconfiguration of the districts are in the best interests of the cooperative. Redistricting does not reduce United’s service territory. Simply put, one of the nine previous districts (district 7) has been reconfigured into the eight remaining districts.
“United is a not-for-profit electric cooperative utility and, because of this, United’s board and management continually search for ways to control expenses,” said United Vice President of Communications Marty Haught. “By doing so, members can rest assured that every effort is made so that they can continue receiving unmatched service at the lowest possible cost.”
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| JULY 3, 2007 - UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES RECEIVES RURAL FRIENDS/ACRE AWARD | ||||||
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United Cooperative Services recently received the Most Members Award from Rural Friends/ACRE (Action Committee for Rural Electrification). The co-op boasts 250 ACRE members, including 100 percent of its employees. Rural Friends/ACRE is a nonpartisan political action committee (PAC) that represents the interests of Texas’ 74 consumer-owned electric distribution and generation and transmission cooperatives. The PAC helps supporters of electric cooperatives who are seeking election to the Texas Legislature and U.S. Congress—those who will speak for and protect the interests of electric co-op consumers.
The honor was presented at a luncheon July 31 during Texas Electric Cooperatives’ 67th Annual Meeting, held this year in Austin.
This year, Texas ACRE membership grew to more than 3,200 for the first time, ranking Texas third in members nationwide.
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| July 14, 2007 - UCS Mourns the Loss of Director Paul Wilkerson | ||||||
United Cooperative
Services Director Paul Wilkerson passed away July 13, 2007, after a
heroic battle with cancer. Throughout his many years of service as a
director, Mr.
Wilkerson helped to establish policies for the former Erath County
Electric Cooperative, then United Cooperative Services after the 2000
consolidation with Johnson County Electric Cooperative. During his
tenure on the board of directors, Wilkerson’s thoughtful and caring
devotion to the co-op and its members led United to be one of the most
successful and immensely respected electric cooperatives in the United
States.“The United Cooperative Services family grieves the loss of not only one of the best co-op directors in the country, but also one of the finest human beings I’ve had the privilege of knowing,” said United CEO Ray Beavers. “Paul Wilkerson embodied all that is decent and good and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family,” added Beavers.
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June
27, 2007 - Snake Spurs Brief Outage in Stephenville |
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CLEBURNE – A brief power outage occurred last night in Stephenville due to a snake making its way onto a transformer at the Norfolk Substation north of Stephenville. The outage lasted only 12 minutes as crews from Brazos Electric, which owns and maintains the substations serving United’s members, quickly addressed the problem and restored power. Approximately 1,600 members were affected by the outage. Thunderstorms and heavy rainfall were the culprits for several scattered outages across United’s service territory last night, too. United crews were able to restore power to more than 400 members throughout the night. The storm cell is forecasted to linger over North Texas for several days and could lead to additional outages. If an outage occurs, United crews will work to restore power as safely and quickly as possible. While looking out for the members is United’s number one priority, it’s essential for each member to do their part to ensure a safe environment. During a loss of electricity, members of United Cooperative Services should call their area office and report the outage: Cleburne 817-556-4000 |
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| June 13, 2007 - Brazos Electric Performs Transmission Line Maintenance | ||||||
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CLEBURNE – Brazos Electric
Cooperative, which generates and transmits power for United Cooperative
Services, yesterday performed maintenance on a high-voltage transmission
line feeding two of the power supplier’s substations. The transmission
line brings power from Brazos to the Georges Creek and New Hope
substations near Glen Rose. During the maintenance, power blinks were
possible. |
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May 3, 2007 - Severe Storms Responsible for Widespread Outages |
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CLEBURNE – Severe
thunderstorms, heavy rains, flooding and raging winds last night wreaked
havoc across United Cooperative Services’ territory, forcing outages to
approximately 8,000 members. Winds, reportedly in excess of 80 mph,
United Line Crew Foreman Tim Timmons works during the night to restore power near Rio Vista.
“This is the worst storm-related damage I’ve witnessed in my 15 years with this cooperative,” said United Vice President of System Engineering Quentin Howard. “For that very reason, I’m extremely impressed by the restoration efforts of all of our employees, from customer service reps, to dispatch to the line crews,” he adds.
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April 30, 2007 - United Cooperative Services to Award $86,000 in Scholarships in 2007 |
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Applications accepted online May 1 - June 8 As an electric cooperative committed to the communities it serves, this summer United Cooperative Services will award $86,000 in Energy Scholarship Awards to 69 students who are members of the cooperative. United’s scholarship award program was created to encourage and assist in the educational pursuits of the co-op’s members and their families.
“As a member-owned electric co-op, it’s essential to demonstrate how getting your power from a not-for-profit cooperative has numerous advantages,” said United CEO Ray Beavers. “Our scholarship award program is simply another way for United Cooperative Services to show the members and communities we serve that we look out for their best interests,” he added.
The scholarship application process will begin May 1, 2007, and end at 5 p.m., June 8, 2007. Applications will not be accepted after June 8. Applications must be filled out online at United’s Web site: www.united-cs.com. Graduating high school seniors must meet a number of criteria, which includes being an active member of United or a dependent of parents or legal guardians who are active United members at their principle residence. Additional criteria can be obtained online at the United Web site. More than 19 years ago, United Cooperative Services awarded its first scholarships to local high school students and returning college students. United made the funds available with the idea in mind to reinvest into the communities it serves. In those first years, United awarded one scholarship to one student at each high school in its service area. “Electric co-ops are obligated to educate the young members in their communities about the unique benefits of electric cooperative utilities,” said Beavers. “Our hope is that, through this scholarship application process, these young people learn more about the cooperative way of doing business—that we’re more than just electricity providers,” he added. In 1997, new funds were made available by House Bill 3203, which allows not-for-profit electric cooperatives like United to put unclaimed member dividends to use for student scholarships. This change in the law allowed United to take advantage of money previously lost to the state’s general revenue fund and reinvest it locally, where it would have a greater impact on the people United serves. In 2006, United awarded $85,000 in Energy Scholarship awards. Designated for 68 recipients, the scholarships were representative of the number of years United has served members in this area. Of the 68 students to receive scholarships, 65 students won a $1,000 scholarship, two winners accepted $5,000 college scholarships and one fortunate student won a $10,000 college scholarship! To date, more than 660 students have received United scholarships totaling more than $680,000 in award money. Winners are chosen from numerous applicants area-wide based on financial need, leadership, community involvement and school activities. In 2007, United will award 66 scholarships valued at $1,000 each. Three additional scholarships will be awarded: two scholarships valued at $5,000 each and one scholarship valued at $10,000. |
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April 25, 2007 - Severe Storms Knock Out Power in Granbury |
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Cleburne and Burleson also
affected CLEBURNE – Severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall pummeled parts of United Cooperative Services’ territory last night, causing outages to more than 1,600 members. The lion’s share of the outages occurred in the early stages of the storm in the Granbury area. The National Weather Service was reportedly sending survey teams to the affected areas to determine whether damage was caused by high winds or, in fact, a tornado was the culprit.
The storms also affected several hundred members in the Cleburne and Burleson areas of the United service territory. Both were among the throng of cities under a tornado watch yesterday afternoon and evening. Rainfall across the region reportedly ranged between 1-6 inches. United line crews were dispatched throughout the weather event and quickly repaired damage to the distribution system, which included problems with 33 overhead transformers, according to Murray McCollum, United field operations manager.
“Considering the strength of the storms, we feel fortunate to have made it through them with as few outages as we experienced,” said McCollum. “Our line crews are well-trained professionals and truly demonstrate their commitment to the members we serve when events like this happen,” he added.
That commitment was evident in the length of the outages as the average outage time per member was less than an hour. |
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| February 28, 2007 - United Cooperative Services Reaches 1.5 Million Hours Without a Lost Time Accident | ||||||
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Co-op Proves
Productivity and Safety can coexist. "This is the biggest achievement I’ve been associated with in my 30-plus years in the electric utility industry,” said CEO/GM Ray Beavers. “I assure you this accomplishment didn’t happen by chance. The United employees bought into a culture that has safety as the organization’s number-one priority,” said Beavers. Establishing an effective safety program, especially at an electric utility, requires commitment from the entire organization, starting at the top. Upon becoming CEO of United, Beavers challenged all of the employees to be the best at everything they do, but specifically to put safety first when performing their job duties—no matter what. Keeping United’s infrastructure operating at an optimal reliability level often requires employees to encounter some of the harshest conditions when restoring power or simply performing day-to-day maintenance. Some of the challenges faced by employees include tornadoes, ice storms, raging winds, and heavy downpours. Despite these hurdles, United employees perform their jobs professionally and, more importantly, safely. “United is considered to be one of the most progressive, successful electric cooperative utilities in the nation,” said Beavers. “Our members have told us through our satisfaction surveys that our employees provide top-notch service. That’s a tremendous honor. However, I’ve always told the employees that there is nothing we, as United Cooperative Services employees, could ever hope to accomplish at this cooperative that was worth crippling or killing an employee over,” he added. “The success of our safety program is measured at the end of each day when every single employee returns home safely.”
The byproducts of United’s safety culture can be seen in all areas of the co-op’s business. When people are injured on the job, it costs an organization a tremendous amount—financially, operationally and emotionally. “Good, professional service is a dying attribute,” said Beavers. “By approaching their duties safely, the employees of United Cooperative Services clearly demonstrate the advantages of being an electric cooperative member-owner. The people we serve get to see the results of our employees’ efforts every day through the safe, reliable electric service we provide,” said Beavers. While the 1.5 million hours without a lost-time accident serves as a symbol of achievement, the approach to safety taken by United employees is the reason why it occurred. That emphasis on safety will continue to serve as the hallmark of United Cooperative Services. |
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| January 15, 2007 - United Cooperative Services Crews Ready to Restore Power Quickly, Safely | ||||||
| CLEBURNE - United Cooperative Services
operations personnel will work, as they have done throughout the
weekend, to restore power in any affected area as quickly and safely as
possible. Freezing rain and icy build-up on United distribution lines
caused outages to several hundred members during the weekend and into
the early part of today, but all were restored within several hours. If
windy conditions arise, as forecasted, more outages could occur. United
crews are prepared to continue power restoration efforts whenever
necessary. "United line crews truly exemplify our service culture when events, such as the current wintry mix, affect our system,” said United CEO/GM Ray Beavers. “As the heart and soul of our electric cooperative, they continually brave the elements to make sure our members experience minimal, if any, outages,” he said. While looking out for the members is United’s number one priority, it’s essential for each member to do their part to ensure a safe environment. Safety Tips During Outages: · Stay away from all downed lines and call 9-1-1. · Do not touch trees or any objects that are in contact with power lines. · If you experience an outage, call United Cooperative Services (having your account number will help us locate your address). During a loss of electricity, members of United Cooperative Services should call their area office and report the outage: Cleburne 817-556-4000 |
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January 12, 2007 - United Cooperative Services Prepares for Wintry Mix |
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| CLEBURNE -
United Cooperative Services operations personnel are preparing for the
cold—and potentially icy—weather system moving across North Texas this
weekend. United has a culture of serving the membership as safely and
reliably as humanly possible and that will be clearly evident should the
need arise this weekend. "We’re approaching 1.5 million hours without a lost-time accident,” said United CEO/GM Ray Beavers. “That type of milestone is a testament to the focus on safety and commitment to reliable power service our employees demonstrate in keeping our members’ lights on,” he said. Safety Tips during Outages: · Stay away from all downed lines and call 9-1-1. · Do not touch trees or any objects that are in contact with power lines. · If you experience an outage, call United Cooperative Services (having your account number will help us locate your address). If an outage occurs, United crews will work to restore power as safely and quickly as possible. While looking out for the members is United’s number one priority, it’s essential for each member to do their part to ensure a safe environment. During a loss of electricity, members of United Cooperative Services should call their area office and report the outage: Cleburne
817-556-4000 About United Cooperative Services: Established in 1938 and headquartered in Cleburne, Texas, United Cooperative Services is an electric distribution cooperative serving approximately 70,000 meters and more than 50,000 members. A member of Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives, United plays a key role in the economic development of its communities and unlike a private utility, the cooperative is a not-for-profit business owned by the members it serves. Maintaining more than 9,125 miles of energized line, United serves all or parts of Johnson, Erath, Hood, Bosque, Somervell, Palo Pinto, Coryell, Eastland, Comanche, Stephens, Young, Hamilton, Tarrant and Ellis counties.
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| December 30, 2006 -Tornados, Storm-Related Winds Cause Outages for 3,800+ | ||||||
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| 09/15/2006 — Beavers elected Secretary-Treasurer of Texas Electric Cooperatives Board of Directors | ||||||
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Ray Beavers, CEO/general manager of United Cooperative Services, has been elected secretary-treasurer of the board of directors of Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC). The statewide organization serves 74 electric cooperatives in Texas. Beavers was elected by the board at TEC’s 66th Annual Membership Meeting August 8 in San Antonio. “This is a crucial time for electric cooperatives, and I am gratified that my colleagues have asked me to assume a leadership position in our state association,” Beavers said. “I will do my best to help the cooperatives provide reliable, affordable and innovative services to our member-customers.” Beavers has been general manager at United Cooperative Services since 1999. He was general manager at Southwest Rural Electric Association in Tipton, OK, from 1987 to 1999. Prior to that he worked at the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives and Cotton Electric Cooperative in Walters, OK. His TEC board term is three years. Beavers and his wife. Pat, who is library coordinator for Cleburne ISD, have three sons: Brandon, Brady and Blake. United Cooperative Services, organized in 1938, owns 9,440 miles of line and serves approximately 68,965 meters. Headquartered in Cleburne, the cooperative provides electric service in portions of Bosque, Comanche, Coryell, Eastland, Ellis, Erath, Hamilton, Hood, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Somervell, Stephens, Tarrant and Young counties.
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| 08/01/06 — United Awards $85,000 at Scholarship Banquet | ||||||
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CLEBURNE — Three Stephenville brothers received the top three scholarships awarded to outstanding area member students Thursday, July 27 during United Cooperative Services’ 18th Annual Energy Scholarship Award Banquet, held in the Cleburne Civic Center. And their sister, the fourth member of the quadruplets, was not left out of the mix, either.
Ray Beavers, United general manager/CEO, announced Reagan and Patrick Thompson as the winners of the coop’s two $5,000 academic scholarships, and their brother Daniel as this year’s $10,000 award winner while United’s Board President, Jack McCaslin, presented the awards. Kayla Thompson, their sister, was recognized as one of 65 other honorees who each received $1,000.
“It’s remarkable that the Thompsons were each selected scholarship award winners considering that the judging process for these scholarships is conducted in three separate locations and is a blind and unbiased process,” Beavers said. “Every student represented here tonight is an exceptional student, and they are all deserving, but the Thompsons were judged the top candidates. It’s gratifying to see one family do so well.”
“I can’t think of a better way to re-invest money into our local communities than to invest in these students — they are our future,” Beavers said. “I’m elated to have this opportunity to jump-start these young men and women’s paths into higher education and the careers of their choice.”
This year’s crop of scholarship winners were selected from more than 170 area applicants in 19 communities including; Alvarado, Joshua, Burleson, Mansfield, Cleburne, Grandview, Venus, Granbury, Tolar, Gordon, Strawn, Crowley, Godley, Clifton, Hico, Meridian, Walnut Springs, Stephenville and Dublin. To date, 668 students have received $685,000 in academic scholarships from United Cooperative Services during an 18-year period.
To remain eligible for the scholarships, the students must complete two consecutive semesters at an approved college beginning this fall, and must enroll in at least 12 semester hours and maintain a 2.0 grade point average.
Winners from Alvarado were; Jacob Rowe, Nathan Barnes, Kaitlyn Turner. Winners from Joshua were; Jeff Kinnear, Rachel Pelton and Jamie Lowe. Winners from Grandview and Venus were; Amanda Diyer, Garrett Gohlke, Mark Humphrey and Christina Munoz. Winners from Burleson and Mansfield were; Jordan Woody, Evan Sanchez, Brandon Taylor, Daniel Willey, Jacquelyn Boehm, Brittan Colburn, Rebekah Fahey, Emma Harman, Maegan Marshall, Brett Riker, Jacob Lee Tolliver, and Julia Williamson. Winners from Clifton, Hico, Meridian and Walnut Springs included; Caitlin McDonald, Lensie Mabry, Ryan Koonsman, Chad Oldham, Amanda Olson. Winners from Cleburne were; Louis Baker, Maddison Black, Jared Hutyra, Brandt Self, Chandler Sinclair, Monica Vasquez and Jazz Wood. Winners from Crowley and Godley were; Max Price, Jared Hanna, Melissa Hightower and Jonnie Thurston. Winners from Gordon and Strawn were; India Crain, Jessica Edwards and Jake Cormack. Winners from Granbury were; Michael Campagna, Amber Causey, Carolanne Dunaway, Molly Mabery, Ibeth Mojica and Brittany Morris. Winners from Tolar were; Dacie Bishop, Whitney Spraggins and Megan Sullins. Winners from Stephenville included; Kayla Thompson, Daniel Thompson, Regan Thompson, Patrick Thompson, Krista Wilcoxon, Whitney Wood, Jonathon Evans, Ted Gautier, Mika Hale, Kyle Hoffman, Brock Holt, Kylee Hudson, Dustin Hughes and Charly Sandidge. Winners from Dublin were; Andrea Grisham, Barrett Hutchison, Slaten Miller and Rhonda Stephen.
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| 07/26/06 — Taking the Heat Off | ||||||
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Taking proactive measures to reduce personal energy consumption and costs should be a priority to all Texas consumers and providers—especially given today’s volatile energy markets. And with triple-digit temperatures now driving demand for energy to record highs, smart energy choices have never been more important. The philosophy of encouraging electric consumers to use less power isn’t a new one for Texas electric cooperatives like United Cooperative Services, it is a core cooperative principal. But it often takes the annual pilgrimage of Texas’ extreme summers, and the higher monthly power bills that follow them, to remind us that we all have a vested interest in curbing our appetite for more energy. United works closely with its electric generation and transmission partner, Brazos Electric, to provide an energy supply that is both reliable and at the lowest possible cost—even during the peak usage periods of North Texas summers. Such efforts are today allowing United to offer substantially lower rates to its members than are presently offered to customers of retail electric providers in the region. This efficient and dependable electric delivery system is also augmented by a broad energy conservation campaign that includes: energy rebates, on-site home energy audits, print and broadcast media advertising, public service announcements; and a website that not only features a personal home energy calculator and useful conservation tips and resources, but also state and federally funded energy assistance programs provided through Texas Neighborhood Services and Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP). The good news in today’s tight energy market is that electric consumers everywhere can make significant improvements in monthly energy costs by embracing wiser strategies for its use. On average, every 1,000 kWh of power saved per month at home equates to $100 in savings, and adopting some simple lifestyle changes can make that type of savings a reality. Take advantage of useful energy conservation by visiting United’s website at www.united-cs.com . |
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| 05/12/06 — Online Applications for United’s Scholarship Program Available May 15 | ||||||
| 04/18/06 — Voluntary Reduction of Electric Load Keeps Power On For Most United Members During Statewide Rolling Blackouts | ||||||
| 04/18/06 — United's Operations Department Promotes Three | ||||||
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01/19/06 — Youth Tour Applications Now Accepted at United's Web Site
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| 12/30/05 — Mike “Frog” Fergason Named United’s Lineman of the Year | ||||||
| 11/22/05 — United Members Donate Nearly $70,000 to Hurricane Katrina Victims | ||||||
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10/19/05 — Top Ten Winter Conservation Tips from United Cooperative Services |
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| 09/28/05 — Members Invited to Attend United's Annual Meeting in Glen Rose | ||||||
| 09/22/05 — United Prepares for Storm Damage Associated with Hurricane Rita | ||||||
| 09/20/05 — United Returns Nearly $3 Million in Member Dividends; Members Can Use Refund Checks for Hurricane Katrina Relief Charities | ||||||
| 09/16/05 — Louisiana Cooperative Continues to Receive Help as Third United Line Crew Offers Assistance After Devastation from Hurricane Katrina | ||||||
| 09/15/05 — United Apprentices Linemen to Compete at International Lineman’s Rodeo | ||||||
| 09/02/05 — United Gathers Essential Supplies for Victims of Hurricane Katrina | ||||||
| 08/29/05 — United Linemen Rush to Aid Louisiana Co-ops after Hurricane Katrina | ||||||
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08/05/05 — Scholarship Winners Receive $84,000 at United Banquet |
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| 07/21/05 — Hoyt Cantrell Retires from United’s Board of Directors After 36 Years | ||||||
| 07/08/05 — United’s Youth Tour Delegates Return From Washington, D.C. Trip. | ||||||
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07/01/05 — United Employees Work One Million Hours with No Lost Time |
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| 05/13/05 — United to Award $84,000 in Scholarships | ||||||
| 04/01/05 — Lost Transmission Causes Outage for United Members | ||||||
| 03/31/05 — Fallen Trees Cause Outage for United Members in Stephenville | ||||||
nd general
managers held by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).
The award honors a CEO who advances communication in the electric
cooperative industry. Beavers was cited specifically for “demonstrating
a clear understanding of and commitment to the strategic role of
communications in employee, member and community relations.”
knocked
down trees and created many of the widespread outages, which spanned
from Stephenville through Meridian and into parts of Burleson, Alvarado
and Mansfield. United crews began power restoration efforts at
approximately 4:30 p.m. and worked through the night to repair damage to
the co-op’s distribution system.
Following
a meal for the honorees and their families, United Cooperative Services
board of directors awarded $85,000 in scholarships to students
representing the co-op’s individual member districts across a 14-county
service area. More than 200 United members attended the event.