Bryan Singletary, a management consultant, tells Indiana’s electric co-op leaders what they must do to remain relevant to their members last month in Indianapolis.
“Our members are facing tough times — what can we do to help them?” was the question keynote speaker Bryan Singletary and others asked and then answered before the state’s electric cooperative leaders at the Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives Annual Meeting in downtown Indianapolis Nov. 15-16.
Over 420 directors, managers and staff from the state’s 39 REMCs/RECs and affiliated cooperatives and organizations attended the 76th annual meeting themed “Together We Can.”
Singletary, a co-op management consultant, said co-ops must remain relevant for consumers. For one thing, he said, that means showing them how to use energy wisely. “Our members are being inundated with claims about energy savings. Some of them good, some of them not so much. If we’re not working together to tell them the right story, they’re going to be making some really bad decisions,” he said. “A good third of our members can’t afford to make mistakes like that.”
As an example, he noted ads touting nothing but $13 electric resistant heaters, but cloaked in a nice wood cabinet and sold for hundreds of dollars, which claim to miraculously cut energy bills. Singletary said if consumers go out and “buy a $395 heater in hopes of reducing their electric bill and have their electric bill go up, they’re giving something up in their home next month.”
He also emphasized co-ops need to communicate with consumers, focus on the long term and stick together.
Other highlights:
• Nick Hebert, Indiana’s Youth Leadership Council delegate from Harrison REMC, discussed the Youth Tour’s impact on his life;
• Dena Stoner, vice president of government relations at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, talked about grassroots advocacy;
• a political panel discussed the impact of the recent elections;
• Heather Cowan and her daughter, Kori Brown, discussed their ABC-TV “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” experience, and Susan Wagoner, director of marketing at Miami-Cass REMC, shared her perspective on the REMC’s role;
• Chuck Tiemann, senior risk management consultant at Indiana Statewide, talked about his electrocution as a young lineman and safety;
• Mark Zweibohmer, with Tri-County Electric Cooperative in Minnesota, discussed disaster preparedness;
• Indiana Statewide president Rodney Hager, treasurer Mark Evans and CEO Bruce Graham conducted business and reviewed the past year.
• Jim Weimer, president of the Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC board, led a remembrance program;
• David Tudor, CEO of ACES Power Marketing talked about risks in the marketplace;
• Chris Gahl, director of communications with the Indiana Convention and Visitors Association, spoke about the 2012 Super Bowl to be held in Indianapolis.
In addition, four co-op employees were honored with a Power & Hope Award for their community commitment, and the five Youth Power & Hope Award winners were recognized (
see story).
Co-op leaders also raised over $13, 307 for various charities with an annual basket silent auction.
At the annual recognition banquet, 163 individual co-op directors and employees from around Indiana were honored for years of service or educational achievements, and 10 co-ops, plus Indiana Statewide, were recognized for achieving national safety accreditation in 2010.