Georgia Magazine - July 2017 - 15
JULIE FOWLER / COBB EMC EMCs earn top spots at Georgia Lineman's Rodeo (Palmetto), Flint Energies (Reynolds), GreyStone Power Corp. (Douglasville), Jackson EMC ( Jefferson), Jefferson Energy (Wrens), Okefenoke Rural EMC (Nahunta), Snapping Shoals EMC (Covington), Walton EMC (Monroe) and Washington EMC (Sandersville). Four journeyman teams from Cobb EMC placed in the top 10, taking the first, fourth, sixth and ninth spots. A team from Jackson EMC placed second; a team from Snapping Shoals EMC placed third; and teams from Flint Energies placed seventh and eighth. Only the fifth and 10th slots were earned by non-EMC journeyman teams. EMC linemen dominated the apprentice division as well, claiming all Little Ocmulgee EMC employee named Woman of the Year July 2017 of the top 10 spots: Kaleb Chapman, Jackson EMC, first; Josh Hallock, Jackson EMC, second; Matt Ivey, Flint Energies, third; Benjamin Campbell, Walton EMC, fourth; Tyler Dilbeck, Cobb EMC, fifth; Kasey Odom, Jackson EMC, sixth; Justin Cole, Snapping Shoals EMC, seventh; Brandon Brooks, Walton EMC, eighth; Tyler Thurmond, Jackson EMC, ninth; and Brian Waldrop, Flint Energies, 10th. To learn more about the Georgia Lineman's Rodeo, visit garodeo.com. -Terri Statham Coastal Electric donates solar-car kits D C ROBERT HENDRICKS ebbie Bullard, a 30-year employee of Little Ocmulgee Electric Membership Corp. (EMC) in Alamo, recently was named the 2017 Woman of the Year by the Telfair County Chamber of Commerce. Bullard donates her time to several organizations, including the McRae United Methodist Church, McRae Rotary Club, Telfair County Development Authority, Telfair County Chamber of Commerce, Telfair-Wheeler Airport Authority and TelfairWheeler Youth Leadership Program. She also has worked to retain and expand jobs in the county and was instrumental in getting the airport's runway expanded to more than 5,000 feet to accommodate corporate aircraft. Linemen from Marietta-based Cobb EMC excelled at the 2017 Georgia Lineman's Rodeo on May 6, including claiming four of the top 10 spots in the journeyman team competition. More online at www.georgiamagazine.org oastal Electric Cooperative in Midway gave 40 solar-car kits to Liberty Elementary School in Midway. Teams of students in kindergarten through fifth grade will build the cars and test their work in the sunlight. Above, fourth-grader Brendin Powell displays one of the solar panels that will power the cars as his classmates Sadie Lowman, center, and Kalaya Clark, right, look on. 15 COASTAL ELECTRIC E lectric membership cooperative (EMC) line crews took the top spots in the 2017 Georgia Lineman's Rodeo on May 6 at FFA Camp John Hope in Fort Valley. The event showcased the skills of 86 apprentices and 33 journeyman teams from EMCs in challenges that included a written test, hurt-man rescue, transformer changeout, transformer relocation and switch relocation. The EMC journeyman teams and apprentices competed with teams and apprentices from municipal electric systems in Georgia. Linemen competed from Blue Ridge Mountain EMC (Young Harris), Carroll EMC (Carrollton), Central Georgia EMC ( Jackson), Cobb EMC (Marietta), Coweta-Fayette EMC