Georgia Magazine - July 2022 - 15

SHORTTakes
Coweta-Fayette EMC earns top
national awards
C
oweta-Fayette Electric Membership
Corp. (EMC) in Palmetto received
the 2022 Edgar F. Chesnutt Award
for best total communication program for
its Alternative Energy Summer Adventure
for Teachers program from the Arlington,
Va.-based National Rural Electric
Cooperative Association (NRECA).
The award, presented at the NRECA
Connect Conference in Seattle on May 3,
is the highest honor bestowed through the
Spotlight on Excellence Awards program.
(To read about the other Spotlight on
Excellence Awards winners from Georgia this year, see last month's Currents
section at bit.ly/gm0622spotlight.)
Coweta-Fayette's inaugural three-day program for teachers of kindergarten
Accepting the Edgar F. Chesnutt Award
are, from left, Rachel Camp, integrated
communications coordinator; Maggie
Reenstra, community and economic
development coordinator; and
Chellie Phillips, vice president of
communications and public relations.
Picking up speed: The fourth annual Diverse
Power Grand Prix was held at LaGrange
College on April 16. The race, which is
sponsored by LaGrange-based Diverse Power,
gives students in middle school and high
school the opportunity to compete in electric
vehicles they design and build through the
GreenpowerUSA STEM (science, technology,
engineering and mathematics) educational
program. The race has continued to grow in
scope and participants since the inaugural
event in 2019, and this year two teams from
Torquay Academy in Torquay, England, even
traveled to LaGrange to compete. About 200
people attended the event, at which 24 teams
competed.
through 12th grade was held in July 2021. It included hands-on activities and field
trips to see local examples of sustainable development and energy efficiency. (See
Currents, September 2021; bit.ly/gm0921currents.)
Chellie Phillips, vice president of communications and public relations at
Coweta-Fayette EMC, also took home a top individual award: the 2022 LaBerge
Award for Excellence in Strategic Communication.
The award recognizes a co-op communicator with demonstrated excellence,
influence and impact in co-op communications. In addition to her major role
in developing the Chesnutt-winning alternative-energy camp for teachers, Phillips
was recognized for helping to create Vision EMC, an in-house professionaldevelopment
program aimed at improving co-op employee engagement.
Georgia EMCs go to Washington
R
epresentatives of several Georgia electric membership cooperatives
(EMCs) took part in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
(NRECA) Washington Legislative Conference May 1-3. The Arlington,
Va.-based NRECA holds the conference to give EMCs from throughout the nation
the opportunity to visit their congressional representatives and discuss their
concerns and needs.
In addition to the Tucker-based Family of Companies (Georgia EMC,
Oglethorpe Power Corp., Georgia Transmission Corp. and Georgia System
Operations Corp.), the following Georgia cooperatives sent representatives to the
conference: Altamaha EMC, based in Lyons; Canoochee EMC, Reidsville; Carroll
EMC, Carrollton; Central Georgia EMC, Jackson; Cobb EMC, Marietta; GreyStone
Power Corp., Hiram; Jackson EMC, Jefferson; Okefenoke REMC, Nahunta;
Snapping Shoals EMC, Covington; Tri-County EMC, Gray; and Upson EMC,
Thomaston.
Georgia's contingent had a lunch briefing to address the topics of energy and
environment, agriculture and broadband with the House of Representatives legislative
staff for the Georgia congressional delegation. The EMC representatives also
met with both U.S. senators from Georgia, Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock,
and Altamaha EMC presented the senators with Vidalia onions.
Star power: The Marietta-based Cobb Electric
Membership Corp. (EMC) Foundation was a
sponsor of the 24th annual Galaxy of Stars
luncheon on April 8 at the Georgia Aquarium
in Atlanta. The event raised more than
$257,000 for the Tommy Nobis Center in
Marietta, which works to help people with
disabilities get or return to jobs and live
independently. To see this year's program,
go to tommynobiscenter.org/galaxy.
Scholarship awards: About 400 people
attended Jasper-based Amicalola EMC's youth
awards banquet on April 27 at Chattahoochee
Technical College in Jasper. The EMC awarded
$1,000 scholarships to 140 high school seniors
from Cherokee, Dawson, Gilmer, Lumpkin and
Pickens counties.
Get on the line: Canoochee EMC in Reidsville
has started a scholarship program for aspiring
linemen. The new $5,000 annual scholarship
is available to applicants who are at least 17
years old, live in Canoochee's service territory
and are enrolled in or have been accepted into
an approved lineworker-training program.
www.georgiamagazine.org
15
DENNY GAINER / NRECA
KEN POPE / DIVERSE POWER
http://www.bit.ly/gm0622spotlight http://www.bit.ly/gm0921currents http://www.tommynobiscenter.org/galaxy http://www.georgiamagazine.org
Georgia Magazine - July 2022

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