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NC State: Hurricane Season Could Be Above Average The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season could see 15 to 18 named storms forming in the Atlantic basin, according to researchers at NC State University. The Atlantic basin includes the entire Atlantic
Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. That number would put the season above average, even given a recent redefining of what “average” means. This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced its current measure for average, based on the 30-year period between 1991 and 2020, is 14 named storms, with three major hurricanes.
The previous measure for average, between the years 1981–2010, was 12 named storms. Of the predicted storms this season, seven to nine may become hurricanes, with two to three possibly being major storms. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Visit ncstormcenter.coop for tips on how to prepare.
Pee Dee Electric CEO Elected to National Board Donnie Spivey, CEO and executive vice-president of Wadesboro-based Pee Dee Electric, was recently elected to represent North Carolina on the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Board of Directors. NRECA works on behalf of more than 900 local electric co-ops across the country. “I am honored to have been selected to represent the electric cooperatives of North Carolina,” Spivey said. “I look forward to serving as a voice for North Carolina on the national level, as well as gaining perspective that I can bring back and apply here at home.” Spivey began his career at Pee Dee Electric in 1985 as a staff assistant, and was promoted to District Manager in 1993. In 1999, he was promoted to CEO and executive vice-president. He is a past president of the NCEMC board of directors
and currently serves as chair of the Power Supply Committee. In addition, he is a member of the boards of directors of NCAEC and ACES Power Marketing. Spivey also serves as secretary of the Board of Directors of Sandhills Utility Services, Inc., which owns, maintains and operates the electric distribution system on Fort Bragg Army Base. In 2013, Spivey was appointed by Governor Pat McCrory to serve on the NC Rural Electrification Authority Board of Directors and currently serves as Chairman of that Board. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration from Wingate University. Spivey’s two-year term will begin with the adjournment of the NRECA Board of Directors’ 2022 annual meeting, currently scheduled for March 6, 2022, at which time Roanoke
Donnie Spivey
Electric Cooperative President and CEO Curtis Wynn will step down from his current role on the national board (see “Reflections on Two Years of National Service,” April 2021, page 6).
Has it Been 75 Years Already?
Carolina Farmer first hit mailboxes this month in 1946 A lot happened back in June 1946. The Blue Angels made its first performance in the sunny Florida skies. The BBC began broadcasting for the first time since the start of World War II. And Carolina Farmer—the precursor to Carolina Country magazine—was first mailed out to members of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives. In 1969 we debuted our new name (see “A Look Back at 50 Years of Carolina Country,” January 2019, page 8). Through it all, we’ve taken pleasure in sharing stories about the people and places that make North Carolina home. We’re looking forward to what the next 75 years will bring. Our first cover featured a peach orchard in Montgomery County. June 2021 | 9
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