The Transformer January 2026
OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF CANOOCHEE ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION
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Smithsonian Institution n June, Georgia’s electric museums, the National membership corporations Archives, George Washington’s (EMCs) sent their 60th—and Mount Vernon, Arlington National largest ever—delegation of Cemetery and the World War II, students to Washington, D.C., for Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Martin the all-expenses-paid, weeklong Luther King Jr., Thomas Jefferson, Washington Youth Tour (WYT). Abraham Lincoln, Korean War and Representing 38 Georgia Vietnam Veterans memorials. On EMCs, 116 high schoolers Capitol Hill day, students met with attended, along with 14 chaperU.S. representatives in a congresones sent by co-ops and three sional town hall, then spent time representatives from Tuckerwith U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock on based Georgia EMC. The tour the Capitol steps. was June 13-20. From left, Canoochee EMC’s 2025 Washington Youth Tour Four students—Pamela “The 2025 Youth Tour was a delegates Haleigh McWilliams, Aubrianna Stewart, Pamela Chihuahua, Aubrianna Stewart, huge success!” says Andy Paul, Chihuahua and Chad Irie pose in front of the National Chad Irie and Haleigh McWilWYT director and public relaMuseum of African American History and Culture. liams—represented Canoochee tions representative with Georgia EMC on the 2025 Youth Tour. EMC. “Our students got to see historic events happening in The experience offered significant professional and our nation’s capital, meet with legislators and tour several personal growth. Haleigh says the WYT was an eye-opener to museums.” the possibilities of future roles in politics, policy and the EMC Highlights of last year’s event included stops at the world, which highlights the program’s success in connecting students to future professional paths. The tour was also crucial for building connections and leadership skills. One participant emphasized that the experience created lifelong friendships and allowed her to learn different perspectives. This sentiment was also shared by Chad, who calls it “a once in a lifetime opportunity that taught the true value of leadership, the impact that others have and the significance of improving.” These comments from our 2025 delegates show that the Youth Tour delivered not only career exposure but also invaluable personal development and leadership lessons. From left, Haleigh McWilliams, Aubrianna Stewart, Pamela Chihuahua and Chad Irie were selected to represent Canoochee EMC during the 2025 Washington Youth Tour.
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Celebrating
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1966 WYT delegation
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Bill Verner, right, was a Washington Youth Tour delegate in 1979, representing Central Georgia EMC in Jackson. He also served as Georgia EMC’s WYT director in the ’80s and ’90s.
“Preparing for the Youth Tour involves constant studying and research,” says Andy Paul, WYT director and public relations representative with Tucker-based Georgia EMC. Last year was his third year coordinating the trip. “I also try to communicate as much as possible with delegates and parents so that trust is built before 130-plus of us travel to Washington, D.C., after having just met at the kickoff banquet.” He adds that local WYT coordinators also are working to prepare delegates for the trip. “This includes hosting events to answer questions from students and parents, offering clear communications about expectations and building excitement by assuring them
GEORGIA EMC
eorgia’s electric membership corporations (EMCs) participated in their first Washington Youth Tour (WYT) in 1965, making the trip last June the state’s 60th year attending what many students have described throughout the years as the “trip of a lifetime.” In June 1965, Georgia was one of 17 states to send students on the tour, joining more than 600 students from across the nation. Twelve students from three Georgia electric co-ops—Walton EMC in Monroe, Flint EMC (now Flint Energies) in Reynolds and Planters EMC in Millen—left Savannah by train to visit the nation’s capital. Today, 38 states participate in the WYT, and more than 1,800 students attend. Georgia’s 116 delegates represented 38 Georgia EMCs. The idea for the program took shape in 1957, when future President Lyndon B. Johnson—then majority leader of the U.S. Senate—suggested at a National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Annual Meeting that rural electric co-ops should bring their young people to the nation’s capital to learn firsthand how their government operates. Co-ops began sponsoring individual youth tours like the one Georgia’s EMCs host today. Coordinating the Washington Youth Tour takes yearround preparation by Georgia EMC’s WYT director as well as each EMC’s tour coordinator.
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Georgia Magazine
January 2026
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In the early years of the Washington Youth Tour, Georgia delegates met with U.S. presidents in the White House Rose Garden. Delegates visit with the late President Lyndon B. Johnson, above, and the late President Jimmy Carter, right, who was also from Georgia. Canoochee EMC Newsletter
KATHRYN GREEN
KATHRYN GREEN
George Washington’s Mount Vernon was one of the first stops during the 2025 Washington Youth Tour for Georgia’s 116 student delegates.
all that this will be their favorite week of their high school career,” he says. Paul attended the Washington Youth Tour as a delegate representing Washington-based Rayle EMC in 2011, when he was a rising junior in high school. “I grew up in an EMC household, with my dad working at Rayle EMC and also Walton EMC, so I knew the sense of community that EMCs carried,” he says. “I love being in Washington, D.C., and one of my passions is creating meaningful experiences for students, so this was truly the perfect role for me!” Bill Verner was Youth Tour director in the 1980s and early 1990s. He retired after 40 years in the electric co-op world in September 2020. Like Paul, Verner had been a WYT delegate before becoming the WYT statewide director. He attended the Youth Tour in 1979 shortly after graduating from high school, representing Central Georgia EMC in Jackson, and his sister, Sandra Verner Latimer, participated in Georgia’s first Youth Tour in 1965. Verner also was elected by Georgia’s delegation to represent the state on the 1979 NRECA Youth Leadership Council, formerly the Youth Counseling Board. “I had an incredible year and got to speak on behalf of the NRECA youth program at the national FFA convention in Kansas City, at the National Grange farmer meeting in Pennsylvania, to a national 4-H gathering, and then to the NRECA meeting in New Orleans,” Verner recalls. “It was a
From left, Canoochee EMC’s 2025 WYT delegates Chad Irie, Aubrianna Stewart, Pamela Chihuahua and Haleigh McWilliams at the John F. Kennedy Center.
pretty heady experience for a college freshman from the little town of Rutledge.” As Youth Tour director during the beginning of his tenure at Georgia EMC, Verner says it was an honor taking young people to Washington, D.C., each year. “Seeing the nation’s capital and getting to interact with our elected officials … I think it makes our federal government more tangible and relatable,” he says. “The laws and regulations that come from our nation’s capital are going to affect all of us, and understanding where that policy comes from and the history of our country is something everyone should have an experience to see firsthand. And there’s no better way of doing that than on the Washington Youth Tour.” Gale Cutler became the statewide director in April 2000—two months before her first-ever WYT—and took 2,007 students on the tour over two decades. She says it’s difficult to choose a favorite place to visit or a memory after 20 years of coordinating the trip, but she cherishes the delegates’ day at the Capitol. “At the beginning of the week, they are kids going on a field trip. But when they are talking with our legislators, they are young, engaged constituents. … They realize that their government is close enough to touch it if they want to, and they get legislators to look them in the eye, listen to their questions and answer them, and at 16 or 17 years old,” Cutler says.
Apply for the 2026 Washington Youth Tour The 2026 Washington Youth Tour is scheduled for June 12-19. The all-expenses-paid trip will feature visits to and tours of some of the United States’ most iconic and historic venues, in addition to opportunities for high school student delegates to meet with many of our state’s national leaders at a town hall event. Visit www.canoocheeemc.com or email pr@canoocheeemc.com for more information on the Washington Youth Tour. Applications for the 2026 Youth Tour are due Feb. 2. Canoochee EMC Newsletter
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The Transformer Official Publication of Canoochee EMC P.O. Box 487 Reidsville, GA 30453 (800) 342-0134 Joseph A. Sikes, Editor BOARD OF DIRECTORS Connie Thrift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 3 President Bob Floyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 4 Vice President Kim Blocker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 9 Treasurer LaNell M. Oliver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 6 Secretary Ed Bradley Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 5 Robert Dasher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 8 Kenneth L. Durrence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 7 Lavanda Lynn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 2 Bernard Purvis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 1 Michael Wasson, Chief Executive Officer Andy Whiten, Chief Operations Officer Mat Olson, Chief Financial Officer Patrick Burkhalter, Chief Administration Officer Kyle E. Durrence, Member Services Manager WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR POWER IS OFF . . . 1. Check your fuses or breakers. 2. Check with your neighbors. 3. Call (800) 342-0134 or (912) 557-4391. There is a dispatcher on call 24 hours a day for your convenience. OFFICE HOURS Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Canoochee EMC Receives No Lost Time Award for 2024
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anoochee EMC was recently recognized for one year without a lost-time injury in the workplace or in the field, an impressive accomplishment given the complexity and inherent dangers of working with electricity in the utility industry. Canoochee EMC received the No Lost Time Award during the Georgia EMC Annual Meeting on Nov. 10, 2025, in Savannah. “Our crews face risks every day, whether they’re climbing poles, handling equipment or restoring power during storms,” says Canoochee EMC Safety Director Keith Durance. “Reaching a
year with no lost-time injuries shows how committed our team is doing the job safely.” According to Georgia EMC Vice President of Training and Safety Harry Reeves, due to the nature of the electricity business, it is a challenge to avoid an injury no matter how many safety practices are in place, making it especially noteworthy when EMCs like Canoochee EMC earn this award. “It’s a testament to all our employees and our skilled linemen,” Durance adds. “We all look out for each other, follow our safety steps and make sure we get home to our families at the end of the day.”
Energy Efficiency Tip of the Month Winter weather can cause your home heating system to work overtime. Check for air leaks and drafts around doors and windows, then seal them with weatherstripping or caulk. Close fireplace dampers when not in use, and consider installing insulating curtains to help keep warm air inside. You can also save energy by lowering your thermostat a few degrees. Even small adjustments like these can reduce heating costs and improve comfort during the coldest months.
Holiday Closure Dates The Canoochee EMC office will be closed Thursday, Jan. 1, for New Year’s Day and Monday, Jan. 19, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Saturday, Sunday and holidays Branch offices Highway 196 West Hinesville, GA 31313
Highway 280 East Pembroke, GA 31321
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Georgia Magazine
January 2026
Touchstone Energy Senior Citizen of the Month Congratulations to Bart Clements of Glennville for being selected as the January 2026 Touchstone Energy Senior Citizen of the Month.
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