10 minute read
LOCAL PAGES
BY PHIL CASKEY, PRESIDENT & CEO
WOMEN AND COOPERATIVES
In honor of Women’s Equality Day on Aug. 26, let’s take a look at the roles women play in cooperatives, around the world and right here at home.
Even though women in the U.S. and U.K. were not allowed to vote until the early 1900s, women were granted equal voting rights in the first modern-era cooperative, the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers. Established in 1844 in Rochdale, England, the co-op’s founders agreed that women should have equal voting rights. Treating women equally has been baked into our cooperative DNA right from the start.
And the cooperative business model continues to champion women’s equality across the globe. The bulk of the electric cooperative workforce has traditionally been filled by men, but over time, women have stepped into more and more jobs across the industry spectrum.
According to a 2015 global study conducted by the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives, co-ops have an increasingly positive impact on women and their inclusion in the labor force, and they enhance women’s ability to achieve positions of authority, both within and outside of the co-op.
In Ohio, a woman leads the power plant that provides electricity to Consolidated and 23 other co-ops in the state. Here at Consolidated Cooperative, women make up 35% of our total workforce and half of our leadership team. We also have one woman serving on our board of trustees, and overall, 28 women work hard to help make the co-op run smoothly.
Treating everyone equally and ensuring folks have fair opportunities is the cooperative way of doing business. I am thankful to work with such a dedicated and hardworking group of women.
Carla Thomas, left, and Van Lehman work in Consolidated’s operations department, helping to make sure your utility services are on 24/7.
PROTECTING OUR POLES
Most of us drive by rows of utility poles every day. But how much do we really notice them? These often overlooked watchmen play an important role in delivering reliable power to Consolidated’s members. That’s why it’s so critical for the co-op to protect and maintain these poles.
Wind and storms have an obvious effect on utility poles, but excessive moisture, insects, and woodpeckers can also cause poles to deteriorate. People can be harmful to poles as well, even if they don’t intend to be. Anytime a nail, staple, or other fastener is attached, it creates an additional pathway for water and insects to access and weaken the pole. This is one of the primary reasons why it’s illegal to attach anything other than authorized electrical equipment to a utility pole. Anything else — such as advertisements, posters, deer stands, birdhouses, or basketball hoops — can lead to damage and will be removed by the cooperative’s employees.
We appreciate your helping us to continue providing the safe and reliable power you depend on. If you have questions or concerns about a Consolidated utility pole or a possibly illegal attachment to a pole, contact us at 800-421-5863.
Connect to back-toschool savings
Back-to-school season is here, and the Co-op Connections Card is the perfect tool to help you save this year. As a member of Consolidated Cooperative, you are eligible for a free Co-op Connections Card that offers valuable discounts on products, services, and much more locally and across the nation.
Shop locally
When you shop locally, look for the Co-op Connections logo in the window and at the register and then simply show your card to begin receiving benefits. Not only does this support a local business, but it also helps you check items off the kids’ back-to-school supplies list while saving. Local discounts are great because you are supporting those in your community while also improving the local economy.
Nationwide savings
Your options also span beyond local shops. Many national brands are offering great deals to cooperative members. For example, you can use your Co-op Connections Card to find 75% off at Barnes and Noble on books for kids and teens. Another great back-to-school deal!
If you are in need of a replacement card or have any questions about the Co-op Connections Card, please call us at 800-421-5863, or you can download a paper card from connections.coop.
DATE REMINDERS
Join us for Touchstone Energy Day at the Morrow County Fair, Sept. 3! Also, our offices will be closed on Sept. 6 in observance of Labor Day.
Utility bill assistance available this summer
We know that your utility bills can add up. Your local community action agency can help you find assistance for your cooling bills this summer. You might qualify now even if you haven’t before.
Ohio’s Summer Crisis Program provides financial assistance to income-eligible households determined eligible by the current SCP State Issued Grant Agreement, Exhibit 1, Scope of Work. The SCP program year runs from July 1 to Sept. 30.
Call the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies at 614-224-8500 or visit oacaa.org to find your local agency and get help applying for the program. You can also visit consolidated.coop and search for “assistance” to learn more about community resources.
Help a fellow member with a bill
Do you know of someone who could use a HUG? Times have been tough. You can purchase a Home Utility Gift (HUG) and credit the utility account of any Consolidated Cooperative member of your choice at any time, or you can choose to give anonymously, and Consolidated will allocate the funds to a member.
Forms can be downloaded from Consolidated’s website, www.consolidated.coop, or call member services at 800421-5863 to send your HUG.
SAVE WITH PROPANE PRE-BUY
Though warmer weather is finally here, the heating season is only a few months away! Plan and beat the cost of energy next winter by enrolling in one of Consolidated’s money-saving programs, propane pre-buy. In past years, co-op members have experienced considerable savings through this program.
Propane pre-buy will be available from Aug. 1 to Sept. 7.
NEW this year — you can sign your purchase agreement and pay your invoice online! Visit www. consolidated.coop/prebuy for more information and to place your order. Propane members should also check their mailbox and email inbox for details.
FROM THE BOARDROOM
June
• Jaimey Burden, vice president of safety and operations, provided the safety report, which included information on internal and external trainings, incidents, and crew observations.
• Teri Wallis, chief financial and human resources officer, reported on May 2021 financial highlights, including net margins: electric, $381,000; natural gas, $-12,000; propane $-26,000; and fiber, $80,000.
• Phil Caskey, president/CEO, and Wallis recommended a wage increase of 4%.
• Tim Applegate, chief operating officer, updated the board on the residential fiber internet deployment. The overall take rate is 49%, with 3,398 total households eligible to subscribe.
• Amber Moreland, executive administrator, discussed the
Co-Bank Sharing Success program. Recipients for 2021 were Turning Point and Helpline of Delaware and Morrow counties.
• Christy Shoffner, vice president of information systems, updated the board on technology projects, including cybersecurity initiatives.
• Adam Landon, general counsel, reviewed board policies 104 (delegations of authority) and 108 (trustee compensation).
• Caskey’s president’s report included information on Consolidated’s member advisory committee, his participation in the national electric co-op CEO advisory group, and meetings.
We’re in the dog days of summer, and you’ll probably hear the phrase “peak alert.”
A peak alert occurs when all of Ohio’s 24 electric cooperatives approach a new peak demand for electricity use. We want to avoid setting new peaks because our cost for electricity is based on the price of the one hour of highest demand each year. A new peak means a new higher price.
When we post on social media about a peak alert, we need everyone to pitch in! If possible, delay running your dishwasher, washer, and dryer until later in the evening, when the sun has gone down, along with the demand for electricity.
Working together, we can avoid setting a new peak and paying a higher price for electricity. Thanks for doing your part! And please contact us if you have any questions about our load management program or peak alerts.
CONSOLIDATED COOPERATIVE
CONTACT — 24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE
800-421-5863 | service@consolidated.coop www.consolidated.coop
MAIN OFFICE
5255 St. Rte. 95 P.O. Box 111 Mount Gilead, OH 43338
DISTRICT OFFICE
4993 St. Rte. 521 Delaware, OH 43015
OFFICE HOURS 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Don Breece
Chair
Michael Huston
Vice Chair
Michael Struck
Secretary
Mary Fuller
Asst. Secretary
Kent Kramer
Treasurer
Tim Bachelder Don McCracken Larry Roof Mike Schuster
OUTAGE WATCH
866-567-2753
866-567-2753 is a special automated Outage Hotline to help speed up outage reporting and provide you with any outage information that is known at the time of your call.
You can also text your outage to 55050 after preregistration with a service representative.
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