WATT’S UP SUWANNEE VALLEY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EMPLOYEE AND RETIREE NEWSLETTER | FALL 2018
from the ceo
A time to give thanks As the holiday season approaches, I’m reminded how much I have to be thankful for. I have a fantastic wife and three great kids. I get to come to work every day for an organization that provides good pay and benefits and where people work well together and genuinely care about one another. Like many of you, however, this year has not been without its challenges and even sadness. I lost my grandmother in October, and I will miss her, especially during the holidays. But, I can still be thankful for the full life she led and the memories I have of her. There is also a lot to be thankful for here at the co-op. This year, we’ve celebrated retirements, engagements, weddings, births and personal achievements of our co-workers and their family members. Our employees have returned safely to their families at the end of each day, and we were spared the brunt of Hurricane Michael. Seeing what our friends in the Panhandle have gone through should make us all realize how much we are blessed and how relatively small our day-to-day troubles can be. Members See CEO, Page 3
SMORE SAFETY
Safety improvement plan • Teach and train employees about the importance of taking individual ownership of SVEC’s safety program. • Improve on the little things. They matter. • Teach and train about clear communication and follow up with all employees concerning their safety responsibilities and safety rules that pertain to their daily tasks.
187 DAYS without a lost-time injury As of Nov. 15.
MEMBER EXPERIENCE
Showing That You Care Is Magical!
by John Formica While speaking, training and coaching, I explain that it is important to remember that there’s really only one strategy that will have the greatest overall impact on the customer experience. It is showing your customers that you care.
Safety Member Experience Outreach to Community Reliability Economic Viability
Care is the foundation of what you offer to your customers. You are offering to be of service, to be useful — something to benefit your customers — some combination of providing something that’s necessary, removing a pain point/ reducing friction, or adding some comfort or pleasure in their lives. All these are good, but how are you connecting with your customers emotionally? How you express those emotions of caring in the customer experience has become the only true difference maker. How will customers know you care? They know. They “feel it!” Customers have incredible perceptions and can process lots of amounts of incoming information to form emotions and thoughts. They can tell clearly if you care about them or not from the messages you send them during the customer experience process. Do they feel that you can relate to them, that you are interested in them? Is it clear that you know about them, their preferences and past interactions? Is what you’re communicating relevant and personal, and does it demonstrate empathy? What is your tone of voice when you talk with them — excited, enthusiastic, empathetic or robotic? Continued on next page
Simple ways to show your customers that you care: • Be a good listener. Stop what you are doing and give your customer your full attention. • Show empathy. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Ask yourself, how would I feel? • Be interested. Engage in conversation with your customers to get to know them. • Apologize if something went wrong. • Take action and do something. Don’t just talk a good game. Actually do something that will benefit your customer. • Give them a little extra than they expected. Truly caring for your customers is the lifeblood of the customer experience.
ARC Project Five employees came together in November to refresh the landscape at an ARC group home.
Taste of Suwannee SVEC prepared and served some tasty treats at the Suwannee Education Foundation’s biggest annual fundraiser
RELIABILITY
This year, more thunderstorms have resulted in more outages. Nevertheless, our members are experiencing greater reliability as measured by the amount of time they have been without power (SAIDI and CAIDI). Kudos to our Engineering and Operations groups for making it happen.
OUTREACH TO COMMUNITY
Jan-Sept 2018
Pregnancy Care Center 5K
In September, 21 employees and family members participated in the Live Oak Pregnancy Care Center 5K. In addition to paying employees’ entry fees, SVEC hosted a water station. Annette Bonds said she had a great time with co-workers and family for a good cause. Christine Moor said that she and her daughter, Savannah, had a great time participating in the 5K. Christine also said she loves working for a company that values community events and encourages employees to participate in them.
Shred-it Saturday On Shred-it Saturday in October, members brought in their unwanted confidential papers and PC hard drives to be securely destroyed.
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Jan-Sept 2017
OUTAGES
2,857
2,376
SAIFI
2.6 interruptions
2.3 interruptions
SAIDI
183.2 minutes
191.5 minutes
CAIDI
69.4 minutes
83.2 minutes
2018 YTD
2017 YTD
$46,586,206
$44,656,282
$46,445,677
$29,680,724
$28,575,826
$30,257,479
10,208,786
9,790,523
10,457,121
Depreciation
3,753,221
3,601,221
3,774,395
Interest
1,779,956
1,696,655
1,621,656
29,775
31,942
39,937
$45,452,462
$43,696,167
$46,150,588
$1,133,744
$960,114
$295,090
Operating Revenue
2018 BDGT YTD
Operating Expenses Purchased Power Operating/A&G
Other Total Operating Expenses Operating Margins
ECONOMIC VIABILITY
a team willing to sacrifice and delay gratification to enjoy the future. The most important teammate is your spouse. To steal from Dave Ramsey, “live like nobody will so you can live like nobody can.”
Strong financial results through 3rd quarter Through September, operating revenue is up by about $2 million over the same time last year, and a little above budget. Operating expenses are higher than last year but under budget. The net effect is that operating margins are higher relative to both 2017 and budget. NRECA Discounts Program Through its National Discounts Program (NDP), the NRECA leverages the collective buying power of co-ops to obtain discounts from a variety of national suppliers including Ford, Generac and Universal Orlando. NDP discounts are available to SVEC employees for business and some personal purchases. To learn more, log in at cooperative.com/ndp.
What is the best asset class? This is a trick question because all of them are the best, just at different times. A well-diversified portfolio will have winners and losers, and over time it will help reduce volatility. A good example would be international stocks. They are underperforming right now but could turn at any time. One of the worst investing mistakes is trying to time when a certain asset will perform.
Frequently Asked Questions About Your 401(k) By Richard Schooley What’s the most important step in a financial plan? I think just starting one is a huge step. After deciding to make a plan, you need a unified team with the same goals. You need
CEO, continued from front
of cooperatives out west are still dealing with the destruction from Hurricane Michael and most likely will for years to come. I hope you’ll read and enjoy this issue of Watt’s Up. In it, we continue to celebrate our employees, family members and the progress we’re making in the areas of our core values — Safety, Member Experience, Outreach to Community, Reliability and Economic Viability (SMORE).
I also hope you will take some time to reflect upon and feel good about how you have contributed to the success of this cooperative by serving our members so well in 2018. Thank you for all you do. Have a happy Thanksgiving and a very merry Christmas. Mike
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Welcome to...
Apprentice Dispatcher Clent Flowers is a lifelong resident of Live Oak and comes to us from Dish Network. He and his wife, Courtney, have two boys: Ross and Garret. Clent says he hunts all the time.
Apprentice Dispatcher Oliver Pidgeon has owned and operated Tint Solutions in Live Oak since 2005. The business, which Oliver is selling to an employee, installs vehicle window tinting and makes signs. Oliver was attracted to SVEC because of the positive nature of some of our employees he is acquainted with.
Apprentice Lineman Brian Cutcher has joined SVEC after working four years at Kissimmee Utility Authority. Born and raised in Kissimmee, Brian became familiar with north Florida after his parents purchased land near Jennings. Eager to escape the congestion of the Kissimmee area, Brian and his wife, Kelly, decided to move here after Brian was offered a job at SVEC. The couple have two sons and two daughters. When he’s not working, Brian coaches his youngest son’s recreational league football team, and he likes to fish and hunt.
Farewell to… Ken Bryant retired on Oct. 1. Ken began his 19-year career at SVEC as an apprentice lineman in 1999, and he became a dispatcher in 2013. Ken plans to do a lot of projects around the house and travel with his wife, Brenda, in their RV to places like the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Virginia.
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Apprentice Lineman Matthew Jones comes to SVEC from Nutrien, formerly PCS, where he worked as a utility operator. Matthew, who is the pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church #72 in Wellborn, likes to spend free time with his wife, Rolise, and their three kids. He also likes to hunt and fish.
Congratulations … Jerrad Boles was promoted from right of way crewman to apprentice lineman. He will begin his apprenticeship in December. Kimberly Plummer was promoted from cashier to member service representative.
Derek Fillyaw, James Humphrey and Doug Wynn have completed SVEC’s apprentice program and are now journeymen linemen. To finish the program, each graduate completed a minimum of 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and a minimum of 576 hours of academic study. The graduates also completed the Northwest Lineman College Lineman Certification Program, which includes classroom, lab and field instruction.
Christy Tuckey was promoted from member service representative to communications and community relations specialist.
Family News …
Clay Stratton and his wife are the proud parents of their new bundle of joy, Jacob Cam Stratton, who weighed in at 7 lb., 13 oz. and was 20.5 inches long.
Kimberly Plummer and her husband, George, are expecting their first daughter. The baby is due on April 11.
Zack Roberts, son of Bill Roberts, graduated from Army boot camp at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Proud papa Bill says Zack gained 10 pounds of pure muscle during boot camp, along with additional self-confidence and a little swagger to his walk. Zack is now participating in advanced individual training as a Signal Support Specialist at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Trevita Riley’s 1-year-old granddaughter, Taylin, strikes a cute pose during FAMU’s homecoming. Trevita’s daughter, Tiyrenee, graduated from FAMU with a degree in cardiopulmonary science.
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Sarah McWaters, daughter of Mike McWaters and his wife, Kristy, was recognized at a recent senior night celebration for her contributions to the success of the Suwannee High School volleyball team. During her four years on the team, Sarah was named Freshman of the Year, Sophomore Offensive Player of the Year and most consistent player her junior year. She also had the highest GPA on the team in her junior year. Coach Laura Kinsel said, “Sarah is a fantastic player. She leads our team, and she keeps a positive attitude.” Sarah has also played five years on the Vision Volleyball Club that finished runner-up at the AAU National Championships this past summer. Trevor Touchton is the proud uncle of his new niece, Karstyn Elsa Touchton, who is the daughter of Trevor’s brother Jason.
It was a
Happy Halloween!
Trevita Riley’s granddaughter Taylin
Annette Bonds and grandson Fletcher
Cathy Erixton’s grandson Dawson
Christine Moor’s Maddox and Savannah
Craig Ragan’s granddaughter Khloe
Mark Mosley’s grandsons Knox and Cooper
Ronda Ellison’s Zoey and Jacob
Annette and Trevita
James Humphrey’s Brailey
Mark Mosley’s granddaughter Raegan
Ashley Johnson’s Chloe and Clay
Member Services
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SVEC helps Gulf Coast EC recover after
HURRICANE MICHAEL When reports started coming in last month about Hurricane Michael and where it was expected to hit hardest, SVEC planned for the worst. We reached out to other cooperatives like Glades Electric Cooperative and Powell Valley Electric Cooperative to organize backup crews if our system needed them. Fortunately, our area was spared the worst that Michael had to offer. Our system sustained some minor damage, but with the help of the additional crews that had already arrived, we were able to make most repairs by lunchtime the day after the storm. Then, the focus turned to how we could help those utilities that were not as lucky. The Sunday morning after Michael hit, a 15-man crew left Live Oak headed for Southport to help Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative recover from the storm. The damage there was so extensive that SVEC crews cycled in and out of the area for two weeks, making repairs to everything from main feeder lines to substations and residential distribution lines. In all, Gulf Coast estimates that the storm broke about 10,000 poles.
The following employees traveled to the Panhandle: Jerrad Boles, Jason Carroll, Daniel Carver, Jared Clark, Brian Cutcher, Matt Dickerson, Chris Driver, Leon Edwards, Derek Fillyaw, Alex Fountain, Bryan Gamble, Kevin Hines, James Humphrey, Matthew Jones, Philip King, Andy Lawrence, Luke Milton, Mark Mosely, Raymond Poole, Shack Roberson, Evan Skeen, Clay Stratton, Russell Summers, Anthony Thompkins, Jimmy Williams and Doug Wynn.
We’re grateful to Gulf Coast Electric for taking good care of our people in the time they were there and to their wonderful membership, which always showed their appreciation for our hard work. It’s that sense of brotherhood between cooperatives that really shows the strength of cooperatives. SVEC didn’t hesitate to answer the call for one of our neighbors because we know that when it’s our system in need, they’ll be there for us. That’s something we can all be proud of. 7
Employee travels… My Trip to Grand Bahama Island by Daniel Carver
While attending the NRECA and NASC Finance and Accounting Conference in San Antonio, Texas, Christine Moor and Jessica Graham made use of electric scooters to get around town. Using a mobile app, visitors to the city can unlock a scooter for $1 — an additional 15 cents is added for each minute of use. They can ride the scooter to their destination and then leave it outside for the next rider.
News From our EAP One-on-one Coaching
Our employee assistance provider (EAP), ESI Group, offers personal coaching services to help you grow and succeed both personally and professionally. These services are available at no cost to SVEC employees and their eligible family members. Peak Performance Coaching Benefits are one-on-one coaching programs conducted by ESI master’s- and PhDlevel coaches. Coaches can work with you in the following areas:
My good friends Kevin and Shelly Fletcher recently started a mission organization that focuses its work on Grand Bahama Island. They scheduled a trip to replace a roof, but the members of their team had to back out. Unfortunately, the Bahamians had already stripped the old shingles, which left the roof exposed and unprotected. With only seven days left before the trip, there was no team. I responded to Kevin’s desperate cry for help on Facebook and also recruited my friend Curtis Kinsey who had worked on the island with me in the past. A couple of days later, Jordan Butler joined the team. We all put out requests for sponsors. Within 24 hours, each of us had raised enough money to pay for our travel expenses and food for a week. So, we were all set! Our team of four guys and a lady sailed out of West Palm Beach on the cruise ship Grand Celebration. Once on the island, we collected our supplies and luggage from customs, and we were off to the races. We worked about three hours that day, five hours the next day, and four hours the third day. With just four laborers, we completed the roof in only 12 hours of work. With a day to spare, we had time to relax a little and do some plumbing work on the house Kevin and Shelly recently purchased. I can’t extend enough thanks to our sponsors.
Certified financial coaching Balancing life at work and home Resilience Effective communication Home purchasing Student debt In the coming months, ESI will introduce yoga and meditation coaching, workplace conflict coaching, retirement coaching and supervisor coaching. In addition to one-on-one coaching, ESI offers access to thousands of online self-help and professional development resources, including videos, articles, calculators, self-assessments and other tools. For coaching, call 1-800-252-4555 and ask to speak to a coach. To access online resources, log in at www.theEAP.com.
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Submitted by Annette Bonds
Muffin recipe Ingredients 1 cup butter, room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 eggs 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 1/4 cup Greek yogurt 2 1/4 cup flour Topping 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon Instructions 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with liners and set aside. 2. Mix butter and sugar together on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. 3. Add vanilla and eggs and mix for 1 minute on medium speed, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. 4. With mixer still on medium, mix in cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar. 5. Turn mixer to low and add yogurt and flour in alternating batches, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined. 6. Scoop batter into liners 2/3 full. 7. Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle batter with 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. 8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until centers of muffins set. 9. Remove from muffin tin and cool on a wire rack.
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