Fruits Of His Labor

Former WEC trustee Nolan Laird cut the ribbon on the new Samson office when it opened in 2014. Today, the new office helps better serve WEC members and was one of Laird’s proudest accomplishments during his tenure on the board of trustees.

Fruits Of His Labor

Nolan Laird looks back on his time as a trustee

On a recent early-spring day, Nolan Laird drove his tractor alongside backhoe and bulldozer operators, burying pipe to improve drainage on his farm. It’s the 57th year the Florala man has planted crops — mostly corn and peanuts.

Laird approaches improvements at his farm much like he did his service as a board member at Wiregrass Electric Cooperative, a position from which he recently retired after three decades.

“There’s always something that needs doing. It’s challenging, and I like a challenge,” he says. “There’s a lot of parallels between the electric industry and farming.”

Dedication is an example of the similarities. In his 33 years of service to the WEC board, Laird never missed a meeting. Sometimes it wasn’t easy shutting the tractor down and leaving the cotton or peanuts in the fields to attend a board meeting.

“I was elected to represent the people, and I couldn’t do that if I wasn’t at the meetings,” he says. For his dedication, Laird was the recipient of the 2019 AREA Chairman’s Award, presented for extraordinary service on behalf of the electric cooperatives of Alabama. It is given at the discretion of the AREA Board of Directors.

WEC CEO Les Moreland says Laird was more than deserving of this honor.

“Nolan was always a very instrumental member of the board and was a mentor to me,” Moreland says. “His dedication to our cooperative in his 33 years of service was honorable and we are proud that he has been recognized for that dedication.”

Laird always did what was best for the cooperative, and perfect attendance is a good example of his dedication, WEC Chief Operating Officer Brad Kimbro says.

“He never missed a meeting, and that says all you need to know about his dedication,” Kimbro says. “This cooperative is better today because of Nolan Laird. We thank him for his service, and we owe a lot to him.”

When Laird was first elected to the board, the cooperative provided service to 8,800 meters. At his retirement, that had grown to about 23,000 meters. Upgraded meters and new buildings in Hartford, Dothan and Samson are among the accomplishments Laird notes from his time on the board.

“I saw a lot of changes. I feel like I left the co-op in good shape, but I also left it in good hands,” he says. “They’re very responsive to the customers, and they make sure the service and safety are the best they can be.”

Creating a safe working environment for WEC employees was one of Laird’s primary focuses.

“It was important to make sure they always have safe, modern equipment so they can provide reliable, prompt service to our members,” he says.

Moreland and Kimbro credits Laird’s dedication as a key part in the cooperative’s successful efforts to create a safety culture.

“Nolan Laird was extremely dedicated to the safety of Wiregrass Electric members and employees,” Kimbro says. “The cooperative has never been safer, and he helped make that happen,” states Moreland.

Laird and his wife, Retha Amelia, are members at Lockhart Baptist Church, where he serves as a trustee and as chairman of the deacons. While he has retired from WEC’s board, he plans to continue farming.

“I enjoyed my time at WEC,” Laird says. “But I guess I’ll keep on farming as long as I can.”

Nolan Laird served as the District 9 representative on the board of trustees for 33 years before retiring in 2017.