Front row, from left, are WEC board member Debra Baxley, WEC board President Donna Parrish, WEC Operation Round Up Charitable Foundation board President David Hall, Silent Hero Jennifer Nichols, Silent Hero Kasey Morris, Silent Hero Pepper Smith, foundation board member Susan Bailey and foundation board member Delain Faulk. Back row, from left, are WEC board member John Clark Jr., WEC board member Danny McNeil, foundation board member Stanley Aman, Silent Hero Steve Hardwick, Silent Hero Mark Freeman, Silent Hero Joe Barton, foundation board member J. Everette Stewart and WEC board member Tracy Reeder.
WEC HONORS 2018 SILENT HEROES OF THE WIREGRASS Spencer Bienvenue moved to Dothan in 2015 to become the vice president and general manager of WTVY, and he wanted to do something to recognize people in the Wiregrass who were doing great, but unnoticed, work. His goal was to create Silent Heroes of the Wiregrass, similar to a project at his previous job in Lafayette, Louisiana. “When I moved to Dothan, I thought that, considering the way this community supports its people, this would be something phenomenal for us to do,” Bienvenue says. However, he needed a partner to make it work. And he found that partner in Wiregrass Electric Cooperative. “Knowing Brad Kimbro and Wiregrass Electric and their link to the community, I knew they would be perfect for this project,” Bienvenue says. The results have been better than he imagined. Since the program started two years ago, WTVY and Wiregrass Electric Cooperative’s Operation Round Up Charitable Foundation have selected more than 20 Silent Heroes of the Wiregrass. In November, WTVY and WEC hosted a banquet at KBC in Dothan to honor the winners from the second year of the program. The winners from the past year included people helping families deal with the loss of a child or loved one, volunteering in local schools, assisting law enforcement, helping senior citizens, feeding the less fortunate and much more. “Each winner selected is the perfect example of what a silent hero is,” says WEC Chief Operating Officer Brad Kimbro. “They are just normal people doing great things because they feel it’s the right thing to do. They aren’t doing it for the recognition. They are doing it from the goodness of their hearts. They are all an inspiration, and we are so proud to partner with WTVY to make this program possible.” Each month’s winner is selected by the Operation Round Up board of trustees, which is made up of WEC members. The foundation is funded by WEC members who have agreed to have their monthly energy bill rounded up to the nearest whole dollar. The money is then used for charitable projects in the community, like Silent Heroes of the Wiregrass. The recipients are presented with a $1,000 check from the foundation during a WTVY news broadcast, which also serves as a platform to discuss their projects. 50 FEBRUARY 2019
“I’ve served on many boards over the years, and none of them compare to the feeling of satisfaction I get with the Silent Hero program,” says David Hall, Operation Round Up board president. “Every one of the recipients is more than deserving, and each is an inspiration to us all. All of our board members are so proud to be a part of something like this.” Bienvenue says it’s a news station’s job to report the hard-pressing news, but WTVY also feels an obligation to shine a light on the positive stories in the community. “When you see people like this locally, it just instills hope in you,” Bienvenue says. “I knew this would be successful, but our partnership with Wiregrass Electric and the people we have been able to highlight has been even better than I expected.” n
2018 SILENT HEROES OF THE WIREGRASS January — Kasey Morris, director of Cottonwood Senior Center February — Steve Hardwick, organized the Angel of Hope Statue March — Chris Hughes, organized a youth baseball league in Kinston and Samson April — Kyle Hovey, involved with EMT/EMS services for Slocomb, Geneva and Dothan May — Joe Barton, captain of Covington County Sheriff’s Posse June — Becky Mitchell, Mulkey Elementary School
July — Pepper Smith, provides meals for people in Geneva each month August — Mark Freeman, mentor at Dothan’s Grandview Elementary School September — Chris Moore, volunteer at Heard Magnet School October — Ken and Martha Tuck, Love in Action Ministries November — Jennifer Nichols, founder and President of Hand Up Enterprise December — Miles Coleman, treasurer at the Dothan Botanical Gardens
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