Georgia Magazine - June 2021 - 15

SHORTTakes

Georgia co-ops recognized
for communications excellence

Support for students: Habersham Electric
Membership Corp. (EMC) in Clarkesville
donated $20,785 in unclaimed capital credits
last year to Rabun County Schools, Habersham
County Schools and White County Family
Connection. The donation was split among the
three county agencies, which assist students
with necessities such as clothing, food and
personal hygiene items. Below, Habersham
EMC CEO Bryan Ferguson presents a donation
to Cheyenne Thornton of White County Family
Connection. The donations are made possible
by House Bill 431, which allows EMCs in
Georgia to use capital credits that go
unclaimed for five years to fund education,
economic development and 501(c)(3)
charitable organizations.

p

COURTESY HABERSHAM EMC

T

he Council of Rural Electric Communicators recently announced
the winners of the 2021 Spotlight on Excellence Awards, the highest
communications honors bestowed by the Arlington, Va.-based National
Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). The awards recognize
outstanding work produced by electric co-op communications and
marketing professionals from throughout the country.
Several Georgia electric membership cooperatives (EMCs) were among
the honorees in their respective classifications. Below are the Georgia winners
this year.
* Best Internal News Publication, gold award: Jennie Lacey, Flint Energies,
Reynolds
* Best Special Publication-Small, silver award: Kathryn Green, Southern Rivers
Energy, Barnesville
* Best Special Publication-Large, silver award: Kathryn Green, Southern Rivers
Energy
* Best Special Publication-Large, gold award: Beth Coffey, Georgia System
Operations Corp., Tucker
* Best Use of Social Media (at-large category), silver award: Amanda Busby,
GreyStone Power Corp., Hiram
* Best Wild Card, silver award: Kathryn Green, Southern Rivers Energy
* Best Wild Card, silver award: Coweta-Fayette EMC Communication
Department, Palmetto
* Best Graphic Design, gold award: Brittany Shadix, Carroll EMC, Carrollton
* Best Graphic Design, gold award: Brooke Melton, Cobb EMC, Marietta
* Best Event, gold award: Erin Harper and Brandon Knight, GreyStone
Power Corp.

FLINT ENERGI

From left, Southern Rivers
Energy customer service
representatives Khrisla
Moore, Rene Hubbard and
Derek Petty display the
co-op's brochure for new
members, which won a
silver award.

ES

KATHRYN GREEN

Feeding the community: The foundation
for Central Georgia EMC in Jackson recently
donated $5,000 in Operation Round Up funds
to United in Faith Christian Ministries. The
nonprofit has fed more than 300 families per
month and distributed more than 50,000
pounds of food to those in need during the
COVID-19 pandemic. In Operation Round Up,
members opt to round their monthly bills to
the next dollar, and the difference goes into a
fund for charitable causes in the community.

Three Phase-the newsletter that Reynolds-based Flint
Energies sends to its employees, directors and retirees-
won a gold award for Best Internal News Publication.

Fiber funds: Trailwave Fiber, a subsidiary of
Habersham EMC in Clarkesville, received a
$490,000 Rural Digital Opportunity Fund
grant from the Federal Communications
Commission. The grant will go toward
expanding fiber-optic internet service to more
than 700 locations in White County. Trailwave
Fiber currently serves more than 5,000
subscribers in Northeast Georgia.
Love for the co-op: Coastal Electric
Cooperative in Midway was named the best
overall utility service in the Bryan's Favorites
2021 listing by the Bryan County News.
www.georgiamagazine.org

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Georgia Magazine - June 2021

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