Cooperative Living August 2020 - 5

Brights | from Staff Reports
Leadership Award
Kent D. Farmer,
president and CEO
of Rappahannock
Electric Cooperative,
is a recipient of
the 2020 Electric
Cooperative
Leadership Award,
presented by the
Virginia, Maryland
& Delaware Association of Electric
Cooperatives.
Farmer, who retired Aug. 1, was
with REC for 41 years and served as
president and CEO since 2004. He
was cited for his visionary leadership,
creative problem-solving and deep
community involvement.
" Kent has always been motivated
by doing the right things for electric
cooperatives and in the right way, "
says Sheldon C. Petersen, CEO
of the National Rural Utilities
Cooperative Finance Corp., of
which Farmer is a past board
president.
MailBag
FAREWELL, 'LITTLE BROTHER'
In your June edition, I was elated to
see my old college buddy and fraternity
" little brother, " Bill Sherrod, win a
distinguished service award from the
regional electric cooperatives.
I was shocked to see in your next
edition of Cooperative Living that Bill
had passed away from pancreatic cancer.
Bill and I started college the same
year (1972) at Randolph-Macon College
and were members of Phi Kappa Sigma
fraternity. But Bill did not pledge
the house until his sophomore year.
That made him eligible to be my
" little brother. "
He always shone on party nights, but
not necessarily of his own volition. It
was always a case of something strange,
or weird, or simply out of the ordinary
happening to him that day or that
evening - and he would burst into the
frat house just aching to relate his latest
tale. Bill the Storyteller, even back then.
Mostly, though, Bill was a scholar, a
keen observer of the English language,
co-opliving.com
Posthumous Award
R. Wayne Browning, a longtime
director at A&N Electric Cooperative,
also received the 2020 Electric
Cooperative Leadership Award
from the VMD Association.
A native of
Plymouth, N.C.,
Browning was
an integral part
of the A&N Electric
Board of Directors
from October
1981 until his death
on May 27 at the
age of 88. He also
was chairman of the VMD Association
board from 2010 to 2012.
" Wayne will be sorely missed, but
there is no doubt his contributions to
A&N Electric Cooperative will stand the
test of time, " says Butch Williamson,
president and CEO of ANEC.
Distinguished Service
E. Warren Matthews of South Hill,
Va., counsel for Mecklenburg Electric
a superb newspaperman - and one
heckuva " little brother. "
Though I hadn't seen him but once
in the last 20 years - he came to
Winchester to do a Christmas story
for the magazine some years back -
I'll miss him greatly, particularly his
monthly greeting from the front inside
page of Cooperative Living.
- Adrian O'Connor, Stephens City, Va.
READER APPRECIATES CONTEST
I love the Cooperative Living
magazine, especially the " WhatzIt "
contest. This is the first thing I look
for when I get it out of the mailbox!
- Kevin Conner, Monterey, Va.
COLUMN EVOKES
SUMMERTIME MEMORIES
I think Cooperative Living magazine
is an excellent publication -
professional, helpful, fun, informative
and upbeat. I particularly enjoyed
Richard Johnstone's ViewPoint
( " Summer's All Around Us " ) in the
June 2020 issue. It was beautifully
written, evoked so many of my own
summertime memories, and is a piece
Cooperative for
33 years, received
the Association's
Distinguished
Service Award.
In addition to
his work on behalf
of Mecklenburg
Electric Cooperative,
Matthews, a native
of Brunswick County, Va., served for
more than 30 years as general counsel
for Community Memorial Hospital
(now VCU Health Community Memorial
Hospital) in South Hill.
" Every great organization is built
on a foundation of pillars and most of
those pillars represent individuals who
made invaluable contributions to that
organization. Underneath Mecklenburg
Electric Cooperative is a pillar with
Warren Matthews' name on it, "
says John C. Lee Jr., president and
CEO of MEC.
The awards were presented
remotely at the Association's annual
meeting, held July 27. 
of hope and happiness in this very
uncertain time. Thank you all, from
writers to lineworkers, for doing what
you do. You are very much appreciated.
- Jennifer Lee, Bluemont, Va.
READER ENJOYS JULY ISSUE
It's always good to get Cooperative
Living magazine. It takes me back to
times gone by. The July issue was fun
to read, especially the kids' drawings.
My oldest son 44 years ago drew
" Jeff the crocodile " (me). Brings
back fond memories. Sad to read
about Bill Sherrod's passing, but his
contributions will forever be with
us. Prayers for his family.
- Jeff Hash, Fishersville, Va.
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submitting a letter.
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Cooperative Living August 2020

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