March-2024 Cooperative Living-CEC - 6

POWERFUL CAREERS
Inspired to
Pursue Her Dreams
Former Youth Tour delegate becomes
the chaperone
by Jim Robertson, Staff Writer
F
or more than 50 years, high school students have
congregated in the nation's capital for an inspiring
week. In 2008, Katie Luckett represented Choptank
Electric Cooperative as a student delegate at Youth Tour, a
leadership conference for high school students in Washington,
D.C. A short 15 years later, she now serves as the co-op's
manager of marketing, communications and education.
Born and raised in Denton, Md., just 4 miles from
Choptank Electric's headquarters, Luckett grew fond of her
co-op's community involvement in local parades, food bank
donation days, fairs and more, including sponsorship of her
T-ball team when she was 6 years old. " My uncle was a
lineman here, so I was very familiar with co-ops and Choptank
Electric Cooperative, " says Luckett, who was determined in
high school to pursue a career with a focus on writing.
ONE MEMORABLE WEEK
" My uncle let me know about Youth Tour when I was
a junior in high school and encouraged me to participate, "
Luckett recalls. Some of her favorite memories from that week
include dinner on a Potomac River cruise, meeting elected
offi cials on Capitol Hill, keynote addresses from motivational
leaders, and making new friends from all over the U.S.
Luckett's experience continued aſt er being selected as
the Youth Leadership Council delegate for Maryland. During
Youth Tour, each state selects one student as its YLC
representative. She returned to NRECA's offi ce in Arlington,
Va., that summer and later attended its annual meeting in
New Orleans.
I WANT YOUR JOB
Aſt er visiting with her guidance counselor about Youth
Tour, Luckett met the person in the role she would later fi ll.
Anne Whaples, who served as manager of communications
at Choptank Electric and coordinated the co-op's involvement
in Youth Tour.
Luckett remembers talking to Whaples aſt er Youth Tour
and saying, " I want your job. When you retire, I want to
do what you do for Choptank. " During her senior year at
Clemson University, where she studied communications,
she was notifi ed that Whaples was retiring and the job was
available. Th e timing wasn't meant to be - not yet, at least.
4 * Cooperative Living * March 2024
Katie Luckett today, right,
and far left, posing with two
other student delegates in
front of the U.S. Capitol
during the 2008 Youth Tour.
THE JOURNEY HOME
Luckett had a desire to leave her home state of Maryland
and attend college down south, but says, " I always planned to
come back home. "
Aſt er gaining valuable experience with a public relations
fi rm in South Carolina, Luckett began her journey back home
and worked nearly a decade in communications roles with
Maryland Farm Bureau and Horizon Farm Credit, serving
rural members on the Eastern Shore.
When the communications role at Choptank Electric
became available in 2022, Luckett saw her dream coming
true. And it did. " It took me almost 10 years, but I fi nally
got here, " she says.
A STORYTELLER AT HEART
" My mom used to joke that I'd watch a 15-minute
episode of 'Rugrats' as a kid and take 20 minutes to explain
the episode back to her, " Luckett recalls. " I love to tell stories
and fi ll in details and share my perspective. "
Today, she continues telling stories about her community
and Choptank Electric members. Part of the cooperative
diff erence is that co-ops are focused on people and improving
quality of life. She loves the element of surprise when
approaching a story with her own ideas and seeing it take
a completely unexpected, and oſt en more interesting, path
during the conversation.
Luckett feels fortunate to have received the benefi ts of
being a co-op member growing up, and now she has the
ability to educate others and help them take full advantage
of the resources available. Th ose benefi ts continue as an
employee. " Choptank Electric has been supportive in both
personal and professional development, " says Luckett.
" Th ey encourage our participation in various training
opportunities, seminars and webinars. "
One of Luckett's short-term goals is to focus more eff ort
in educating youth about co-ops. She looks forward to
increasing her co-op's involvement with career fairs,
touch-a-truck events, safety demonstrations and other
community events. Aſt er all, that is what inspired her to
pursue her dream.
*
For more information, visit vmdaec.com/powerfulcareers.
co-opliving.com
PHOTO BY LAURA EMERY
PHOTO BY JIM ROBERTSON
http://www.vmdaec.com/powerfulcareers http://www.co-opliving.com
March-2024 Cooperative Living-CEC

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