Manager's Column
Authored by: Amber Overfelt
As we sit and reflect on 2023, it’s only natural to remember the highlights.
- 96.5 miles of right-of-way cleared.
- 132.5 mile of line sprayed.
- Board member, George Frink was recognized as a Gold Credentialed Director.
- Spencer Duren completed his apprenticeship becoming Journeyman Lineman.
- 1st Annual Member Appreciation Day celebration.
- Over 300 members attended the 87th Annual Meeting in June.
- Sponsored Youth Events at Howard County Fair.
- Howard Electric Community Foundation contributes $21,000 to local nonprofits.
While we enjoy reflecting on the accomplishments and challenges overcome in the past year, we have been busy preparing for the new year and the projects we have planned. 2024 is here, ready or not! Continuing with our 7 year right-of-way rotation we will clear 143 miles of line in the northern part of our system. An additional 195 miles of line in the southwest portion of system, that have been previously cleared, will be sprayed to maintain the right-of-way. Some of our members may have noticed Lee Inspection in the area, they just completed inspecting 5,000 poles. Any pole not passing inspection will be changed. In addition, sections of older aging line will be replaced with larger wire and taller stronger poles. All of this work is done to improve reliability and reduce system blinks caused by overgrown brush and aging equipment.
Every new year begins with making resolutions, right? The work discussed above helps Howard Electric maintain our standing resolution of providing reliable and affordable power to our members. Another resolution your electric cooperative has is investing in area youth, who will become our future members. We are passionate about educating our members and growing future leaders. One way your cooperative invests in our youth is by offering three unique opportunities to High School students.
High school sophomores have the opportunity to attend CYCLE (Cooperative Youth Conference and Leadership Experience) in Jefferson City. CYCLE is a three day program that brings approximately 100 high school students from across the state together. The focus of the conference is to expand student’s knowledge about electric cooperatives, teach leadership skills, and provide the opportunity to personally experience Missouri state government.
High school juniors are encouraged to apply to be Howard Electric’s Youth Tour delegate. The selected delegate will take an ALL expenses paid trip of a lifetime to Washington D.C. joining almost 2,000 students not just from Missouri, but across the United States. They will visit Capitol Hill and famous monuments like Mt. Vernon, the Smithsonian Institution, and Arlington National Cemetery. Howard Electric’s delegate will also receive a $1,000 scholarship to the college or university of their choice.
The third opportunity we are proud to offer is a $1,000 scholarship to a local high school senior attending State Technical College of Missouri or Ozark Technical College, pursuing a degree in Electric Distribution Systems. As an electric cooperative we are always excited to see our area youth interested in a career as a lineman.