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The holidays are a time of year that many of us eagerly anticipate. The season is marked by special foods, seasonal decorations and lots of festivities. We cherish carrying on old family traditions and enjoy creating
new ones. For me personally, I look forward to more time spent with family and friends.

However, given the hustle and bustle of the season, the holidays can also offer an opportunity to slow down and reflect. For all of us at West Florida Electric Cooperative (WFEC), we are grateful for you, the members of the co-op. 

You see, one of our founding principles as a co-op is “Concern for Community.” While our main focus is providing safe, reliable and affordable energy, we want to give back. We want to help our community
thrive.

Reflection

In looking back at this past year, I’m grateful that we were able to make a positive impact in the communities we serve. We continue working closely with our local high schools to award college scholarships. In 2019, we awarded 4 scholarships to local students attending Chipola College.
The cooperative also awarded several local teachers with scholarships to attend the Empower Education Workshop this past June. All the attendees received the tools and curriculum necessary to integrate activities about electric generation and distribution with a focus on energy education into their classrooms.

These resources meet students' diverse needs and learning styles. The Empower Energy Education
Workshop is a part of an initiative to promote a balanced approach to energy education in the classroom.
As a cooperative, providing education and learning opportunities to our members is one of our founding principles. It's very important for us to invest in our community's teachers because they are investing in the future of our country by educating our children.

As our industry continues changing due to innovations in technology, it is imperative to ensure our educators have the information and materials needed to inform future generations about the types of energy available, where it comes from, how it is generated and how it impacts our economy, their families and quality of life. As Executive Vice President & CEO of WFEC, I am proud to have this opportunity to partner with other cooperatives to provide this opportunity to educators from our local schools.

Looking Ahead

As we prepare for next year, we look forward to the opportunity to continue serving you, our members, and the greater community. Our commitment is to never lose sight of our primary focus of providing safe, reliable and cost-effective electricity. We will also continue to look for more efficient and innovative ways to fulfill these commitments.

On behalf of the West Florida Electric Cooperative family, we hope your holidays are indeed merry and
bright.