President's Points: Quarterly Report from Board President John E. Worthington

It's almost hard to imagine that, at this time just one year ago, we all were breathing a sigh of relief because Y2K had come and gone without any of our worst fears coming to pass. The nation's transmission grid continued to deliver power, our banking system remained intact and mobs weren't rioting in the streets. We went back to business as usual, but with a little more foresight than before.

In fact, the year 2000 was a good one for WFEC overall. Your board and management team continued striving to find ways to operate the Co-op more efficiently and held rates steady into the eighth consecutive year. WFEC's employees worked another year without a lost-time accident. Our economic development efforts created jobs and the promise of more ahead. And the mail ballot drastically increased member participation in WFEC's elections.

Following these elections, we welcomed John Patrick to the board as district 3 trustee. In assigning officers, the board chose Eugene Alford, of District 2, to serve as vice president; A. C. Miles, of District 5, as secretary-treasurer; and myself as board president. Your board members and officers, as well as WFEC's management and employees, now stand ready to meet whatever challenges lie ahead in the coming months.

At a time of tremendous change on the horizon in this industry, I believe WFEC's 24,000 member-owners would like to be more knowledgeable about this co-op and the decisions we make in your interests. Therefore, I plan to make this the first of an ongoing series of updates appearing quarterly in Current Light Flashes. Not only will I try to keep you informed, but WFEC's CEO and vice presidents will also share their insights with you from time to time.

On occasion, these updates also will cover topics relating to our wholesale power supplier, Alabama Electric Cooperative, and our statewide organization, the Florida Electric Cooperatives Association. Having recently been appointed one of WFEC's representatives on AEC's board, I look forward to gaining a better understanding of their operations and working with them to ensure we continue to receive the best service and lowest rates possible from them.

I hope you and your family had a blessed holiday season and that the new year will be a happy, healthy and prosperous one. Best wishes from WFEC's board and management.