Spring 2014
Still have
your fork?
Volume 30 • Number 2
Second Quarter 2014
ANNUAL MEETING
May 15, 2014
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ive
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Upcoming
† Mark your calendars to eat
cake at the 75th Annual Meeting:
• Thursday, May 15, 2014
Inside
CELEBRATE AND EAT CAKE!
§ Commemorate our 75th annual meeting
As promised at the 2013 Central Rural
Electric Cooperative annual meeting, we
will eat cake!
CREC is celebrating its 75th anniversary
annual meeting Thursday, May 15, at the
Payne County Expo Center, in Stillwater.
CREC met in November 1938 to complete
a mission and a vision ... to provide power
to central rural Oklahoma.
† Meet our Youth Tour finalists,
page 3
Visit
† www.crec.coop
† www.SmartEnergySource.com
† www.nesi-ses.org
† www.facebook.com/CentralRural
† www.twitter.com/CentralRural
† www.pinterest.com/CentralRural
Through innovative and proactive leadership, CREC has exceeded this mission and
is taking steps in moving forward to be the
next generation cooperative that will work
to empower members while still providing
affordable, reliable electricity.
During the last 75 years, electric cooperative leaders learned that collaboration and
partnerships will advance the energy industry and provide proactive energy-related
solutions. Members attending the annual
meeting will learn how CREC is Building
Our Energy Future Together and about the
potential consolidation with Canadian Valley Electric Cooperative.
CREC will feature special entertainment
by LinkUnion, an American band that
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Smart Energy Source partner
plays a mixture of folk, rhythm and blues,
jazz and gospel music. A time capsule
commemorating the past 75 years will be
displayed, and members will have the opportunity to record a video message about
CREC that will be included in the time
capsule prior to the burial.
Registered CREC members in attendance
will receive a $10 credit on their June electric bill, $20 restaurant gift card and 75th
anniversary commemorative items. Various
prizes will be given away, and the business
meeting will conclude with a grand prize
drawing for a 42-inch LED television.
Watch your mail for the official annual
meeting notice.
75th CREC Annual Meeting
Thursday, May 15
Payne County Expo Center, Stillwater
• 5 p.m. - registration begins
• 5:30 p.m. - live music begins
• 6:30 p.m. - registration closes
• 6:45 p.m. - business meeting begins
On May 15, CREC members will celebrate a
milestone anniversary at the 75th Annual Meeting.
While 75 years may seem like a long time to
some, others remember 1938/1939 like it was
yesterday. In the electric industry, much has
Thoughts
changed during the last 75 years, but at the same
time, much remains the same. This paradox of
from CEO
old/new, change/same is dependent on how you
David Swank
see the things around you – your perspective.
This year, as we celebrate our first 75 years, we
are also looking forward to building the next 75 years.
Perspective is an interesting concept to ponder. It’s why one thing
looks right to one person and wrong to another. I am reminded of a
quote from former Apple CEO Steve Jobs who said, “a lot of people in
our industry haven't had very diverse experiences. So they don't have
enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions
without a broad perspective on the problem.” While he was obviously
speaking of the electronics industry, I think his wisdom can apply
to many different industries. The electric industry is no exception.
New regulations, political pressures, disruptive technologies, and
compliance and environmental issues – these are just a few of the
many current issues that have the potential to threaten the reliable
and affordable electric service you have come to expect from your
electric cooperative.
While celebrating our 75th anniversary, we cannot allow ourselves to
get caught up in the paradigm of “this is how we’ve always done it.”
This “status quo” mentality would be devastating to a cooperative in
the fast pace, ever changing environment we are in today.
I can assure you that the leadership of CREC is not narrow-minded
when it comes to our perspective. Your board and management are
committed to courageous leadership and innovative thinking that leads
to building a broader perspective. Our perspective will be a strength as
we face the difficult issues before us. In 2013, CREC engaged in two
initiatives that I believe will shape the future of our organization.
First, CREC began talks with a neighboring cooperative, Canadian
Valley Electric Cooperative, about a potential consolidation. The
boards of trustees have been conversing for the past year and a half
and an initial evaluation showed a significant cost savings ranging
between $14 million to $42 million in savings over a 10-year period,
depending on your perspective.
Second, the bylaws were adopted and board members were selected
for the NESI-SES Association. The association is a collaboration
of Oklahoma State University’s National Energy Solutions Institute
and Smart Energy Source, an initiative CREC has been involved
in for several years with OSU, Guernsey and Tri-County Electric
Cooperative. While the two initiatives may sound different, I believe
they are similar. Both are collaborative efforts offering real solutions
to the issues we are facing. I will address these initiatives in more
detail at this year’s Annual Meeting.
As we look to 2014 and beyond, I urge you to broaden your
perspective. The past is significant and should be remembered, but
let’s not be afraid to step out of our comfort zone as we work to build
our future. We hope to see you May 15.
BUILDING OUR
energy
FUTURE
TOGETHER
www.BuildingOurEnergyFutureTogether.com
Talks of the potential consolidation between Canadian Valley Electric Cooperative and Central Rural Electric Cooperative continue between the two boards and
management as the Cooperative Finance
Corporation completes the feasibility study.
Recently, the CEOs and board presidents
from the two cooperatives sat down to
answer questions about the consolidation.
View the interviews at, http://www.
BuildingOurEnergyFutureTogether.com.
We encourage you to continue to visit the
website and follow, engage and participate
in social media conversations by using
#BOEFT to learn more about the two cooperatives and the possible consolidation.
CREC’s official newsletter, REsource,
is published four times a year.
Phone: (405) 372-2884 or (800) 375-2884
E-mail: editor@crec.coop
Web: www.crec.coop
CREC Board of Trustees:
Gary McCune - President - District 1
Raymond Nettles - Vice President - District 6
Bill Davis - Secretary/Treasurer - District 7
Stu Preston - District 2
Carol Dvorak - District 3
Len Tontz - District 4
Mark Pittman - District 5
Clyde Habben - District 8
R.A. Stults - District 9
REsource Editors:
Larry Mattox - Director of Communications
Courtney Arnall - Communications Specialist
Joe Gray - Communications Specialist
CREC's Youth Tour top six: (back from left) Aaron Matheson, Joseph Barrows and Niki
Shoemaker; (front from left) Robin Porter, Vanessa Mena and Brenna Griffith.
Adventure awaits CREC youth
Central Rural Electric Cooperative recently awarded and
recognized six area students with trips and scholarships
through the CREC Youth Tour program.
The CREC Youth Tour is a two-part competition open to
all service area high school juniors. This year, students
submitted a letter written to the Environmental Protection
Agency expressing their concerns over a recent regulation that outlawed coal as a fuel source for next generation
power plants, which will raise energy costs for everyone.
A panel of judges selected the top six students to compete
in the final portion of the competition. The top six students
presented their letters to the panel of judges and a packed
room of parents and CREC special guests on April 1.
states in Washington, D.C., June 14-19, 2014, in the annual
Youth Tour sponsored by rural electric cooperatives. The
itinerary for Oklahoma students includes Smithsonian museums; national monuments, like the Jefferson and Lincoln
memorials; the United States Capitol; the Supreme Court;
and the Arlington National Cemetery. The students will also
meet with Oklahoma’s congressional delegation.
Two area high school students were selected to represent CREC on the all-expense-paid electric cooperative
Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., this summer, while
the remaining four each received a $250 postsecondary
education scholarship.
Glencoe High School student Aaron Matheson, son of
Jimmy and Jennifer Matheson; and Perkins-Tryon High
School student Niki Shoemaker, daughter of Tina Peyton
and Danny Shoemaker; were selected as CREC’s Washington, D.C., delegates. Scholarship recipients were Glencoe
High School students Joseph Barrows, son of Christopher
Barrows; Brenna Griffith, daughter of Hoyt and Stacie
Griffith; Vanessa Mena, daughter of Cassie McLain; and
Robin Porter, daughter of David and Pamela Porter.
Aaron and Niki will join approximately 70 students from
across Oklahoma and more than 1,000 students from 41
CREC Washington, D.C., delegates Aaron from Glencoe High
School and Niki from Perkins-Tryon High School will leave
June 14, to partake on an experience that will give them
leadership skills that will last a lifetime.
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CREC - agribusiness of the year
Innovative, forward thinking and
advanced are a few words Calvin
Oyster, Stillwater Chamber of Commerce agriculture committee member,
used to describe Central Rural Electric
Cooperative when he presented CREC
board president, Gary McCune with the
2014 Stillwater Chamber agribusiness
committee's Business of the Year award.
The award was presented at the Payne
County agriculture appreciation banquet.
“It is an honor to accept this award
on behalf of the board and staff of
CREC,” McCune said. “As a cooperative, CREC is owned by its members.
Although the demographics of our
members have changed over the past
75 years, our commitment to service
has not. Thank you for recognizing
the contributions CREC makes to
rural Oklahoma.”
CREC has served farms and ranches
in Payne County and the surrounding
area since 1938. CREC began by providing power to 141 farms. CREC has
since grown to a company with more
than $100 million in assets that serves
more than 20,000 meters in seven
central-Oklahoma counties.
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“CREC’s roots are in agriculture,” said
David Swank, CEO of CREC. “Seventy-five years ago, we began serving
the rural areas around Stillwater and
other central-Oklahoma towns. Today,
our membership is much more diverse:
rural, urban, residential and commercial with a large load of oil and gas.”
Oyster spoke to some of CREC’s
major initiatives including the
NESI-SES Association. The association is a collaboration of
Oklahoma State University’s National Energy Solutions Institute and
Smart Energy Source, an initiative
CREC has been involved in for several years with OSU, the engineering firm Guernsey and Tri-County
Electric Cooperative.
The association is built on three
principals critical to finding solutions to our nation’s current energy
challenges: collaboration, collective
intelligence and business analytics.
“CREC is proud of its past, but it is
the future that excites us,” Swank
said. “I believe CREC has the opportunity to be a pioneer in the future
of the electric industry just as the
generations before us led the charge to
electrify rural America 75 years ago.”
For more information on CREC or
the NESI-SES Association, visit,
http://www.crec.coop, or http://www.
nesi-ses.org.
NESI-SES Association - solution focused
Energy industry leaders gathered at
the Henry Bellmon Research Center
on the Oklahoma State University
campus March 17, for the official
launch of the NESI-SES Association,
a membership organization consisting of utilities and energy-related
organizations from across the nation
dedicated to finding solutions for the
energy industry.
The collaboration, unique in its
nature, is at the forefront of leading
the energy industry in progressive
research and relevant solutions.
“The National Energy Solutions
Institute and SES partnership is, I
think, going to transform how we do
business in Oklahoma,” said OSU
president Burns Hargis, “I think it
will make our energy industry even
more efficient and more effective.”
New members of the association
were recognized including the
Oklahoma Association of Electric
Cooperatives, Guernsey, Tri-County
Electric Cooperative, CREC and half
a million dollar contributor, CoBank.
CoBank is a Colorado-based bank that
focuses exclusively on serving vital
industries in rural America, a member of the Farm Credit System and
serves as the funding bank for Farm
Credit associations. CoBank CEO
Bob Engel addressed energy leaders
and described the importance reliable,
affordable energy brings to the rural
industries CoBank serves.
“It really is vital that the U.S. maintain
its leadership position across the entire
spectrum of energy,” Engel said. “We
are really confident that the work that is
going to be produced by the NESI-SES
Association in the coming years really
will help us achieve that broader goal.”
It is a broader goal based on three key
principles – collaboration, collective
intelligence and business analytics.
David Swank, NESI-SES Association
and CREC CEO, said collaboration is
key to discovering solutions.
Gary Clark, NESI-SES Association board president and OSU vice president
and general counsel; Burns Hargis, OSU president; Bob Engel, CoBank CEO;
Stephen McKeever, Secretary of Science and Technology for the state of
Oklahoma and NESI Director; and David Swank, NESI-SES Association CEO
and CREC CEO.
“Our research can be far better if we
bring together collective information,”
Swank said. “The better the information, the better the research.”
NESI director Dr. Stephen McKeever
said his organization’s goal is to attempt to answer today's energy questions. He agreed collaboration is the
most important aspect in finding new
and better solutions.
tions Center on OSU’s campus was also
announced, and construction is expected to be complete later this spring.
For more information on the NESISES Association, visit http://www.
nesi-ses.org or follow the association
on Twitter, @ NESI_SES.
“We have to work in collaboration,”
McKeever said. “The key is to not
work in isolation. In order to provide
solutions to the industry, we need the
industry to be working with us to tell
us what those issues are and to lead us
to the right solutions.”
Currently, the NESI-SES Association
is working with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission on a distributed
energy resources/microgrid study and
a new way of system planning for utilities and oil and gas producers called
the Capacity Infrastructure Model. The
building of an Energy Research Opera-
OSU President Burns Hargis, addresses
energy stakeholders at the event.
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Connecting you to savings
Remember to use the Co-op Connections Card at the below retailers and
vendors to receive special savings for
Central Rural Electric Cooperative
members. Call the CREC office at
(800) 375-2884 to request a card today
and to learn more.
• Pure Nutrition, Stillwater
• GNC, Stillwater
• Texas Road House, Stillwater
• Flynnagins Footwear, Stillwater
• The Photo Shoppe, Perry
• A1 Septic, Stillwater
• Johnny's Rib Shack, Guthrie
• Lazy E Arena, Guthrie
• Moore Laundry, Chandler
• SJA Photography, Drumright
• Coffee Cup Cafe, Luther
• Cimarron Trails, Perkins
• ProFlowers (Perfect for Mother's Day!)
• LifeLock Benefit Solutions
• Wyndham Garden
• Omaha Steaks
• Sam's Club
• Office Depot
• Direct TV
• Lands' End
• Orbitz
• Sprint
• Hertz
Call before
you dig
April marks the seventh annual National
Safe Digging Month.
Remember to stay safe, and call 811 or go
online to submit a web ticket at least 48
hours before digging any project.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin issued a
proclamation designating April as Safe
Digging Month in Oklahoma.
Call Okie encourages area residents to
visit, http://www.CallOkie.com, for more
information about 811 and the call-beforeyou-dig process.
Visit, http://www.connections.coop,
for more local and national savings.
Lighting a path to a cure
§ CREC is raising funds for the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society strives
to create a world with more birthdays,
and Central Rural Electric Cooperative is joining efforts by raising funds
to go toward the society’s initiatives
and CREC will have a walking team
in the American Cancer Society Relay
For Life on June 6, 2014, at Stillwater
High School.
CREC has initiated many internal
fundraising efforts and would like to
extend some of these opportunities to
members and service area communities. Those interested can participate by
purchasing a commemorative-themed
T-shirt for $10 or by making an online
donation at: http://tinyurl.com/CRECrelay. T-shirts will also be available for
purchase at the 75th annual meeting.
Relay For Life teams were asked by
American Cancer Society event coordinators to pick a team name based
on a television show. The CREC team
name is Friday Night Lights, and a
special T-shirt design has launched to
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commemorate not only this event, but
also another CREC milestone. CREC
is celebrating 75 years of bringing
affordable, reliable power to central
Oklahoma and the 75 on the back
marks this attainment.
Many have been affected by cancer in
some way, and a Relay For Life event
gives us the power to fight back. This
is an opportunity to honor cancer survivors, remember those we have lost
and help raise funds for the American
Cancer Society.
The American Cancer Society helps
people take steps to reduce their risk
of cancer or find it early, when it is
easiest to treat. They provide free
information and services to cancer
patients throughout their journey. The
organization is investing in crucial research to prevent, treat and ultimately
cure all cancers.
Thank you for joining our efforts. Your
participation is appreciated.
Front
$10
Back
Order forms are on, http://www.crec.coop,
and shipping is free. Call Courtney Arnall at
(405) 533-4204 if you have questions.
www.crecfoundation.org
The Central Rural Electric Cooperative Foundation distributed a total of $14,174 to individuals
and organizations throughout CREC’s service
area during the 2014 first quarter.
• Stillwater CARES, Inc. - $1,500
Stillwater Habitat for Humanity received a $1,000
foundation grant for an educational program, which was
accepted by (center) Matt Keys SHH board president.
Mark Pittman (left), CREC trustee; and Calvin Oyster, CREC
Foundation director presented the check.
• Ripley High School - $750
• Noble County 4-H Archery Shooting Sports - $2,000
• Stillwater Public Schools - $975
• First Baptist Church, Tryon - $500
• Luther Public Schools - $3,000
• Town of Langston - $1,500
• Morrison High School - $1,000
• Luther Senior Citizens - $1,199
• Three individuals received funds totaling $1,750
The foundation is accepting applications. Completed applications are due by the 15th prior to
the month of the board meeting. Board meetings
are slated for:
Kendra Barnes (center), Carney High School teacher accepted
a $2,000 grant from Buddy Habben (left), CREC trustee; and
Dennis Delano (right), CREC Foundation director.
• Thursday, May 29, 2014
• Thursday, Aug. 14, 2014
• Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014
If you are currently enrolled in the Operation
Round Up program, thank you for your generous
contributions and support. Call a CREC Advantage Representative at (405) 372-2884 or (800)
375-2884 if you would like to enroll in Operation
Round Up or make a donation to the CREC Foundation. Find applications and learn more about
the foundation at, http://www.crecfoundation.org.
Stillwater CARES, Inc. received a foundation grant, which
was accepted by executive director, Quinn Schipper (right)
and presented by Mark Pittman (left), CREC trustee.
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PRE-SORTED STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
STILLWATER, OK
PERMIT NO. 191
3304 S. Boomer Rd.
P.O. Box 1809
Stillwater, OK 74076
Smart Energy Source partner
Building
a Culture
of Excellence
Between the lines
§ Spring cleaning delivers safe, reliable power
Spring gives us a chance to thaw out after a
chilly winter. I take advantage of longer daylight hours by doing a little spring cleaning
and yard work, but the seasonal shift isn’t all
good news.
The rapid change from harsh, cold air to
warmer temperatures can trigger severe
weather. CREC maintains our rights-of-way
(ROW) to protect our lines and keep power
flowing safely to your home. ROW maintenance keeps tree limbs and other obstacles
away from high-voltage power lines.
by Gary McCune,
President, CREC
Board of Trustees
Our workers' and members' safety is our
primary concern. Properly maintained ROW
keeps our crews safe when restoring service
and maintaining our system. Ensure trees are
clear of power lines to keep your family safe.
Power lines are a constant part of our landscape. We work hard to keep our ROW clear,
but we need your help. Don’t plant trees or
tall vegetation under power lines.
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If severe spring weather blows through, a
well-maintained ROW leads to fewer outages and a faster response time. When trees
do fall, crews are able to restore service more
quickly than they could with poorly maintained areas.
As a not-for-profit company, CREC strives to
keep costs affordable for you, our members.
Maintaining our ROW is an important part of
controlling costs as a clean ROW helps reduce
line loss, which saves all members money.
Safety, reliability and cost: this is why we believe in ROW ‘spring cleaning.’ If we compromise on one of these areas, it impacts the
others. We aren’t willing to compromise at
CREC. Maintaining our ROW
is a priority for your safety,
comfort and pocketbook.