IMPORTANT! Save Our Numbers for Text and Phone Alerts

On Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, at 9 a.m. Central, Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative members received a text from 833-417-5291. We encourage our members to save this number in their phones so that our messages are less likely to appear as spam or unknown. You may receive text notifications about important...
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Enhancing Service, Elevating Experience

Adhering to the 7 Cooperative Principles, Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative Employees Participate in Training

Operations Assistant Rebecca Smith attends Member Conversations training. Tabletop demonstrations supplement hands-on learning opportunities. Photo by Kristin Douglas

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative (GCEC) employees recently participated in a training session led by Eddie McKnight of McKnight Associates based in South Carolina.

Eddie, an electric cooperative employee for more than 40 years, retired in 2014 and now travels nationwide, sharing his knowledge with utilities to help their consumers. He developed the Member Conversations class, and this training helps member service representatives provide answers to the most-asked questions of utility customers across the nation.

The class covers branding, customer service, teamwork, and member engagement. Attendees learn how to address billing and energy-efficiency questions. Tabletop demonstrations on infiltration, insulation, lighting, lighting color, weather stripping, solar, and duct sealing provide hands-on learning. Employees also learn how to better assist members interested in solar power.

“1 of the 7 Cooperative Principles is Education, Training and Information,” says Kristin Douglas, GCEC vice president of marketing and communications. “Education and training for our employees helps them effectively contribute to the development of the cooperatives and helps boost cooperative understanding.”