GCEC Trustees Become Credentialed Cooperative Directors

2 Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative (GCEC) trustees recently attained Credentialed Cooperative Director certifications.

District II, Group 2 Trustee Pat Patterson and District I, Group 3 Trustee Pat Pitts earned their new credentials through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s program.

Today’s electric utility environment imposes new demands on electric cooperative directors, particularly increased knowledge of changes in the electric utility business, new governance skills, and a working knowledge of the 7 Cooperative Principles. Electric co-ops in Florida are committed to working through the NRECA to sharpen this body of knowledge for the benefit of their electric cooperative consumer-owners.

The NRECA Credentialed Cooperative Director program requires attendance and demonstrated understanding of basic competencies covered in 5 core courses. Patterson and Pitts completed the following classes: Director Utilities and Liabilities, Understanding the Electric Business, Board Roles and Relationships, Business Planning, and Understanding Financial Planning.

“We are proud to have Mr. Patterson and Mr. Pitts serving on our board of trustees,” GCEC CEO John Bartley says. “Completing this certification certainly makes them even more of an asset to the cooperative.”