President’s Message – March 2021

Committed to a Co-op Culture for All

Your ballot for the 2021 Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative (GCEC) annual meeting will arrive in your mailbox soon. The meeting is Saturday, May 1, and will be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To allow GCEC members to participate in the democratic process part of the annual meeting, members may vote by mail or online.

It is important that you participate in your cooperative. When your ballot arrives, we encourage you to vote in one of the following ways:

• Internet: Follow the online instructions to place your vote on the secure website. Please make sure you have your voting PIN handy. That is on the paper ballot enclosed in your election packet.
• Paper: Vote via the U.S. Postal Service by completing the ballot in your packet and returning it in the postage-paid envelope included with the election materials. Your ballot is mailed to a third party, which conducts the voting process on behalf of the cooperative, so we do not have access to completed ballots.

In appreciation of your time, we will credit $5 to your electric bill for participating. The cooperative also will work with the third party handling the election to select 80 ballot PINs randomly. These members will receive $25 gift cards in the mail. Additionally, we will randomly select 10 members to receive $100 electric bill credits. The grand prize is a Chevrolet Blazer.

The election will close 10 days before the annual meeting.

I encourage you to take part in the meeting. Each member has a voice in the operations of GCEC, and those voices need to be heard. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us.

As always, it is a pleasure to serve you.

Doug Birmingham