From the Top with CEO Patrick Grace – November 2022

As an electric co-op, OEC is uniquely positioned to be a champion of the communities we serve. It is a task we do not take lightly. We continue to sharpen our skills and knowledge so we can not only fulfill our mission to provide safe and reliable electricity to you, our members, but so we can extend our help to the communities here at home and far away.

Last month, we welcomed back two of our linemen from an Energy Trails trip to Guatemala. Brad Hunter and Matthew Caldwell joined a group of linemen from Oklahoma and Colorado to build electricity to a rural Guatemalan village for the very first time. I encourage you to read their story and be inspired by their passion for their work.

Speaking of linemen, seven of our linemen graduated from Northern Lineman College and were awarded their Journeyman Linemen certificates last month. Some of them have waited two years to accept their certificates live in person. This certification program is a testament to our commitment to developing our employees internally. Being a Journeyman Lineman is a big deal and a long, intensive commitment to becoming an expert in their field.

The expertise to replace a pole in the middle of the night during an outage is a skill that translates into our ability to help build our community. We took part in United Way of Norman’s Day of Caring to satisfy the unmet needs and aspirations of the members we serve. You can read more about our volunteer efforts here.

An additional branch of our commitment to the communities we serve is the OEC Foundation’s Operation Round Up program. It supports many of the nonprofit agencies across our service area as a way to expand our reach throughout all seven counties in our system. You can read about how Operation Round Up is making a difference each month here and at www.okcoop.org/ORU.

Giving back to our community is essential to what we do at OEC. Through programs like Energy Trails and Operation Round Up, we can make a real difference in the lives of those who live and work in our communities.