Election

Tri-County EMC's 2025 Annual Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 16 at 2:00 PM at the Tri-County EMC office in Gray. 

Director seats from Post 3 of Districts 1, 2, and 3 will be included on the ballot, as well as the approval of the Annual Meeting Minutes from 2024. Members are encouraged to cast their vote for a chance to win a bill credit up to $500. Instructions on how to vote, via online or by paper ballot, are included below. 

WHY VOTE?
All members who cast a vote in the election will be entered to win a $500 bill credit. Tri-County EMC is owned by its members, so member participation in the annual election is a crucial part of a successful cooperative. 

HOW TO VOTE

ONLINE VOTING:
If you enrolled in online voting before August 15, an email with instructions on how to cast your vote was/will be emailed to you on September 16. If you did not receive that email, please check your Junk Mail folder and search for it using the email information in bold below. If it is not in your inbox or you cannot find your login information, click here to have it resent to you. Online voting will close at 5:00 PM on October 14.
 

From: Tri-County EMC Election Coordinator, mailto:noreply@directovote.net
Subject of the Email: Tri-County EMC 2025 election login information below

To enroll in online voting for future elections, click here. If you did not enroll in online voting this year, you will still have the option to vote online. Instructions will be printed on the paper ballot you receive via mail. 

PAPER VOTING:
If you did not enroll in online voting, a paper ballot was/will be mailed to you on September 16. If you misplaced your ballot, or did not receive a ballot, please contact Anna Smith at annas@tri-countyemc.com or 478.986.8126 to have another ballot mailed to you. All paper ballots must be received by the cooperative by October 15 or brought with you to the Annual Meeting. Ballots can also be turned in at both Tri-County EMC office locations.

LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION: (Voting on behalf of business, church, club or organization)
Any Tri-County EMC member whose account is listed as a business, church, club, or other organization should use this form to designate a voting representative for the election. The form must be completed and notarized and returned with your ballot. 
 

DID NOT RECEIVE A BALLOT:
If you did not receive a ballot via mail or email, contact Anna Smith at annas@tri-countyemc.com or 478.986.8126.

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ON THE BALLOT

Post 3 Director Candidates

District 1, Post 3 | Jones and Bibb Counties
Cecil Patterson, Incumbent
Cecil Patterson earned a bachelor’s degree from Mercer, a master’s degree in educational administration from Georgia College & State University, and a specialist’s degree from Clarke-Atlanta University. He retired from the Jones County School System in 2013 after a long career, having served as a high school coach, Principal at Gray Elementary School, and Executive Director of Jones County Schools. His honors include Citizen of the Year, All-American Baseball Player at Mercer, Hall of Fame Inductee at Mercer, and Coach of the Year for 9 years. He and his wife reside in Haddock.

 

District 2, Post 3 | Putnam, Jasper, and Morgan Counties
Mike Rainey, Incumbent
Mike Rainey is a lifelong resident of Putnam County and the owner of Briarpatch Farm. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Mike has been part of the farming community for 45 years – dairy farming for the first 30 years and currently raising dairy cattle for other dairy farmers. He also maintains a herd of Angus cattle. He served on the steering committee for the Georgia National Fairgrounds and as a director for Georgia Milk Producers. He has also been involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Christian Learning Center in Putnam County. Mike and his wife, Kathy, host numerous charitable fundraisers on their farm. They are members of LakePoint Community Church and have 7 children and 11 grandchildren.

 

District 3, Post 3 | Baldwin, Wilkinson, and Twiggs Counties
Marion Nelson, Incumbent
Marion Nelson earned his associate’s degree in criminal justice from Georgia Military College and has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Georgia College & State University. He retired after serving as a ranger for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for 34 years and Environmental Enforcement Officer with Baldwin County for 10 years. Marion is a volunteer with the Baldwin County Fire and Rescue Squad. He and his wife, Harriett, have a daughter and a son, and attend the First Baptist Church in Milledgeville.

 

 

Do you approve the Annual Meeting Minutes from 2024?

 

NOMINATING COMMITTEE

DISTRICT 1: 
Jones & Bibb
Wendy Vaughn
Shawn Herndon
Darryl Grant

DISTRICT 2:
Putnam, Jasper, & Morgan
Holt Spivey
David Hill
Paul Gardner

DISTRICT 3:
Baldwin, Wilkinson, & Twiggs
Kevin Pope
Jay Harrington
Charles D. Ford

 

Nominating Committee Meeting Results: Cecil Patterson (District 1, Post 3), Mike Rainey (District 2, Post 3), and Marion Nelson (District 3, Post 3) were all nominated. Their names will appear on the ballot as incumbents in the 2025 Tri-County EMC Directors' Election.

Credentials and Elections Committee:

DISTRICT 1: 
Jones & Bibb
Diana Simmons
Wendy Vaughn
Norma Hancock

DISTRICT 2:
Putnam, Jasper, & Morgan
Stacey Holder
Hank Raehn
Paul Gardner

DISTRICT 3:
Baldwin, Wilkinson, & Twiggs
Danny Blair
Ronald Cowan
Frank Moss