News & Press
On July 18, 2013, Tri-County EMC’s board of directors appointed Cecil B. Patterson to fill the unexpired term of Rev. Charlie Richardson, who passed away in June. Under the cooperative’s bylaws, the board of directors was required to fill the vacancy until the next annual meeting of the members. Mr. Patterson will complete the term for District 1, Post 3, representing members in Jones, Twiggs, and Bibb Counties, which expires in October 2013. He will then have the option of running as the incumbent director in the board election for the subsequent term.
Mr. Patterson is a resident of Jones County and is a retired educator. Most notably, Mr. Patterson served as the Principal of Gray Elementary from 1998 to 2011 and as Executive Director of Jones County Schools from 2011 to 2013. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mercer University, where he was also an All-American on the baseball team. He earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from Georgia College and State University and a Specialist’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Clark Atlanta University. Mr. Patterson served as the Jones County High School Baseball Coach from 1976 to 1989. Among his many accomplishment and accolades, he is a member of the Mercer University Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Jones County Citizen of the Year, which is awarded by the Jones County Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Patterson’s duties as director begin immediately from the time of his appointment. “I look forward to doing what I can to serve the cooperative’s members, to service to the community, and to help make the organization as efficient as possible while being a steward of the environment,” commented Patterson. “I have always believed that we need to do the right thing for the right reasons.”