News & Press
Tom Thompson, Jr. will retire from his post as chairman of the Tri-County EMC board of directors on October 15, bringing a close to 30 years of service to the cooperative, including the last 29 years as Chairman of the Board.
Working in the dairy business in Putnam County, Tom knows the importance of having reliable electric service. “If the power went out on the farm, the cows couldn’t be milked or provided with water (each cow can consume 50 gals/day) unless you had a generator. Without water the cows will die. Not milking the cows can cause infections leading to their death. Even keeping cows cool in the hot months requires electricity for fans and water sprays. Reliable electric service is the top priority.”
When Tri-County formed in 1939, most of the electric service provided was to farms and agricultural communities. As the cities began to grow, more and more individuals moved to rural areas, spurring the growth of Tri-County EMC’s system.
Thompson was elected to the board in 1985 and quickly helped to redirect a cooperative that was experiencing member dissatisfaction and what was seen as barriers to an open democratic process. “I was asked to serve by the Tri-County members in 1985 who felt members’ voices were not being heard, that they were being unjustly treated and that the democratic process wasn’t working in the cooperative,” commented Thompson. “Within 12 months we had a new board, a new manager, and a new attorney,” he continued. During a called meeting of the membership, the board reviewed and rewrote the bylaws which were adopted by the membership. “With those bylaw changes, we basically opened the doors of the board room and directors allowed members full access.”
Reflecting on his 30 years of service, Thompson noticed many changes. In 1985, coal was the main source of electric generation. Now Tri-County boasts a fuel mix that includes natural gas, nuclear, hydro, biomass and solar. At the time of his arrival on the board, some power lines and other system components were in much need of improvement. The system was about to undergo a growth spurt that would require reconstructed lines and new or upgraded substations. Thompson urged the cooperative’s board and leadership to invest in system upgrades to help improve system reliability. Meter reading was changed from an employee manually reading each meter to automated meter reading where electric consumption is measured electronically and transmitted over power lines, tremendously increasing the accuracy of the readings and delivering quicker usage feedback to members. “Electronic meter reading gave us the ability to help the members with their consumption, letting them use information available through the co-op to monitor their own usage,” said Thompson.
The cooperative also began to put more of an emphasis on community involvement with the inception of the Bright Ideas and Operation Roundup grant programs, as well as scholarship and leadership programs. “The nice thing about Operation Roundup is that 100% of the dollars that are contributed goes back into the community. It’s done by local people for local causes.” Since 2001, members have donated more than $1 million to Operation Roundup to fund worthy projects in the Tri-County service area.
While there have been many positive changes at Tri-County, Tom saw one key and continuous mission. “The biggest challenge is always in trying to ensure you are doing everything you can to provide the best possible service at the lowest possible cost to the membership,” said Thompson. “That’s a constant challenge, but I think it’s one that we have handled very well.”
Tom spoke to the caliber of Tri-County board members and staff. “There was a lot of satisfaction in being able to put together a management team that carried out the wishes of the board,” said Thompson. “And having a board that spoke with one voice made it that much easier.”
“It’s the synergy of the board that I think was the greatest satisfaction” said Thompson. “I’ve served as chairman of lots of boards, whether they were co-op, corporate, education, church or government. Tri-County’s board has been the most pleasurable of all these. It’s been a real pleasure and an honor to serve on the Tri County Board. A lot has been accomplished by working together with a common goal.”