ECA Legislative Meet and Greet Reception Recap W

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1 Volume XXIV, Issue 4 April 2015 ECA Legislative Meet and Greet Reception Recap W ith the legislative session of the Alabama State Legislature in full swing, elected officials took time from their hectic schedules to attend Electric Cities of Alabama (ECA) 16th Annual Legislative Meet and Greet Reception last month. ECA members gathered at the RSA Plaza Terrace in Montgomery on March 31, 2015, to meet with Alabama s elected officials and show appreciation for their continuous support of the public power industry. IN THIS ISSUE ECA Legislative Meet and Greet Reception Recap...1 (R-L) ECA Executive Director Jonathan Hand presents the Chairman s Award to Scottsboro Electric Power Board General Manager Jimmy Sandlin during ECA s Board of Directors Meeting. Annual Meeting Registration Now Open...2 Happenings on Goat Hill...2 Remembering the April 27, 2011 Tornado Outbreak 4 Years Later...3 ECA Trivia Grid...3 Holston EC Names Sandlin as New GM...4 Storm Leaves Thousands in Dothan Without Power...4 Calendar of Events...5 (L-R) MUB Albertville General Manager Elden Chumley, Danna Standridge, Representative David Standridge and TVA Governmental Relations Representative Jason Harper visit at ECA s Meet & Greet. This reception is held each year during the regular session of the legislature and is an important tool for ECA to maintain and develop strong relationships with all branches of government including members of the House and Senate, Alabama s Judicial System and State Constitutional Officers. The Legislative Meet and Greet Reception is historically held in conjunction with ECA s Board of Directors Meeting and Legislative Briefing. During the Board of Directors meeting, ECA presented the Chairman s Award to Scottsboro Electric Power Board General Manager, Jimmy Sandlin. ECA s Chairman s Award is presented each year to the outgoing Chairman for their hard work and dedication in furthering the association s overall growth. Immediately following the Chairman s Award presentation was the Legislative Briefing and Legislative Reception. Thank you to the generous support from this year s sponsors who made this event possible: Alabama Municipal Electric Authority, Tennessee Valley Authority, Volkert, Inc. and Jackson Thornton.

2 Annual Meeting Registration Now Open Registration for ECA s 15th Annual Meeting and Governmental Affairs Conference is now open! Join us as we head to the beach for ECA s most widely attended event. ECA s annual meeting will be held at the Hilton Sandestin in Destin, FL, July 12-14, Gather and exchange ideas and experiences with fellow ECA member cities, exhibitors, elected officials and key staff. ECA will begin this year s Annual Meeting and Governmental Affairs Conference Sunday night with a Welcome Reception/Dinner. Attendees are encouraged to bring family to this fun and casual event. We also welcome you and your family to attend Monday morning s Chairman s Breakfast where we will honor this year s award recipients. Listed below are just a few of the highlights of the 2015 regular session that have taken place on Goat Hill so far: March 10 - House passes three bills from the Made in Alabama Jobs Incentive Package. This legislation was created to ensure Alabama is a leader in recruiting new industry and help existing businesses continue to be successful. March The Senate gave final approval to a bill to allow charter schools in Alabama ECA has invited Steve Ford, son of President Gerald Ford and Betty Ford, to be this year s keynote speaker at the breakfast. Steve is an accomplished Hollywood actor and professional speaker. His unique perspective on life as the President s son encompasses a broad range of fascinating subjects: being 18 years old and having ten Secret Service agents as constant companions...his father s pardon of President Nixon to help put an end to the infamous Watergate affair...two assassination attempts on his father s life...his Happenings On Goat Hill and was signed by Governor Bentley the following day. mother s bouts with alcoholism and breast cancer. You also might recognize him from his role as Meg Ryan s boyfriend in When Harry Met Sally. Hear Steve s stories from the White House and much more as he delivers a unique and intriguing presentation at this year s breakfast. To reserve your spot and to download a tentative conference agenda, go to ECA s website at and click on the Register Now link under upcoming events. You will have the opportunity to register and pay online. Register by June 11 and receive ECA s early bird rate. You do not want to miss out on the fun, register today! April 9 - A proposal to create a state lottery was introduced by Rep. Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, and cosponsored by the House Ways and Means General Fund Chairman Steve Clouse. April 14 - The Senate approved a nearly $6 billion Education Trust Fund Budget which would increase spending on textbooks, transportation and daily expenses for public schools and add 70 additional middle school teachers in the state. April 2015 Electric Cities Connected Page 2

3 Remembering the April 27, 2011 Tornadoes 4 Years Later Source: The Washington Post, by Angela Fritz On April 27, 2011, the Southeast was in the midst of a historic severe weather outbreak that spanned eight states over three days. Meteorologists referred to the event as a super outbreak terminology reserved for the deadliest and most destructive tornado outbreaks on record. Three-hundred twenty-four people died in tornadoes during the outbreak, 238 of which were in Alabama alone. April 27 ended as the deadliest tornado day on record in 86 years, since the tri-state tornado outbreak of 1925, when more than 700 people were killed. More than 350 tornadoes were confirmed in the 2011 super outbreak, one of which was a deadly EF-4 that devastated parts of Tuscaloosa, Ala., on April 27. The monstrous supercell thunderstorm that produced this tornado lasted an astonishing seven hours and 24 minutes, and traveled Destruction in the City of Cullman following the April 27, 2011, tornado outbreak. 380 miles, from eastern Mississippi to northeast Georgia, dropping several violent tornadoes on the way. This will be a day that will go down in state history, said James Spann, a well-known and loved TV meteorologist in Birmingham, Ala., as he watched the ominous, EF-4 tornado take shape on camera. According to the storm survey from the National Weather Service, as many as 65 people died in the Tuscaloosa-Birmingham tornado alone that day, and 1,500 people were injured. The tornado grew to a mile and a half wide as it tore through Alabama. Its 190 mph winds destroyed 4,700 homes and scoured the bark from trees, leaving stumps in its wake. Recovery efforts continue four years later as charities such as the Rock the South festival in Cullman, Ala. bring in huge crowds and thousands of dollars to local charities each year. On the one-year anniversary of this historic day, over 15,000 people celebrated the first annual Rock the South with country stars Dierks Bentley and Kellie Pickler. Rock the South 2013 saw explosive growth and over 35,000 in attendance over two days and $50,000 to local charities. Over 38,000 in attendance and $50,000 was raised at the 2014 festival and this year s event is projected to be even bigger and better than years past. ECA Trivia: Win a Free Annual Meeting Registration! Capacitors store energy in a circuit and are used in many applications. What were they originally called? Be the first to the correct answer to Andrea Salvador at asalvador@ electriccities.org and you will be put in a drawing to win a free registration to ECA s 15th Annual Meeting and Governmental Affairs Conference at the. A winner will be announced in May Congratulations to February s winner Matt Bernauer of Muscle Shoals. Matt answered correctly that Ohms Law is the law stating that the direct current flowing in a conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference between its ends. April 2015 Electric Cities Connected Page 3

4 Holston EC Names Sandlin as New GM Jimmy Sandlin Source: Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association News Update Holston Electric Cooperative announces the hiring of James B. Jimmy Sandlin P.E. as the new general manager for Holston Electric Cooperative. Sandlin will assume his responsibilities at Holston on May 4, succeeding Larry Elkins, who is retiring after a 35-year career. Sandlin is a 27-year veteran of the electric utility industry, A severe thunderstorm rolled through Dothan on Saturday, April 25, knocking out powerlines and toppling trees over a large portion of town leaving thousands without power. Powerful straight line winds that tore through the county Saturday afternoon were the cause of the damage and power outage. ECA activated crews from the cities of Andalusia, Troy, Opelika and Tuskegee to assist Dothan Member News having spent his entire career at the Scottsboro Electric Power Board in Scottsboro, Ala. Sandlin has a bachelor of science degree from the University of Alabama and is a licensed professional engineer and a licensed instrument-rated private pilot. Sandlin was hired by the Scottsboro EPB in 1988 as an electrical engineer and has been the general manager since He has a proven track record. Under Sandlin s leadership, Scottsboro EPB has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success in the expansion and modernization of its electric system, the construction of a $8.5 million cable system and the acquisition of a $2.1 million power generation plant, which is under contract with TVA. Holston EC Board president Gordell Ely congratulates Sandlin and expressed his excitement for the cooperative, members and employees: The board of directors desires that Holston EC continues its record of success A building collapsed on a car at the Dollar General in Dothan after strong storms hit later this month. with restoring power to their residents. ECA has a long tradition of working together to ensure a with Jimmy and the dedicated staff of employees. We appreciate his enthusiasm, experience and vision for our utility. The next five to ten years will be key in charting a course for success for Holston EC, and we feel sure that Jimmy will show great, competent leadership, a concern for our employees and a focus on customer service for our members. I am excited about this opportunity here at Holston Electric Cooperative, and I am grateful for the confidence the board of directors has placed in me, Sandlin says. I look forward to getting to know the employees as we work to serve our members. We are going to continue the exemplary record of good service, good reliability and an excellent safety record here at Holston Electric Cooperative. There will be challenges, but with everyone working together toward a common goal, we indeed can enjoy success. Storm Leaves Thousands in Dothan Without Power speedy recovery from storms in a timely and safe manner. Sending crews to lend a helping hand to our fellow electric cities is part of who we are, ECA Executive Director Jon Hand said. When a disaster occurs such as this one, ECA members help each other get back on their feet. The City of Dothan reported about 18,000 utility customers were without power at the height of the storm. April Electric Cities Connected Page 4

5 THE INFORMATION SOURCE OF THE ELECTRIC CITIES OF ALABAMA P.O. Box 1550 Montgomery, AL South Perry St., Suite 200 Montgomery, AL Phone: Fax: Calendar of Events July 12, 2015 Board of Directors Meeting July 12-14, 2015 Annual Meeting & Governmental Affairs Conference October 19-21, 2015 Engineering & Operations Conference Ross Bridge Hoover, AL October 21, 2015 Board of Directors Meeting Ross Bridge Hoover, AL THE ELECTRIC CITIES OF ALABAMA IS A COALITION OF THE STATE S MUNICIPALLY OWNED AND OPERATED ELECTRIC SYSTEMS. ALABAMA S ELECTRIC CITIES SERVE APPROXIMATELY ONE MILLION CONSUMERS IN 36 CITIES THROUGHOUT ALABAMA. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: JONATHAN HAND - JHAND@ELECTRICCITIES.ORG DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATION & MARKETING: ANDREA SALVADOR - ASALVADOR@ELECTRICCITIES.ORG Electric Cities of Alabama Annual Meeting & Governmental Affairs Conference July 12-14, 2015 Register at: April 2015 Electric Cities Connected Page 5