Cobb EMC does much more for its members than just keeping the lights on.
Cobb EMC, the not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative that serves approximately 200,000 residential and commercial consumers in Cobb, Bartow, Cherokee, Fulton, and Paulding counties, does a great deal more for the community than keeping people’s lights on. The company prides itself on being a principled and philanthropic organization whose mission includes providing educational events for co-op members. Cobb In Focus spoke with Leslie Thompson, Cobb EMC’s director of member & public relations, about some of these programs.
Thompson says the co-op was founded on serving the community, and the organization has taken that to heart since day one. Its educational events, which recently included a recycling program and a seminar on energy efficiency, are prepared for members only. “We’re a not-for-profit utility, so for cost reasons, we do limit events to those we serve,” Thompson said.
“We routinely survey our members to get feedback and find out what information they’d find most helpful,” she continued. And member feedback really does count for something. The end goal, Thompson said, is to make Cobb EMC consumers’ lives easier. The co-op wants to be a go-to educational source for the community.
“We also partner with other organizations that share our mission of helping our local community,” Thompson said. “Our speakers range from our employees to speakers from organizations, such as the Department of Energy and Cobb County Water, who provide expert advice on issues that are important to members like energy and water conservation.”
From within Cobb EMC, the company’s marketing team manages the educational events, while volunteers from throughout the co-op offer their time and talents to assist in any way they can. For example, this fall, Cobb EMC will host a seminar on cybersecurity with the help of the organization’s IT group. “[They are] heavily involved in our upcoming cybersecurity event, since this is their area of expertise,” Thompson said.
Typically, Cobb EMC hosts the educational events at its headquarters (1000 EMC Parkway, Marietta), but sometimes offsite locations are used. “We’ve held events at the Cobb County Safety Village, and our Annual Meeting is held at the North Georgia State Fairgrounds each year,” Thompson said.
Actually, the Annual Meeting is the co-op’s most popular event each year. It is designed as a member appreciation day where Cobb EMC members can come out to the North Georgia State Fairgrounds and learn more about energy efficiency and new technology, in addition to enjoying a day at the fair with their families, Thompson said. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, September 15, 2018.
In additional to providing free, educational events for its members, Cobb EMC offers many other benefits to its customers. To help its members save energy, the co-op offers services such as free energy audits and seasonal HVAC tune-up vouchers. It also offers everyday conveniences like a special discount off Gas South’s natural gas rates, as well as a free smartphone app that helps consumers track their electricity use by the hour.
Thompson said that Cobb EMC members also are eligible for annual scholarships and discounts at local spots around town through the company’s Co-op Connections Card. “We also accept nominations for a Home Energy Efficiency Makeover that we offer in partnership with Gas South, the Cobb Heating and Air Association, and Cobb County Water,” she said. “This program provides one family with energy efficiency upgrades in their home. We just wrapped up our 2018 program, but will begin accepting nominations again this fall. We have seen tremendous success in lowering our past two winners’ energy consumption with the upgrades that were made.”
It seems fairly clear that Cobb EMC is more than a utility provider. The dedication it shows to helping improve the lives of its members gives new meaning to the term service. “We belong to the communities we serve, so it’s deeply important for us to give back in a variety of ways,” Thompson said.
—————-
Upcoming events for Cobb EMC members
Annual Meeting & Member Appreciation Event
September 15, 2018 from 8 am to 11:30 am
Jim R. Miller Park
2245 Callaway Road, Marietta
High Tea & Senior Safety with District Attorney Vic Reynolds
Join Cobb EMC and DA Reynolds for a high tea where you can learn about safety topics for senior citizens.
October 10, 2018 at 2 pm
Cobb EMC’s Bo and Mary Jean Pounds Auditorium
1000 EMC Parkway, Marietta
Cybersecurity Seminar
Learn ways to keep you and your identity secure in the cyber world.
October 18, 2018 at 6 pm
Cobb EMC’s Bo and Mary Jean Pounds Auditorium
1000 EMC Parkway, Marietta
Find a full list of Cobb EMC’s upcoming events at cobbemc.com/events.
