Thanksgiving is the time to pause and reflect on the things in our lives for which we are grateful. I’m sure my list is similar to yours, with appreciation for health, family and friends at the top, especially after the year of uncertainties we’ve all experienced. In addition, I am also grateful for the opportunity to represent this Cooperative, serving the great members of GVEC.
If we could have a conversation with our electric pioneers, I think they would be pleased by the evolution of GVEC. Through hard work and heartfelt spirit, they established a strong foundation that has served the membership for over 80 years. The Cooperative has steadily grown from 150 members served by the first line built to more than 100,000 consumers today. The GVEC service area has grown into a diverse rural and urban territory that challenges the Co-op to constantly evolve in its efforts to bring value to those we serve.
Offering the array of services we now provide would not be possible without the progressive vision of the Board of Directors. These are your neighbors you have chosen to represent your interests in the business of GVEC. They live and work in the communities they represent and continually educate themselves on the hot topics of the energy industry to make the necessary decisions to maintain a strong foundation. GVEC remains financially stable and is positioned well to continue diversifying our services as well as quickly adapt to the rapidly changing industries we represent. Preparation to meet the challenges ahead is key. I am thankful for a Board of Directors who believes in being proactive and carving our own path when we believe the results will benefit our member-owners.
I also cannot say enough good things about the work of the GVEC employees. We appreciate the sacrifices of our well-known linemen and customer service representatives, internet installers, HVAC technicians, and other operations folks for the long hours they put in on the job to exceed your expectations. What you don’t have the opportunity to see is the army of team members behind the scenes supporting their work such as human resources, information technology, accounting, communications, community relations, power supply, facilities maintenance and so many more. This is a team that helps each other, gets creative together and has a great respect for meaningful performance. I am thankful to lead this team and appreciate their dedication to a job well done.
The tenacity of the Board and staff has led to multiple milestones despite the added challenges of the pandemic this year. GVEC returned $6.6 million in patronage capital to the membership, the largest return of capital credits in the history of the Cooperative. We are now serving over 17,000 consumers with Fiber and Wireless internet across our service area and are helping thousands save money on their heating and cooling costs as well as take advantage of renewable energy through solar and battery storage solutions. I am thankful we can bring value to the people and communities of the Guadalupe Valley in these and so many other ways.
We are truly blessed with the opportunity to serve our members and customers and never take the privilege to serve you for granted. We wish you the warmest of holidays and happy Thanksgiving from our GVEC family to yours.
I am always interested in your comments and feedback. Contact me by phone at 830.857.1152, by email at dschauer@gvec.org or by mail at P.O. Box 118, Gonzales, Texas 78629.
