2021 Annual Meeting SEE Page 3 “The Current” March/April 2021 Hello Annual Meeting and Vol
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March/April 2021 SAVE THE DATE TALQUIN’S 81ST ANNUAL MEETING OF THE MEMBERS SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2021 2021 Annual Meeting SEE Page 3 “The Current” March/April 2021 Hello Annual Meeting and Vol. MMXIX No. 14 USPS #356-710 “The Current” is the official newsletter of Talquin Best Wishes, President Durden! Electric Cooperative, Inc., published bi-monthly as an informational and educational service to the Members of the Cooperative. Periodical postage paid at Tallahassee, The 2020 Annual Meeting became one for the history books when Florida. Talquin’s Board decided to host drive-thru voting and a virtual SUBSCRIPTION RATE business meeting. The 2021 Annual Meeting will mark another Cooperative Member $2.00 per year. Talquin Electric Cooperative, Inc. is an equal opportunity provider and employer. historical event for the co-op as Talquin’s Board elected to utilize mail-in voting for the first time. Up EDITORIAL OFFICE P.O. Box 1679 until last year, Talquin’s Bylaws only allowed for in- 1640 West Jefferson Street Quincy, Florida 32353-1679 person voting, but during the 2020 Annual Meeting, Tracy Bensley, General Manager Blake Flowers, Director of Member Services/Editor Talquin’s Membership voted on Bylaw changes that Megan Smith, Communications and Outreach/Co-Editor Sara Khan, Communications and Outreach/Co-Editor include a process to facilitate mail-in voting. PRINTED BY: Although we will miss seeing you face-to-face at Graphic Press Corporation, Tallahassee, Florida Tracy Bensley the Annual Meeting, the safety of our Members and POSTMASTER General Manager staff are of the utmost importance to Talquin. Mail- In using Form 3579, please give key letter and mail to “The Current,” P.O. Box 1679, Quincy, Florida 32353-1679. in voting will allow the Membership to conduct co-op business, while OFFICERS remaining safe. This year, your Annual Meeting Notice will include Carrie L. Durden President a ballot and prepaid, addressed return envelope in addition to the Cell: 850-567-9751 P.O. Box 541 usual notice and Trustee information. Each ballot contains its own Havana, Florida 32333 unique barcode. We have partnered with Survey & Ballot Systems, Dr. Clifford S. Bristol Vice President an election management firm, to tally the votes. More information on Cell: 850-661-1733 15333 N.W. CR 12 Bristol, Florida 32321 mail-in voting can be found on page 3. Joseph Alexander Secretary/Treasurer Not only will Talquin have a history-making 2021 Annual Meeting, Home: 850-627-2704 507 Deerwood Circle but also, President Carrie Durden is retiring from Talquin’s Board of Quincy, Florida 32352 Trustees after 26 years of elected service and after making some TRUSTEES history herself. President Durden was the first woman to hold the Doug Bruce Cell: 850-321-7674 Board’s Presidency and the first woman ever elected to serve on P.O. Box 10855 Tallahassee, Florida 32302 Talquin’s Board. Sam Fenn Home: 850-576-5072 In her tenure, she has remained completely dedicated to the proper 3539 Lakeview Drive Tallahassee, Florida 32310 governance of the Cooperative, always ensuring the right thing David Miller Home: 850-926-5869 or Cell: 850-567-5405 is being done for the right reasons. President Durden has always 227 Buck Miller Road Crawfordville, Florida 32327 pushed for transparency and encouraged Member engagement Carla Pararo Home: 850-688-6809 knowing that these factors, combined with sound business practices 1050 Winfield Forest Drive Tallahassee, Florida 32317 and fiscal responsibility, ensure Talquin remains committed to the Billy VanLandingham seven cooperative principles that established the Cooperative. Cell: 850-545-5604 or Home: 850-442-6252 519 Telogia Creek Road Quincy, Florida 32351 In addition to providing leadership in Talquin’s Board room, she Dr. David L. Wright Home: 850-875-2928 has also provided her leadership talents on Boards and with 1194 Solomon Dairy Road Quincy, Florida 32352 organizations that help support Talquin–the Florida Electric Trustee bios and pictures are located on the website. Cooperatives Association, Seminole Electric Cooperative, and the The Talquin Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Talquin National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. President Durden Water & Wastewater, Inc. Boards regularly schedule their workshops on the 1st Monday of each month led Talquin through some of Talquin’s biggest and greatest changes and meetings on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at the Headquarters’ Office in Quincy, FL at 6:30 PM. and challenges, and we will miss her passionate leadership! If necessary, an Executive Session may be held in conjunction with any regular meeting, special meeting, Thank you, President Durden. or workshop. Notice of any changes will be listed at https://www.talquinelectric.com/about/board-meetings- workshops/. 2 THE CURRENT • MARCH/APRIL 2021 2021 Annual Meeting Although it may be hard to believe, it is time for our 81st Annual Meeting! At last year’s Annual Meeting, Talquin’s Membership voted on Bylaw changes to facilitate mail-in voting. This year, Talquin’s Board of Trustees elected to utilize mail-in voting for the 2021 Trustee elections. Keep an eye out for the Annual Meeting Notice, which will be mailed directly to you in the next couple of weeks. In addition to information about the virtual Annual Meeting and mail-in voting, your Annual Meeting Notice contains your mail-in ballot and a pre-paid, addressed return envelope. Survey & Ballot Systems, a third party election management firm, will count ballots. Please do not drop off or mail any ballots to Talquin offices. Only ballots received by Survey & Ballot Systems will be counted by April 14, 2021. For replacement ballots, please email Talquin at [email protected]. In addition to utilizing mail-in voting, the 2021 Annual Meeting will be held virtually beginning at 2:00 PM on Saturday, April 24, 2021. Links to the Annual Meeting livestream can be accessed on our website, www.talquinelectric.com, or Facebook. Please call (850) 627-7651 or email [email protected] if you have any questions. Board of Trustee Candidates Per the Bylaws of the Cooperative, each Member shall be entitled to only one vote per District – for a total of three votes. Joint Memberships are allowed only one vote, whether separately or jointly. Only persons who are Members of the Cooperative are allowed to vote. A spouse or family member cannot vote in the place of the Member. The following candidates have been nominated to serve on the Board of Trustees and will be voted on: District One (1) Billy VanLandingham 519 Telogia Creek Road Quincy, FL 32351 (Incumbent) Mr. VanLandingham is the Trustee from District 1, southern Gadsden County. He is a lifelong resident of the Juniper community and holds a bachelor’s degree in business finance from Florida State University. He served as Vice President/ Agency Executive with McGriff Insurance Services in Tallahassee and retired after 41 years. Mr. VanLandingham is a Credentialed Director and holds a Board Leadership Certificate with the NRECA. He currently serves as Talquin’s alternate member for the Florida Electric Cooperative Association (FECA). Mr. VanLandingham has been married to his wife Vicki for 42 years and they have two children, Allie and Russ. District Four (4) Russell Suber 861 Frances Road, Havana, FL 32333 Mr. Suber is running to represent District 4, eastern Gadsden County and the Lake Jackson area of Leon County. Mr. Suber has been a Gadsden County resident for over 40 years. He received an A.A. from TCC and attended Florida State University and the University of West Florida. Mr. Suber has worked for Sailfish Boats for over 26 years and currently serves as Vice President of Operations. Mr. Suber and his wife, Jennifer, have been married for eighteen years and have three kids, Bo, Ella, and Brantlee. District Four (4) Gregory Winter 260 River Bluff Drive, Havana, FL 32333 Dr. Winter is running to represent District 4, eastern Gadsden County and the Lake Jackson area of Leon County. He attended North Florida Christian School and Lincoln High School, before attending Florida State University and the University of Georgia, where he received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Upon graduation, Dr. Winter returned home to the Big Bend area where he has practiced veterinary medicine primarily in Leon and Gadsden Counties for the last 30 years and in 2000, he opened the Winter Animal Hospital. Dr. Winter is married to Amanda, a police officer, and they have two daughters, Lyla and Reagan. District Seven (7) David Miller 227 Buck Miller Road Crawfordville, FL 32327 (Incumbent) Mr. Miller is the Trustee from District 7, eastern Wakulla County. He is a lifelong resident and third-generation Wakulla County educator. Mr. Miller dedicated 39 years to the Wakulla County school system including 17 years as Superintendent of Schools. Mr. Miller was named Superintendent of the Year for the State of Florida in the 2003-2004 school year. He holds a bachelor’s degree from FSU, a master’s degree from FAMU, a Doctor of Laws honor degree from Flagler College, and is a Credentialed Director with a Board Leadership Certification through the NRECA. Mr. Miller has been married to his wife, Dolores, for 48 years and is an active member of Crawfordville United Methodist Church. They have three children– Derek, Danielle, and Dylan–as well as three grandchildren. MARCH/APRIL 2021 • THE CURRENT 3 Blair, Catherine R. Brown, Scott B. Carraway, Patricia Cole, Eleanor M. Curry, Elizabeth Unclaimed Capital Credits Blair, Kristin T. Brown, Sharon L. Anderson Cole, Pamela M. Curry, Tiffany Leigh Blanchard, Susan Brown, Shirley D. Carroll, Charles S. Cole, Rebecca A. Curtis, Paul A portion of the Capital Credit refund checks mailed by Talquin in Robbins Brown, Susie Harris Carroll, Ida Cole, William D.