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CIPCO’s Black Raven Sets Sail
This year was CIPCO’s seventh year of participation in the 15th Annual Great Cardboard Boat Regatta. This event has become a tradition of the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival which kicked events off on June 13th and run through July 4th.
The CIPCO Black Raven, a Viking ship took the Vogue Award. The Vogue Award is presented for the most attractive or spectacular looking boat; this is the fifth Vogue award for CIPCO. The event was held at Robbins Lake, in Ellis Park on Sunday, June 27th.
The 2010 Boat Crew included Scott Schlegel (chief designer), Jeanie Anderson, Sandy Parsons, Dan Dye, Karen Green, Jacob Shipp, Sam Stineman and Matt Spencer. Several dedicated CIPCO employees and their families helped to make this annual event fun and successful for all participants.
KCCI TV 8 Honors CIPCO with Award
Central Iowa Power Cooperative is the first recipient of the new Gr8 Clients award from KCCI TV 8.
CIPCO was recognized for their strong partnership with KCCI TV 8 for the SchoolNet program as well as other programs that benefit Iowa communities. Out of 18 nominee's, Central Iowa Power Cooperative was the first agreed upon and earned the majority of votes.
KCCI TV 8 will award eight - Gr8 Clients a year, two per quarter. The sales department personnel each nominate two clients and describe "why" they feel this client is deserving of the award. Some of the aspects taken into consideration for the award are: the uniqueness of the KCCI relationship with the client; challenges/accomplishments with the client; and the client’s ability to accept open concepts and ideas.
CIPCO and Its Members Recognized at the 2010 “Spotlight on Excellence”
CIPCO and three member cooperatives were recognized in the 2010 “Spotlight on Excellence” national awards program, sponsored by the Council of Rural Electric Communicators and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. CIPCO received an Award of Excellence in the Best Annual Report to Members category for the 2008 annual report entitled “Diverse, Efficient, Strong. Powering Iowa’s Future.”
Award recipients from our member systems included:
• East-Central Iowa REC received the Award of Excellence in the Best Special Publication category for their entry entitled “ECI-REC Member Information Packet.”
• Pella Cooperative Electric was awarded the Award of Excellence in the Best Website category – www.pella-cea.org.
• Midland Power Cooperative received the Award of Merit in the Best Annual Report to Members category for their entry entitled “Your Energy Ally, Today and Tomorrow.”
A special luncheon honored the award recipients during the Connect 2010 Conference held in Kansas City, MO on May 12. Winning entries were displayed during the event. The annual Spotlight awards competition recognizes the top-rated communication and marketing efforts by electric cooperatives and related organizations. Participants in the awards competition competed with electric cooperatives of similar sizes in 19 categories. Electric cooperative communicators and marketing professionals submitted more than 804 entries in the Spotlight on Excellence program, now in its 22nd year.
“The judges noted the emphasis on being good stewards of each cooperative’s resources, while still doing the vital job of communicating with members” said Maggie Tilley, administrator of Spotlight on Excellence. “In difficult economic times, this has been especially challenging, yet, cooperative communicators rose to the occasion.” The judging panel included faculty members from the University of Missouri – Columbia and the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.
The Council of Rural Electric Communicators was organized in 1982, and seeks to advance the recognition, education, and professionalism of electric cooperative communicators and their affiliated organizations. It is a volunteer association working on behalf of more than 4,000 electric cooperative communicators across the United States.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the service organization representing the national interests of cooperative electric utilities, coordinates the Council’s activities. Other national organizations supporting the work of the Council are the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, the National Cooperative Services Corporation, the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, and Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange.
CIPCO Committee Meets with Federal Officials
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| Members of CIPCO's Board of Directors attending the 2010 NRECA Legislative Conference are from left: Robert Collins, Gary Mount, Sam Nichols and Ralph Lents. |
The CIPCO Board took strategic action in December of 2008 to form a Legislative/Public Policy Committee with the goal of becoming more directly engaged in the public policy arena. Since that time, the Committee has made three trips to Washington DC to meet with federal officials and engage them in dialogue about energy policy and the impacts to electric cooperatives. The most recent trip on May 2 - 5 was to participate in the 2010 NRECA Legislative Conference.
A total of 30 representatives from Iowa cooperatives participated in the event this year, including Bob Collins, Ralph Lents, Gary Mount and Sam Nichols from the CIPCO Board. Others representing CIPCO and/or member systems included Larry Quinn (Eastern), Bill McKim (Midland), Harry Ruth (East-Central), Kirk Trede (Eastern), Jennifer Feddersen (Linn County) and Dusky Terry (CIPCO). Each attendee participated in meetings with Iowa’s members of Congress and spoke to issues important to Iowa’s cooperatives:
1. Rural Utilities Service (RUS). We urged Congress to support a $6.5 billion loan level (current funding level) for the RUS Electric Loan Program and oppose the reductions and restrictions on RUS lending recommended by President Obama. This program provides essential funding to build and maintain electric generation and transmission systems.
2. Rural Energy Savings Program Act. Co-op representatives asked for support of a new program for electric cooperatives to offer low-interest loans to consumers for installing energy efficiency practices in their home under the RUS loan program. The loan is then repaid to the co-op through their electric bill.
3. Clean Air Act. We urged members of Congress to block the use of the Clean Air Act for regulation of greenhouse gases from stationary sources. The U.S. EPA is planning to implement new regulations unless Congress acts, which will further drive up the cost of electricity for everyone.
4. Captive Rail. The lack of competition among freight railroads and ineffectiveness of the Surface Transportation Board continues to be an issue that drives up rates and compromises reliable service. We asked our officials to support the Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act and strengthen the role of the Surface Transportation Board.
In addition to our issues agenda, the Iowa group also made an effort to provide basic background on electric cooperatives and offered up our expertise on energy issues to each member of Congress and their staff. We had very productive meetings with Sens. Grassley and Harkin and Reps. Loebsack, Latham and King. Our group met with staff from Reps. Braley and Boswell’s offices due to scheduling conflicts with both Congressmen. In addition, we spent an hour with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack as he discussed his vision for agriculture and rural America and the role that electric cooperatives play in supporting rural communities.
As Congress continues to face a multitude of challenges impacting energy policy, economic growth and our environment, it is imperative for the voice of electric cooperatives to be heard by those making policy decisions. Our Committee will continue to advocate on behalf of our member-owners to ensure safe and reliable electricity at an affordable price.
Crews Help Historic Church Find a New Home
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| Crews work to allow the South Bethel Church to make its turn onto the Tipton Historical Society property. |
The 150-year-old South Bethel Church was moved to a new location during a 48-hour period in early December. Line crews from the CIPCO, Wilton facility and from cooperative member Eastern Iowa Light & Power assisted the Patterson Structural Movers of Washington, Iowa in this relocation project. The 40x82 foot church building was moved over 12 miles of winding rural Cedar County roads to its new location at the Cedar County Historical Society Museum just north of Tipton, Iowa.
It is believed that this church is the oldest continuously operating rural United Methodist Church west of the Mississippi River. The congregation began meeting in local homes in 1837. The church building was built in 1854 and then rebuilt in the 1920’s after being damaged by a tornado.
A recap of this project will also air later this year on the Learning Channel’s “Heavy Haulers” cable TV show.
Years of Service Recognition Events Held at all CIPCO Facilities
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| Left: Dennis Murdock, CEO congratulates Dave Symmonds, Substation Electrician Foreman for his 40 years of dedicated service to CIPCO. |
40 Years
Dave Symmonds, Wilton
35 Years
Tom Freml, Creston; Randy Huesmann, Mike Manternach, Fred Yencsik, Fair Station; Lynn Martin, Cedar Rapids
30 Years
Craig Fricke, Cedar Rapids
25 Years
Gary Slaby, Cedar Rapids
20 Years
John Thompson, Fair Station; Donna Griebel and Pat Murphy, Cedar Rapids
15 Years
Curtis Bolinger and Reggie Wheeler, Creston; Sandy Parsons and Michelle Soyer, Cedar Rapids; Tim Gilleland and G.W. Jones, Fair Station; Carol Ramsey of IADG, Des Moines
10 Years
Carolyn Cole and Carl Kleppe, Fair Station; Chad Hildreth, David Krohn, and Jan Miller, Wilton; Duke Dusheck, Cedar Rapids
5 Years
Jeanie Anderson, Lorene Cervenka and Scott Mohwinkle, Cedar Rapids; Linda Sheridan, Des Moines; Howard Harris of CMA, Des Moines
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