EMC's Whiteside takes office in state association

EMC's Whiteside

takes office in state association

During its

annual meeting, the Georgia Electric Membership Corporation elected Coweta-Fayette

EMC President and CEO Michael C. Whiteside secretary-treasurer of the

2002 Board of Directors.

Georgia EMC

is the statewide trade association representing the state's 42 electric

membership corporations. Through this statewide network, the customer-owned

EMCs provide electricity and related services to 3.7 million people, nearly

half of Georgia's population, across 73 percent of the state's land area.

"I'm honored

to serve on our statewide board," commented Whiteside. "Our

cooperative is among the fastest growing in the nation, so it's of utmost

importance that we stay abreast of all issues that affect the electric

utility industry; our membership and involvement in GEMC assists in that

endeavor."

A native of

Cochran, Ga., Whiteside holds an associate degree in electrical engineering

from Middle Georgia College; he also attended DeKalb Technical College

and Georgia State University.

After tenure

with Southern Engineering Company of Georgia, he went to work for Coweta-Fayette

EMC in 1974 as administrative assistant to the manager. At the time, the

cooperative was serving approximately 11,358 members.

Under Whiteside's

management since 1983, the company has grown to the extent that it now

serves more than 55,000 residential, commercial and industrial meters.

Among its customers are a number of "choice loads," or companies

large enough to select their providers of electricity.

As the company

grew, so did technological advances and the need to keep up with them.

Introducing a logo that reflected the company's ability to do so, as well

as subsidiary company Relyco Resources, which manages an array of products

and services, in 1998, Whiteside and his team of professionals installed

electronic enhancements to monitor the company's electric distribution

system.

The cooperative

also installed a new, automated telephone system and provided customers

the ability to review and pay their monthly bills over the Internet.

"Through

participation in GEMC, our local EMC and our members realize many benefits

that we might not be able to accomplish on our own," said Whiteside.

"As we

collectively stay abreast of issues pertaining to deregulation of the

electric utility industry, ban together for such necessary programs as

'green power' ­ the use of renewable energy sources ­ and are

able to combine our resources to provide economic development services

to all of the counties in Georgia, it becomes obvious that volunteer time

spent in this capacity is very important. Our statewide organization also

provides a multitude of training opportunities for our employees. Cooperation

is what spawned the creation of EMCs."

Coweta-Fayette

EMC provides electric power to members in Coweta, Fayette, Heard, Meriwether,

South Fulton, Clayton and Spalding counties.

The EMC's subsidiary,

Relyco, offers and manages services that are available to members and

nonmembers, including home security and monitoring, pagers, installation

of BOSE sound equipment and a Surge and Lightning Damage Protection Program.

Georgia's 42

electric membership cooperatives now serve more customers than any other

state network of EMCs in the nation. For information about Coweta-Fayette

EMC or any of the Relyco products and services, phone 770-502-0226.

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