Community Electric Cooperative’s Team Appreciation Day seemed particularly well-timed this year. The gathering of CEC’s work force – 36 employees attended – took place on March 3rd. As CEC’s member-owners well know, this was mere weeks after a pair of winter storms hammered states along the Eastern Seaboard and caused extensive power outages.
The gathering allowed CEC colleagues to catch up with one another, celebrate professional milestones and achievements, and otherwise decompress from a demanding series of events. Attendees socialized during games hosted by Bar Trivia LIVE! They enjoyed food prepared by The Rusted Root, a locally owned business featured on the CEC Facebook page on January 28, 2025. They “competed” in a white elephant gift swap. And more.
“Coming out of a challenging winter, it was wonderful to have so many of our team members together in one place and to celebrate one another,” CEC President and CEO Steven A. Harmon said. “These are moments we dare not take for granted. I am immensely proud of the people who work so hard to reliably and safely deliver electricity and related services to our members.”
CEC employees, by virtue of the role that Community Electric fulfills in its service territory, often find themselves in conversations about electricity-related matters outside of “regular” business hours, Harmon said.
“On top of the work they do during the course of a business day, I admire and appreciate the willingness and receptivity that our employees display to answer questions, help resolve issues and otherwise assist our members no matter where they are – in the grocery store, the hardware store of someplace else. Electricity is vital to so many parts of our lives, for work and for leisure, and I couldn’t be prouder of the way that our team members embrace our mission for the benefit of the community,” he said.
The Team Appreciation gathering happened to coincide with the work anniversary of one of CEC's most well-known figures in the community. Serviceman W.H. Holland completed his 40th year of employment at the cooperative on March 3rd, giving his colleagues the chance to recognize him en masse for his dedicated service to CEC's members. (An article on Holland's career is published in the News section of CEC's website at: https://www.comelec.coop/news-releases/holland-reaches-40-year-milestone-with-cec/)
Noting that Administrative Professionals Day and National Lineman Appreciation Day both fall in April, Harmon invited community members to express their encouragement for the entire CEC work force as opportunities present themselves. https://www.comelec.coop/news-releases/show-your-appreciation-celebrate-lineman-and-administration-appreciation-days/