November 2023

WCEC's Annual Meeting Update

Dear Members,

October 6th was a beautiful afternoon as we celebrated the Co-op's Annual Meeting at Governor Jim Hogg Park. It was the first community event held under the beautiful new pavilion. To set the perfect tone, the crowd enjoyed a lively concert featuring Low D and his Jam Band. But beyond the music, the venue and the weather, what made the day perfect was that we were able to visit with so many of you. To those that attended, thank you!

I appreciated the opportunity to update attending members. As your General Manager and CEO, it's my privilege to guide our co-op, planning for today and tomorrow. At the meeting I introduced our strategic plan, and five critical focus areas that we are actively working on: employee retention and culture, member engagement, rates, safety, and the growth of our cooperative. Every one of these areas is driven by our commitment to enhancing service to our members and our community. This mission extends far beyond the provision of electricity. It encompasses the cooperative difference, which means being both a good steward and a good neighbor and working to improve the communities where we live and serve.

Our Board President, Cathy Roberts, led the business portion of the meeting and made two significant announcements. First, our board retired an impressive $1.7 million in capital credits, which will be credited to members' accounts on their December statements. She also shared the news that the director's election was uncontested, which led to the re-election of incumbents Kenneth Langley, representing District 3, and Freddie Jones, representing District 7.

An abbreviated financial report was presented to all that attended, and it, along with an expanded financial report are available on our website. 

As the business meeting concluded, members were in for a treat with an extensive prize drawing featuring items generously donated by our vendors. The grand prize winner of a $500.00 VISA gift card, drawn from members present at the meeting, was Bailea McGregor, pictured along with her children and me.

We look forward to another year of growth and service to our members and our communities.

In Your Service,

Trey Teaff

GM & CEO

Get Your House Ready for Winter

Even if it’s not cold outside yet, it’s time to get ready for the day when the temperature falls.

Here are five fall jobs that will prepare your home for cold weather:



1. Caulk around windows and doors, even if you did it last fall. Cracks in old caulk can let cold air in and warm air out.
2. Reverse the direction of ceiling fan blades so they circulate clockwise.
3. Get your chimney inspected and cleaned if you plan to burn wood this season. Buildup of creosote can cause a chimney fire.
4. Call an HVAC tech to inspect your central heating system, perform maintenance and do any needed repairs so you don’t lose heat once it gets cold.
5. Change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors before heating season begins.
6. Replace any damaged weatherstripping around doors and windows to create a better seal.

Nathan Witt, a troubled high school student, turned his life around with the power of skateboarding and community. His new direction and vision, with help from his parents and community leaders, evolved into the Flint and Steel Coalition, a multifaceted Youth Enterprise Zone, dedicated to empowering and supporting young people through skateboarding, art, and community activities. Read more in the November edition of the Texas Co-op Power Magazine.

The Flint and Steel Coalition provides art recreational therapy to provide positive alternatives that support healthy and meaningful life choices. To learn more about the organization and ways to volunteer visit: https://www.flintsteel.org/volunteer. The non-profit has been a past recipient of an Operation Round Up Grant. Learn more about Operation Round Up.

Safety Tip of the Month

Maintain Automatic Garage Doors For Safety

Your automatic garage door is probably the largest moving object in your home. If you use it every day, you might open and close it more often than the front door of your house. It’s important to keep the garage door and its automatic opening system in good shape.

Here are some maintenance and safety tips for the garage door.

Keep the garage door’s remote control out of the reach of children. They could leave the door open and unattended, which is an invitation to thieves and animals.

Likewise, don’t allow your kids to make a game out of opening and closing the garage door, even when you’re supervising them. A garage door closes more quickly—and is much heavier—than you might expect. It can present a serious hazard to a small child who gets in its way.

If your garage door has panels or sections, keep fingers far away. Closing the joints exerts enough pinching pressure to break or sever a finger. Consider investing in pinch-resistant door panels to prevent accidents.

A couple of times annually Inspect the garage door for wear and tear on springs, cables, rollers and pulleys.

Don’t adjust or repair a garage door’s moving parts on your own. It truly is a job for a trained technician.

Regularly test the door’s reversing mechanism—its ability to automatically reopen if something gets in its way while closing. To test it, place a two-by-four under the door and try to close it. If the door doesn’t automatically stop closing and begin reopening, call a garage door professional to repair it.

The holiday season is upon us, and that means we’ll be using more energy in the kitchen! When possible, cook with smaller countertop appliances instead of the stove top or oven. Smaller appliances like slow cookers, air fryers and instant pots consume less energy.

When using the oven or stove top, match the size of the pot to the heating element and place a lid over the pot while cooking. The food will cook faster, and you’ll use less energy.