Cotten announces impending retirement at PCEMC Annual Meeting

PCEMC General Manager J.H. “Jodie” Cotten announced his impending retirement at the local cooperative’s 77th Annual Meeting held at the Scott Civic Center on Jan. 27.

Cotten, who joined the cooperative in 1974 and was named manager 10 years later, quipped to the members that he would be joining them in the audience at next year’s annual meeting.

“I would just like to thank the board, the linemen, the meter readers, the right-of-way crews and the ladies in the office. They have all been great to work with and I can assure you they all have the best interest of the members in their hearts. We’ve all worked well together,” he said. “I’d also like to thank the most important person of all, my wife Suzanne.”

Board President Jimmy Ewing presented a slide show featuring images of Cotten’s home life and personal life and also presented a plaque recognizing his “selfless work and leadership.”

“Through the years Jodie has worked hard on economic development and worked with the attorneys and the board and the wholesaler and the regulators. All of these things are very stressful,” said Ewing. “But we appreciate the work you’ve done and we wish you well.”

Cotten, whose retirement will begin this summer, is only the second manager in the history of the co-op. The board is conducting a search for his replacement.

The meeting began with Secretary/Treasurer Ralph Chustz announcing that the 392 members required to meet a quorum had been exceeded by two members.

Chustz presented the financial report, which was contained in the meeting program. He said the cooperative is in sound financial position, expenses decreased compared to the previous year, and that the co-op “continues to be run very well and everything is going as it should.”

The audience was welcomed by New Roads Mayor Robert Myer, who highlighted a few of the newest developments in the community, including new medical facilities, a new master plan, a new contract with NRG, an impending new town franchise renewal with PCEMC and the city’s first national brand name hotel.

Pointe Coupee Parish Associate Extension Agent Mark Carriere told members that 2015 “was a crazy year and Mother Nature was not very nice to us.”

Carriere said the local soybean, corn and cattle yields were all down, although the sugar cane crop did increase by roughly $1 million. The pecan crop was hit especially hard, he said, falling from $4.6 million to less than $100,000.

“It was rainy and wet and just not a very good year. Just about everybody took a hit, and some farmers couldn’t get their crops out of the field,” Carriere said. “But there’s always hope for next year.”

Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle also addressed the members and answered questions from the audience. He congratulated the board, managers and employees on a successful year.

“Think about how many challenges and difficult times there have been over the past 77 years to overcome,” he said. “It’s a testament to the board, the employees, the men and women who put on the hard hats and the steel toe boots to go out and make sure we have power in our homes when they don’t have power in their own homes.

“You have a board that understands service and putting people first. They’re very serious about what they do and they have a tremendous amount of respect at the Commission,” he said.

Louisiana Generating President Jennifer Vosburg told members that the company recently completed a project to convert a coal-fired unit at Big Cajun II to natural gas and that 2016 will be a time to turn attention to the Big Cajun I natural gas generation facility.

“We’re proud to serve this co-op and I know there are lots of opportunities ahead,” Vosburg said. “We’re proud of the economic development work we do on this side of the river and we’re working with the Baton Rouge Area Chamber to being even more growth. We look forward to another great year and the things that are coming our way.”

During the President’s Report, Ewing thanked the employees for their “tireless” work and expressed gratitude to his fellow board members for charting a positive direction for the cooperative.

“We do everything we can to give our employees the equipment and resources they need to do their jobs as safely and efficiently as possible,” he said. “Our directors show up at each meeting and do the work necessary to make sure our covenants are kept and our bank loans are current. This is not glamorous work but it’s important work. Your co-op is in great shape because of them.”

Cotten recognized employees who reached important milestones recently, including Blaine David (35 years), Joe Langlois, Craig Magruder and recent retiree Harold Stelly (30 years), Courtney Spears and Danny Cline (15 years), John Thibodeaux (10 years) and Gloria Harris (5 years). He also congratulated B.J. LaCour for being selected by his fellow employees as Employee of the Year, and announced that Kathy Henley will be retiring after 33 years of service.

Langlois, the cooperative’s safety coordinator, accepted a plaque on behalf of the employees for working through 2015 without a lost-time accident. The most recent accident occurred in 2006, he said.

It was also announced that Board Members Jimmy Ewing (District 2), Ralph Chustz (District 4), and Al Smith (District 6) were all returned to the board without opposition.

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