Williams Honored with NRECA President’s Award

Texas Electric Cooperative President and CEO Mike Williams received the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s 2014 President’s Award during the NRECA Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tenn., in March. The award recognizes individuals who have made contributions to rural electrification, the nation, their states or communities.

Williams earned the recognition for chairing the NRECA 21st Century Committee, formed in 2012 to assess the future of electric cooperatives and articulate a vision that ensures they are successful and sustainable in the future.

Curtis Nolan, NRECA board president, presented Williams with the award. Williams acknowledged the contributions of his fellow committee members, staff and industry leaders for helping the committee complete its task. He also elaborated on cooperative purpose: “Our final report recognizes that safe, affordable and reliable electricity is awfully important but is only part of the story. Co-ops’ real purpose has always been about improving the lives of our members, and that often means being more than just merely another energy provider. We also saw that it wasn’t enough to simply be a co-op. To earn the trust and loyalty of our members, you have to act like a co-op.

“Seventy-five years ago, we turned on the lights in rural America. Some say we democratized the American dream for those living in the dark. Today, we power our communities not just with electricity, but also by empowering our members to improve their lives.

“On behalf of our committee, thank you for the honor and privilege to serve. We hope that our work will continue to be a catalyst for future discussions on how we build on 75 years of success.”

Watch Mike Williams’ acceptance speech at http://bcove.me/5ysh1d4j.