{"id":38766,"date":"2023-10-07T19:21:16","date_gmt":"2023-10-08T02:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/?page_id=38766"},"modified":"2024-01-24T13:51:30","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T21:51:30","slug":"who-we-are","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/about-us\/who-we-are\/","title":{"rendered":"Who We Are"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-38998 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MEC-Team-800x238.jpg\" alt=\"MEC Team\" width=\"100%\" height=\"126\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MEC-Team-800x238.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MEC-Team-1600x475.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MEC-Team-340x101.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MEC-Team-1536x456.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MEC-Team-2048x608.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>Our Mission: To provide services and create opportunities to enhance the quality of life.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Imagine what it must have been like after dark on farms, ranches, and small towns across America before there was power before there was electricity. Wanting to have the same luxuries as those of the big cities &#8211; farmers, ranchers, and rural families banded together to shine the lights on rural America. In 1936, the REA was formed as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt\u2019s New Deal to help local communities form electric cooperatives across the United States and finally bring electricity to rural America, just like those in the big cities. Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative (MEC) was formed in 1938 by the members &#8211; for the members. After over 80 years, our legacy of providing our member-owners with safe, reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible electric service, while supporting the communities throughout our service territory, continues on.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-39000 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/ACSI-Infographic-Unity-PowerPoint_0-535x800.jpg\" alt=\"ACSI Infographic Unity PowerPoint \" width=\"322\" height=\"483\" \/>Today, MEC serves over 31,000 accounts in portions of nine Southside Virginia counties and five northern North Carolina counties. MEC is headquartered in Chase City, Virginia, with three district offices located in Chase City, Gretna, and Emporia.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Being a member of an electric cooperative means that you\u2019re more than just a customer, you\u2019re a member! And\u2026since we are not-for-profit, we put our members first!<\/li>\n<li>Next to safety, ensuring our member&#8217;s satisfaction is our primary objective.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Our Affiliates<\/h3>\n\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\t<div class=\"resource-dir-grid row align-equal large-columns-2 medium-columns-2 small-columns-1\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<article id=\"post-39338\" class=\"col post-39338 hwcp-resource-dir type-hwcp-resource-dir status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry resource-dir_category-affiliates\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"resource\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.electric.coop\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"resource-link\"><\/a><div class=\"resource-image\"><img width=\"249\" height=\"75\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/NRECA-logo.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"NRECA logo\" decoding=\"async\" \/><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"resource-text text-center\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>NRECA<\/h4>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<\/article>\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<article id=\"post-39343\" class=\"col post-39343 hwcp-resource-dir type-hwcp-resource-dir status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry resource-dir_category-affiliates\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"resource\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vmdaec.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"resource-link\"><\/a><div class=\"resource-image\"><img width=\"500\" height=\"220\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/VMDAEC-logo.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"VMDAEC logo\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/VMDAEC-logo.png 500w, https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/VMDAEC-logo-340x150.png 340w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"resource-text text-center\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>Association of Electric Cooperatives<\/h4>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<\/article>\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<article id=\"post-39344\" class=\"col post-39344 hwcp-resource-dir type-hwcp-resource-dir status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry resource-dir_category-affiliates\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"resource\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.odec.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"resource-link\"><\/a><div class=\"resource-image\"><img width=\"674\" height=\"156\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/ODEC-logo.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"ODEC logo\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/ODEC-logo.png 674w, https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/ODEC-logo-340x79.png 340w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 674px) 100vw, 674px\" \/><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"resource-text text-center\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>Old Dominion Electric Cooperative<\/h4>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<\/article>\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\n<div class=\"video video-fit mb\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NRECA: The Electric Cooperative Story\" width=\"1020\" height=\"574\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tenKnIx4ouY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>7 Cooperative Principles<\/h2>\n<div class=\"row\"  id=\"row-1728988969\">\n\n\t<div id=\"col-2009960050\" class=\"col medium-4 small-12 large-4\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"icon-box featured-box icon-box-top text-left\"  >\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-box-img\" style=\"width: 60px\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-inner\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"128\" height=\"128\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/icons8-handshake-128.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"handshake icon\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-box-text last-reset\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<h3>1. Open and Voluntary Membership<\/h3>\n<p>Membership in a cooperative is open to all people who can reasonably use its services and stand willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, regardless of race, religion, gender, or economic circumstances.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\t<div id=\"col-1690332208\" class=\"col medium-4 small-12 large-4\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"icon-box featured-box icon-box-top text-left\"  >\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-box-img\" style=\"width: 60px\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-inner\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"128\" height=\"128\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/icons8-elections-128.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Elections Icon\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-box-text last-reset\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<h3>2. Democratic Member Control<\/h3>\n<p>Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. Representatives (directors\/trustees) are elected among the members and are accountable to them. In primary cooperatives, members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote); cooperatives at other levels are organized in a democratic manner.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\t<div id=\"col-777111678\" class=\"col medium-4 small-12 large-4\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"icon-box featured-box icon-box-top text-left\"  >\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-box-img\" style=\"width: 60px\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-inner\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"128\" height=\"128\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/icons8-dollar-coin-128.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"dollar icon\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-box-text last-reset\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<h3>3. Members\u2019 Economic Participation<\/h3>\n<p>Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. At least part of that capital remains the common property of the cooperative. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing the cooperative; setting up reserves; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the cooperative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\t<div id=\"col-1263465728\" class=\"col medium-4 small-12 large-4\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"icon-box featured-box icon-box-top text-left\"  >\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-box-img\" style=\"width: 60px\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-inner\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"128\" height=\"128\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/icons8-puzzle-128.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"puzzle icon\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-box-text last-reset\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<h3>4. Autonomy and Independence<\/h3>\n<p>Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control as well as their unique identity.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\t<div id=\"col-2049049442\" class=\"col medium-4 small-12 large-4\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"icon-box featured-box icon-box-top text-left\"  >\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-box-img\" style=\"width: 60px\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-inner\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"128\" height=\"128\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/icons8-training-128.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"training icon\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-box-text last-reset\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<h3>5. Education, Training, and Information<\/h3>\n<p>Education and training for members, elected representatives (directors\/trustees), CEOs, and employees help them effectively contribute to the development of their cooperatives. Communications about the nature and benefits of cooperatives, particularly with the general public and opinion leaders, help boost cooperative understanding.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\t<div id=\"col-2076170006\" class=\"col medium-4 small-12 large-4\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"icon-box featured-box icon-box-top text-left\"  >\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-box-img\" style=\"width: 60px\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-inner\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"128\" height=\"128\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/icons8-crowd-128.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"crowd icon\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-box-text last-reset\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<h3>6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives<\/h3>\n<p>By working together through local, national, regional, and international structures, cooperatives improve services, bolster local economies, and deal more effectively with social and community needs.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\t<div id=\"col-1869208797\" class=\"col medium-4 small-12 large-4\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"icon-box featured-box icon-box-top text-left\"  >\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-box-img\" style=\"width: 60px\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-inner\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"128\" height=\"128\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/icons8-trust-128.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"icon-box-text last-reset\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<h3>7. Concern for Community<\/h3>\n<p>Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies supported by the membership.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our Mission: To provide services and create opportunities to enhance the quality of life. Imagine what it must have been like after dark on farms, ranches, and small towns across America before there was power before there was electricity. Wanting to have the same luxuries as those of the big cities &#8211; farmers, ranchers, and [&#8230;]\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"parent":38764,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38766"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38766"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38766\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39708,"href":"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38766\/revisions\/39708"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38764"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meckelec.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}