Communication--Texas style.(United Cooperative Services (United))

Ray Beavers, general manager/chief executive officer of United Cooperative Services (United), Cleburne, TX is the 2008 recipient of the J.C. Brown CEO Communication Leadership Award conferred by the electric co-op industry's Spotlight on Excellence Awards program. The award memorializes the late J.C. Brown and his unwavering dedication to the importance of communication as a vital link connecting electric cooperatives with each other and with their consumer-owners, and to advancing the cooperative business model. The nominees for this award demonstrate through their actions a clear understanding of, and commitment to, the strategic role of communications in employee, member and community relations.

The judges this year noted that this general manager/CEO clearly "gets" the communication process and has made it a part of his management practices and in promoting the cooperative difference. They cited his active involvement with employees in planning for the consolidation of two cooperatives and in continuing to engage employees of the newly formed cooperative through regular meetings after the consolidation. Some of the strengths of the program included the inclusion of senior communications staff in the strategic planning process and regular, objective reviews of the cooperative's communication efforts. Most impressive was "the CEO's leadership of an unwavering mission to identify United Cooperative Services as an electric cooperative and ensure that every employee uses every opportunity to communicate the advantages of being a co-op member."

Mr. Beavers' commitment to the importance of communication was evident in his creation of the position of vice president of communication, the addition of other communication professionals, and the devotion of significant financial resources to increase the cooperative's communication outreach. Additionally, other employees who have frequent member contact were trained to communicate the cooperative difference while performing their professional duties. The judges further noted, "He enthusiastically encourages his staff towards communication excellence. He provides needed tools--financial and emotional support--to ensure that the United message is conveyed clearly and in a timely manner, always keeping the interests of members in the forefront." His proactive and consistent efforts resulted in the cooperative's overall American Satisfaction Index member satisfaction ranking on the 87th percentile--far outperforming the industry's national and statewide averages.

One of Ray Beavers' first responsibilities as CEO of United was to lead two culturally different electric cooperatives (Johnson County Electric cooperative and Erath County Electric Cooperative) through a consolidation, ultimately becoming United Cooperative Services--a 70,000 meter cooperative on the fringes of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. To facilitate the transition, the United Employee Relations Committee was established, comprised of employees from both pre-consolidation cooperatives. Following consolidation regular employee meetings were established to facilitate two-way communication between management and employees and a new 12-page monthly newsletter was developed for employees and their families.

United operates in Texas, a state that deregulated the electricity market in 2001 (although cooperatives were excused from participation at the time). Currently, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) operates the electric grid and manages the deregulated market for 75 percent of the state. The competition for customers and electric supply in that state presents unique challenges for cooperatives as they attempt to deliver the message about the cooperative business model. Further, the issue of energy efficiency has become increasingly important in North Texas. Electric generation capacity is static, while energy demand continues to swell. Because ERCOT has forecast potential scheduled blackouts by as early as 2009, United has made it a priority to educate its members about the most effective means of avoiding such scenarios. Using a combination of communication vehicles, face-to face meetings with members, and the media, United's CEO has implemented a series of strategic initiatives that prompted the judges to select him as the recipient of this prestigious award.

In the article that follows, Mr. Beavers describes his philosophy of communication and outlines some of the initiatives undertaken at his cooperative.

Susan M. Johnson, Editor, Management Quarterly, NRECA

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