News Releases

Local Students Polish Leadership Skills

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 2, 2005

Contact Greg Brooks, 770/266-2307, or Katie Woodall, 770/266-2572

(Top left to right) Charlie Chandler of Good Hope, Spencer Tompkins of Covington, Shawn Whitley of Bogart, (bottom left to right) Caitlin Higginbotham of Statham and Courtney Brooks of Monroe learned the cooperative business principles through team building exercises and a Congressional Insight Workshop at the Georgia Cooperative Council Youth Leadership Conference.

MONROE, Ga. – Students representing various cooperatives throughout Georgia attended the 21 st annual Georgia Cooperative Council Youth Leadership Conference July 18-20 in Covington, Ga.

Locally, Courtney Brooks from Loganville High School, Charlie Chandler from Monroe Area High School, Caitlin Higginbotham from Westminster Christian Academy, Spencer Tompkins from Eastside High School, and Shawn Whitley from North Oconee High School represented Walton EMC at the three-day conference.

The conference promotes increased understanding of cooperatives, politics and students' own personality traits through team-building exercises, training and presentations.

“The Youth Leadership Conference explores the cooperative way of doing business, teaching students how co-ops work to meet the needs of people in Georgia,” said Katie Woodall, with Walton EMC.   “They also do teenage personality profiles, teaching the students about themselves.”

For the second summer, students participated in a Congressional Insight Workshop presented by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).   An intense, three-hour game titled “Sharpen Your Political Skills” gave students an opportunity to simulate a two-year term as a new legislator in Congress, complete with the various demands placed on elected officials including staff management; media interaction; monitoring legislation; and meeting with constituents, lobbyists and fellow politicians.

“This game is a great way for students to learn about the U.S. Congress in a fun and competitive environment. The idea is to get re-elected, and if you make enough good choices, you will,” according to Jeff Blackwood with NRECA, who said students learn in the process that choices made by elected officials please some voters and disappoint others.

Cooperatives represented at this year's Conference were Georgia EMCs, Dairy Farmers of America, Staplcotn, Southern States and Farm Credit Banks. Council members with each co-op shared information about their organization, explaining how co-op principles and values guide business operations.

Additionally, students heard from representatives with the Georgia Cotton Commission, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Georgia Cooperative Development Center.

Walton EMC is a customer-owned power company that serves 110,000 accounts over its ten-county service area between Atlanta and Athens. It's subsidiary, Walton EMC Natural Gas, serves natural gas accounts statewide.