Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative’s (SMECO) Board of Directors has appointed nine members to the 2016 Nominating Committee scheduled to meet on Saturday, May 7, 2016, at SMECO’s Executive Building in Hughesville. This committee will select a slate of candidates for the five available Board positions to be elected at SMECO’s 2016 Annual Members’ Meeting. Elections will be held to fill one position in Calvert County, two positions in Charles County, one in Prince George’s County, and one in St. Mary’s County.

The 2016 Nominating Committee members follow:

  • Calvert County: Terence N. Gibson, Prince Frederick.
  • Charles County: Joseph L. Gardiner Jr., La Plata; Edward Holland III, Waldorf; and William B. Young Jr., Waldorf.
  • Prince George’s County: Manning Clagett, Accokeek; and Ernest H. Riess, Brandywine.
  • St. Mary’s County: Edith M. Bell, Chaptico; George A. Brown, Loveville; and SMECO customer-members interested in being nominated should complete a Board of Directors Candidate Application. To obtain a candidate application, contact Terrie Krupitzer at 240-528-9747 or Terrie.Krupitzer@smeco.coop. Completed candidate applications should be submitted to SMECO, Attention: Joseph Densford, Board Attorney, by Friday, April 29, 2016. Applications may be mailed to P.O. Box 1937, Hughesville, Maryland 20637, or delivered to Terrie Krupitzer at 15035 Burnt Store Road in Hughesville.

In addition to nominations made by the committee, any 15 or more SMECO members acting together may make other nominations by petition by Friday, June 24, 2016. Members running by petition should also complete and submit a Board of Directors Candidate Application. Nominations will be posted in each SMECO office and mailed to each member with the Annual Meeting notice.

SMECO’s Annual Meeting will be held Tuesday, August 23, 2016, at Regency Furniture Blue Crabs Stadium in Waldorf. Absentee mail-in voting will be available to customer-members who are unable to attend the meeting. Customers may request an absentee mail-in ballot beginning July 25 by calling 1-888-440-3311 or by going to SMECO’s website at www.smeco.coop.  More information will be published in the Cooperative’s monthly newsletter. 

Selection of the Nominating Committee members is in compliance with SMECO’s bylaws. For more information regarding the committee, nominations, and qualifications of directors, refer to Article IV, Sections 4.02 and 4.03, of SMECO’s bylaws. Bylaws may be obtained from a SMECO office or online at www.smeco.coop.

SMECO provides electricity to more than 160,000 services in southern Prince George’s County, and in Charles County, St. Mary’s County, and all but the northeast portion of Calvert County. Co-ops are distinctly different from investor-owned utilities because co-ops are owned by their customers, and these members elect the men and women who serve on the Board of Directors.

Co-ops also issue capital credits to their members. What are capital credits? They are the member’s share of the co-op’s margins, based on how much electricity the member purchased and the rate at which the account was billed. SMECO’s margins—revenue less expenses—are used as working capital for new construction and system improvements. When SMECO’s Board of Directors determines that a percentage of the capital credits can be distributed to members through a general refund, capital credits will be issued by check or credited to members’ electric bills.Catherine Brenda Coates, Lexington Park.