Why I'm thankful for my co-op

At my family's Thanksgiving dinner each year, we all take turns saying something we're grateful for. My list is usually about the same-good health, wonderful family and friends, and a job serving the great people of Florence, Clarendon, Williamsburg and Georgetown counties.  

I'm thankful to be a part of Santee Electric Cooperative. Our employees are some of the hardest workers I know. Our mission is to provide affordable, reliable, safe electric power, but we also aim to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve. It's a mission we all take seriously.

I'm thankful for Santee Electric because it allows employees to live alongside those we serve. The beauty of a cooperative is that it's locally owned and operated; there are no distant shareholders pulling the strings behind the scenes. Members elect members to serve on the Board of Trustees and govern the co-op. We are your neighbors, your friends, your family.

I'm thankful for my co-op because it serves as a vibrant force in the local economy-partly because we are local. That means Santee Electric is invested in the future of its communities.

I'm thankful for my co-op because we care. From giving scholarships to young people and Operation Round Up working to help members in bad situations that need immediate help, we care about the people and the towns we serve.

Finally, I'm thankful for you, our members and faithful readers, because without you, there'd be no Santee Electric Cooperative.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at your electric co-op.

Floyd L. Keels
President and Chief Executive Officer