Meet the Candidates for Your Board of Directors
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Terri Lovelace
Nominated by petition for District #2 vacancy
1277 Edgefield Rd. York, S.C.
OCCUPATION: Private Guardian ad Litem, representing children in legal proceedings in York, Chester, Lancaster, Union and Cherokee counties.
FAMILY: Married to husband, Nathan, for 15 years. Three children—Kim Rawls, Amber Johnson and Nate Lovelace. Six grandchildren—Samantha Turner, Karsen Turner, Weslee Johnson, Anderson Johnson, Easton Lovelace and Carbon Lovelace.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:
⇒ From 2012-2021, served as President of The Foundation Assisting Needy Children in York County
⇒ Member of Bullock’s Creek Cowboy Church.
⇒ Volunteer for numerous projects to help community members in need.
What is your reason for running for the York Electric board?
I am running for the Board of Trustees in hopes that I can help our members and community by voicing concerns and hopes for the future of our electrical community.
Share something personal about yourself that would help our members make an informed vote.
I am a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. I love spending time with my family and friends. I enjoy sewing and attending functions with my grandchildren.
Share something about your professional life that would help our members make an informed vote.
After working in a law office for 30 years, I stopped working in 2015 to take care of my mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. During this time at home with her, I began working as a private Guardian ad Litem representing children in legal proceedings in York, Chester, Lancaster, Union and Cherokee counties. After she passed away in 2020, I decided that I would continue my work with children that needed a voice.
Share something about your knowledge in the electric industry and/or cooperative business model that would help our members make an informed vote.
I have been a member of York Electric Cooperative for over 30 years. During this time, I have come to know that a cooperative is not solely member-based, but a family-oriented organization that operates with every member’s perspective in mind.
As an electric cooperative, keeping the members first has allowed YEC to keep utility rates low, while remaining committed to our community. As a previous president of a charitable board, I have had the opportunity to experience not only the member benefits of YEC, but also community benefits associated with their programs and services, such as Operation Round Up.
What do you feel is the most pressing issue faced by our cooperative and how would you plan to address it?
The most pressing issue we face is maintaining the lowest rates on electric service. We also must ensure that our employees are safe and are provided with knowledge and training to do their job the best they can. As a board member, my voice will become the voice for our members and employees.
What does cooperative membership mean to you?
Cooperative membership means that, as a member, you are part of a large family that is working together to make a better community for its members. I would be honored to serve as a YEC Board Member, and I would appreciate your support as a member of York Electric Cooperative.
Richard Roach
Incumbent, nominated by petition for District 3
4150 Mockingbird Ln. Rock Hill, S.C.
OCCUPATION: Operates family farm, which has been in existence for over 100 years.
FAMILY: Married to wife, Gloria, for 57 years. Four children, 10 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:
⇒ Member of Antioch UMC for over 70 years. Served as chairman for numerous church committees and boards, including finance and trustees.
⇒ Served on York Tax Appeal Board, Economic Board, Bethesda Fire Board and Cotton Cooperative Board.
⇒ Current Chairman of USDA Farm Service board, where he’s served for 27 years.
⇒ Helped with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan in the 1990s.
What is your reason for running for the York Electric board?
Before I was elected, I had several people approach me and encourage me to run for the board here because they believed I would represent the membership well.
Share something personal about yourself that would help our members make an informed vote.
After high school graduation, I worked on the farm with my dad until August of 1966, when I was drafted into the Army. After training, I was assigned to a combat artillery unit in the 1st division that fired 155 mm shells. I was promoted to Sergeant in the first four months while I was deployed and earned seven medals, including a Bronze Star.
Share something about your professional life that would help our members make an informed vote.
When I returned home in May of 1968 from Vietnam, I was the sole provider for my wife and child with only $100 in my pocket. We were lucky to have a place to live on the farm. Life was hard. I farmed with my father, Jack Roach, when I got home until his passing in 1988.
Share something about your knowledge in the electric industry and/or cooperative business model.
I have served on the YEC board for 18 years. During that time, I supported the cooperative’s initiative to buy power from Duke Energy, was part of the unanimous vote to secure a Fort Mill annual meeting site and the unanimous vote to create three separate trustee districts with three trustee seats in each district. I will also continue to recommend longer voting and registration hours for annual meetings in the Fort Mill area. I’m very proud of YEC employees. They do an excellent job. When we have an outage, employees get the power back on quickly. I’m a supporter of The Burrell Foundation.
What do you feel is the most pressing issue faced by our cooperative and how would you plan to address it?
I believe the rising cost of power for members is the most pressing issue we face. I think we need to be very conservative when it comes to spending, which is why I don’t attend any cooperative meetings out of town.
What does cooperative membership mean to you?
Membership is everything to me. Our members elected me and that’s who I proudly work for and why I will continue to be the strongest voice for them.
Kevin Tolson
Nominated by Petition for District #2 Vacancy
571 Tirzah Rd. York, S.C. 29745
OCCUPATION: York County Sheriff. Has served as a police officer for 31 years.
FAMILY: Married to wife, Beth, for almost 25 years. Two daughters, Morgan and Liza. Grandson, Monroe.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:
⇒ Ambassador for the #1 Question: Is It Good for the Children campaign in Rock Hill.
⇒ Member of the Founders Federal Credit Union advisory board.
⇒ Member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) board of directors.
⇒ Past member of the United Way board of directors and Keystone board of directors.
What is your reason for running for the York Electric board?
I like to serve. I’ve served our local communities for over 31 years and plan to continue doing so. The co-op is a tremendous organization and I’d like to be a bigger part of it.
Share something personal about yourself that would help our members make an informed vote.
I have strived to be a servant my whole life. I had a paper route at 12 years old and didn’t stop working after that. My entire career has existed in the service industry. I spent my high school and college years working at Carowinds Theme Park, which is a very service-oriented organization, and then dedicated myself to serving this community through my career in law enforcement ever since.
Share something about your professional life that would help our members make an informed vote.
“If I am elected to serve on the YEC board, I will bring to the table the skills and experience gained from managing over 500 employees that work under my leadership. I am very employee oriented. I believe that if you take care of employees, the employees will, in turn, take care of the community.
Share something about your knowledge in the electric industry and/or cooperative business model that would help our members make an informed vote.
My knowledge of electric energy and the electric grid is limited, to be quite honest. However, I do know what it means to be a good steward of taxpayer money through my time in law enforcement, much like how the cooperative must be a good steward of its members’ money. I manage a very large budget at the Sheriff’s Office and am confident I can use this experience with maintaining efficiency while providing good service under budget constraints to continue ensuring YEC’s members and employees are taken care of.
What do you feel is the most pressing issue faced by our cooperative and how would you plan to address it?
I think, from my perspective, the growth across YEC’s service territory is explosive and proper planning for that growth, especially when dealing with infrastructure, is essential. If elected, I would ensure the co-op has a very carefully crafted five-to-seven-year strategic plan for infrastructure management to maintain and keep up with the growth our area is experiencing.
What does cooperative membership mean to you?
Being a member of a co-op means a hometown feel. I’ve been a member of YEC for 23 years and having been a customer of another power organization in the past, I can tell the difference between service from a cooperative and that from a for-profit company. Here, you can easily pick up the phone or come to the office and actually speak to a real, genuine person who will always provide the good, hometown service.
Ronald Wylie
Nominated by petition for District #3
4245 Horse Rd. Rock Hill, S.C. 29730
OCCUPATION: Retired in 2018 after 41 years of government service. Postal worker for 36 years and served as Postmaster of York, Lancaster and Rock Hill. Served in the Army for five years.
FAMILY: Married to wife, Evelyn Pickett Wylie, for 48 years. Two children, Tamara Wylie Sims (married to Brian Sims) and Ronald Levar Wylie (married to Jeannie Miller). Four grandchildren—Collin, Caleb, Sydney and Cameron.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:
⇒ Served on numerous committees and boards to support the communities in York County.
⇒ Former York Rotarian.
⇒ Former member of the Greater York Chamber of Commerce.
⇒ Coached football.
⇒ Deacon at Cedar Grove Baptist Church.
What is your reason for running for the York Electric board?
I have been a York Electric Cooperative member for more than 40 years, and if I am elected, I will ensure your voice, as a partial owner, is heard, and that York Electric is positioned to continue to lead other cooperatives, both safely and financially. I will work with management to support the best modernization process of our transmission lines and substations to minimize outages during disasters.
I will proudly support sound partnerships with local entities in economic development, so that we can recruit the best customers and help keep rates low. I will ensure that our most valuable asset, our employees, have the latest tools to perform their jobs and receive the best training offered to keep them safe. I believe in sharing resources and talent with our neighbors when they are in need.
Share something personal about yourself that would help our members make an informed vote.
I am a Christian, a proud Army veteran and servant.
Share something about your professional life that would help our members make an informed vote.
I am a proud graduate of York Technical College, where I earned an associate degree in industrial electricity.
Share something about your knowledge in the electric industry and/or cooperative business model that would help our members make an informed vote.
If I am elected, I will support the seven cooperative principles and work hard with all entities to ensure York Electric continues to lead into the future. Of the seven cooperative principles, democratic member control is the most significant to me.
What do you feel is the most pressing issue faced by our cooperative and how would you plan to address it?
The most pressing issue we face is sustainability. By that, I mean sustaining our current success and practices for future generations. I will accomplish this by maintaining cooperation between our board and management to ensure continuous training and education of our employees.
What does cooperative membership mean to you?
Cooperative membership means community. It is a medium that helps sustain and better our quality of life.
VOTING
Important Details about the 2024 Annual Meeting:
Members of York Electric Cooperative, Inc. are invited to attend our 83rd annual meeting of members to register and vote on trustee seats.
RESULTS FROM LAST YEAR'S VOTING
During our 82nd annual meeting in 2023, members had the chance to vote on their preference of annual meeting logistics and registration gift. Here were the results:
Question 1- Drive-thru or in-person:
3,727 members voted for your co-op to continue drive-thru registration and voting.
703 members voted for the in-person meeting.
Question 2- Power bill credit or tangible gift:
4,370 members voted for a power bill credit.
71 members voted for a tangible gift.
Remember:
Members can attend ONE of the three annual meeting dates: Wednesday, May 1 at Tega Cay’s Catawba Park from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, May 3 at York Electric’s Main Office from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., OR Saturday, May 4 at York Electric’s Main Office from 9 a.m. to noon.
ALL members MUST bring a valid photo ID to register and vote. Remember to punch out your registration card on the front of this magazine and bring it with you to the Annual Meeting. Your ID and registration card will allow our employees to quickly identify your membership.
Members who attend one of the three drive- thru annual meetings will receive a $25 electric bill credit and will be entered into our prize drawings. Additionally, members who attend our Tega Cay location on Wednesday, May 1 will be entered into a special prize drawing for a $500 power bill credit.
Our Fort Mill branch office location will be closed for business on Wednesday, May 1 to accommodate for the additional drive-thru meeting location.
We will have a special lane in York after members register and vote for members to claim their free hot dogs beginning at 9 a.m. on both Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4, while supplies last.
Entertainment and festivities hosted in previous years will not be included.
Parking will not be available in the drive-thru area.
The business meeting will be virtual and will be live at 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 4th on our website, yorkelectric.net and on our Facebook page.
Members may register and vote at one of two locations on three days:
Tega Cay: Wednesday, May 1, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Catawba Park located at 2351 New Gray Rock Road.
York: Friday, May 3, from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. OR Saturday, May 4, from 9 a.m. until noon at YEC’s main office located at 1385 E. Alexander Love Hwy.
Members must bring their registration card and a valid photo ID to register for attendance and vote. By bringing these two items, you will be eligible for a $25 power bill credit and entered into a drawing for valuable prizes, including a 2017 F-150, two $500 power bill credits and a select drawing for an additional $500 power bill credit for members who participate at our Tega Cay location.