Clarke-Washington Electric Membership Cooperation (CWEMC) has joined the Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Alliance (CGEDA) Board of Directors. A former investor of Twin Rivers Economic Development Partnership and Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Authority, CWEMC, has come on board with CGEDA as their newest member on the Board of Directors.

Clarke-Washington EMC is a cooperative form of business owned by its member-owners.  The member-owners govern and set policy for CWEMC through a nine-member board of directors.  Members of the board of directors help develop policies for the operations of the cooperative.  General Manager & C.E.O., Stan Wilson, and his staff carry out the day-to-day management of the Cooperative.

Stan Wilson said, "2011 is a special year for CWEMC. The cooperative, which was the first rural electric co-op to be formed in Alabama, is celebrating their 75th anniversary this year."

Wilson said, "From its very beginning in 1936, Clarke-Washington Electric Membership Cooperative has viewed itself as a community builder. By taking electric service into geographic areas where it had never been available before, the cooperative helped open the door to any number of positive developments. Clarke-Washington continues to support jobs-creating economic-development projects in its service area."

The cooperative is a distribution cooperative serving members in Clarke and Washington counties, and portions of Wilcox and Monroe counties in southwest Alabama.  CWEMC owns more than 20,253 meters on some 4,067 miles of line.  "Service First," has always been the prime objective of CWEMC, and the cooperative continues every possible effort to serve its members while providing them with all the electricity they want and need, when and where they want it, dependably and at the lowest possible rates.

Jim Searcy, Executive Director of CGEDA, said "As economic developers, we work hand-in-hand with our local utility providers to bring economic prosperity to the area. We appreciate the support from CWEMC as well as the tools and resources they possess that help to create jobs and improve the quality of life in our region."

CGEDA is governed by a dedicated group of community and business leaders who believe in the importance in regional economic development for Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia and Monroe Counties. The 24-member (and growing) board is comprised solely of investors of the private and public sector.The CGEDA Board is a significant asset to the area with representatives from every facet of our local economy and each of our communities.

Current CGEDA Executive Board Officers include: Chairman Commissioner David Stokes, Escambia County Commission; Vice-Chairman Dr. John Johnson, Representative of George Landegger, Parsons and Whittemore; Secretary Larry Woods, Alabama Power Company; and Treasurer Mayor Ted Jennings, City of Brewton. At-Large Executive Board Members include: Mayor Howard Shell, City of Atmore; Commissioner Karen Bradford, Clarke County Commission; Mayor Mike Kennedy, City of Monroeville; Mayor Pete Wolff, City of Evergreen; Mayor Sheldon Day, City of Thomasville; and Sam Covert, Alabama Power Company.

CGEDA Board Members include: Mayor Ben Smith, Town of Butler; Chip Harrigan, Fulton Logging Company; Bryan Jones, Crowne Management, LLC; Mayor Jerry Newton and City Councilman Levon Hicks, Town of Grove Hill; Mayor Richard Long, City of Jackson; Vince Johnson, Southern Pine Electric Co-Op; Paul England, BankTrust; Tom McMillan, McMillan, Ltd.; Shepherd Marsh, First National Bank and Trust; Mayor Terri Carter, Town of Repton; Tim Dantz, Bank of Evergreen; and Stan Wilson, Clarke-Washington EMC.

Current CGEDA investors include: AT&T, Alabama Power Company, Bank of Evergreen, BankTrust Charitable Foundation, BankTrust Monroeville, BD & S Services, Inc. - in kind, City of Atmore, City of Brewton, City of Evergreen, City of Jackson, City of Monroeville, City of Thomasville, Clarke County Commission, Crowne Management LLC, Escambia County Commission, First National Bank & Trust of Atmore, Fulton Logging Company, George Landegger, Parsons and Whittemore, Harrigan Lumber, McMillan, Ltd., Southern Pine Electric Co-Op, The Securance Group, Town of Butler, Town of Grove Hill, The Town of Repton and Clarke-Washington EMC.

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