1. shopping
2. gifts

Editor: Ashley Kramer
PRC Staff: Vicki Harshbarger, Ashley Kramer, Amanda Busby, Trisha
McBee
GreyStone Power: Home of the World Champion Lineman Team
EGGS FOR SALE: Call Terry Queen at 678-8581133. Located in Villa Rica.
EGGS FOR SALE: Free-range eggs for sale.
Located in Hiram. Call Gary and Judy Smith at
770-265-0676.
FISHING GUIDE SERVICE: Stripers, catfish, crappie, noodling. Lake Weiss, Carters Lake (Elijay)
and the Tennessee River. Have some fun, let’s go
fishing. Special prices for kids. Contact Kenny
Wylie for details at ext. 2275 or 678-449-9101.
FOR SALE: Table and six chairs for sale. $400
firm. Visit the intranet employee ads to view a
photo. Call Nancy Mathison at 770-370-2066 or
on her cell, 770-446-7060.
FOR SALE: 1998 Ford New Holland 555E backhoe 4 x 4 with 2,867 hours. One foot, two foot
and three foot buckets. 2001 Hardeebilt 8 x 25
3-axle, 20,000 lbs. equipment trailer. $25,000 for
both. 1999 GMC C6500 dump truck. Automatic, Allison transmission, ABS, air, new tires,
single-axle less than 26,000 lbs. GVWR. 119,280
miles, $13,000. Randy Murphy, 770-823-9140.
FURNITURE REPAIR: Modern or antique furniture repair. Call Jerry Maxwell at 404-784-5301.
INSPIRED GIFTS AND CUSTOM FRAMING:
Beautiful custom framed inspirations or your
own prints make great gifts for any occasion.
Call Alicia at 770-920-2578 or 404-317-8987.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Birthdays
Employee ads
COUPONS REQUESTED: Julee Wynns would
like your coupons from the Sunday paper. With
additional coupons, she can donate food to
local food banks. Please contact Julee at ext.
2426 or [email protected] for
more information.
Connect
Stay connected!
KRAFT DJ SERVICES: Need a DJ for a party,
wedding or celebration? Call Kurt Kraft of Kraft
DJ Services at 770-459-1278.
PERSONAL TRAINER: You know you need to
work out, but you can’t seem to get motivated! What you need is a motivator, a licensed
and certified personal trainer to keep you on
track—someone who will work with you until
you’re disciplined enough to go on your own.
Personal, private and accommodating! Call
Sher at 770-546-9781.
PITCHING LESSONS: Offered by a collegiate
athlete currently pursuing his physical education degree. $30/half hour or $50/hour. Call
Zach Sparks at 678-773-7525 if interested.
THIRTY-ONE GIFTS: Fashionable, functional,
personalized products that every woman
loves…with fresh new looks every season.
Call Cindy Cole at 678-629-8394 or visit www.
mythirtyone.com/53516.
WOODHAM CRAFTS: If you are looking for
unique and affordable handcrafted gifts,
check out samples of my work on Facebook at
“Woodham Crafts.” I offer hand painted 8x10,
10x10 and 11x14 stretched cotton canvas
pictures, along with hand painted, made-toorder bird houses. There is nothing over $20
and I can finish most things in a few days. Send
me a message on my Facebook page, call/
text 770-530-3499 or email woodhamcrafts@
hotmail.com.
To place a free employee ad, email
[email protected]
or call 770-370-2600. Ads can also be
placed on the employee intranet.
June
2
Tony Tyson
2
Brian Mills
5
Jim Bowman (R)
5
Frank Woods (R)
7
Mildred Dukes (R)
7
Matt Williams
8
Jerry Maxwell (R)
8
Melvenia White
9
Jean Lester (R)
9
Alicia Bonner
10 Larry Copeland
13Charlotte
Lockhart (R)
13 Patrick LeCroy
14 Mary York
15 Leroy Perryman
15 Matt Freeman
20 Jim Crawford (R)
20 Andre Reed
23 Heath Hale
24 Peggy Crofts (R)
24 Tim Williams
26 John Walton
27 Tara Huffman
29 Amanda Busby
30 Brett Corley
July
2
Eric Taylor
3
Suzanne Teems
4
Frank Harrell (R)
4
Roy Flemister
4
Julee Wynns
4
Anne Dabbs
5
Darlene Prince
5
Heather Isbill
5
Cindy Cole
12 Rudy Echols
14 Jerri Carruth (R)
14 Donnie Gary
14 Brad Bentley
15 Ruth Covington (R)
17 Mike Smith (R)
18 Lisa Lonon
18 Donna Dickie
20 Kenny Wylie
20 Angie Pagan
21 Hilda Wilkerson
21 Albert Morris
21 Trina Wright (R)
22 Dana Williams
22 Evelyn Hood (R)
23 Lanette Toler
27 Dwight Waters
27 Scott Buchanan
28 Steve Findley
29 Samantha Honea
30 Gary Miller
30 Byron Spraggins
31Charles
Bohannon (R)
31 Kerry Spicer
(R) = Retiree
VISIT WWW.
ACTION.COOP
TODAY!
AMERICA NEEDS
AN ALL-OF-THEABOVE ENERGY
STRATEGY.
4
An internal publication of the Public Relations
and Communications Department
VOLUME 24 • NUMBER 6 • JUNE 2014
Page two: Horse championships strengthen family bonds for Toler
Page three: Jelks offers car seat safety help
Cel-e-brate good
times... COME ON!
The year 2013 and first half of 2014 have been banner years
for GreyStone Power and its employees, and it’s time to celebrate our success.
On Thursday, Aug. 14, all GreyStone employees and temporary associates will be treated to the mouth-watering ribs and
barbecue cooked on site at GreyStone by Planters EMC Director
Bobby Smith and friends. Bobby has a statewide reputation for
his grilling expertise. Hours will be from 11:15 until 2:45 p.m.
“The year 2013, and 2014 so far, were banner years for us,”
says President/CEO Gary Miller. “I’ve never been more optimistic about the future of GreyStone. Over the past year and a half,
we have learned more about each other through various development processes and we are stronger than ever. The Board
of Directors has seen our progress and recommended that all
employees and temporary associates be recognized for their
efforts. So please come celebrate with us!”
Just a few of the celebrations resulting from a total GreyStone
Team effort include:
• GreyStone’s average quarterly American Customer Satisfaction Index score rose from 83.75 in 2012 to 84.5 in 2013. The
average quarterly Overall Member TSE Satisfaction Score rose
from 8.85 to 8.91.
• Financials were under budget in every category for 2013, a
testimony to all employees’ dedication to cost management.
• Confronted with back-to-back outages caused by unusual
winter storms, employees demonstrated their dedication to
restoring power quickly and safely, whatever it took.
• GreyStone University is up and running and making an
investment in developing employees to their fullest potential.
• All teams are functioning well and have learned how to efficiently work together, resulting in several successes, including
the national Edgar F. Chestnutt award for Best Total Communications Program and continuing lineman’s rodeo championships.
• Successful energy seminars have positioned GreyStone as
our members’ “One-Stop Shop for Energy Efficiency.” 2014 will
see a solar seminar and a joint Serenbe-GreyStone seminar.
• Members taking advantage of self-service increased almost
28 percent in 2013 over 2012.
• Automated switching devices manned by experienced,
knowledgeable dispatchers have helped restore power to members more quickly through alternate power feeds.
• Prepaid members now total 6,247.
Celebrate
on
Aug. 14
• GreyStone is the best mobilizer of members who sent messages
to Congress and the EPA voicing their concerns. GreyStone members
sent 57 percent of the messages sent from co-ops in Georgia.
• GreyStone has the most successful Facebook effort among Georgia co-ops with more than 3,000 likes.
• A new GreyStone website has experienced a nearly 50 percent
increase in monthly visitors since the site launched in February.
We’re still adding up the celebrations, so please send any other
notable accomplishments you know of in 2013-2014 to member
[email protected]. At our celebration Aug. 14, we’ll display
all the successes you’ve made happen. Congrats Team!
1
Meet Apparatus
Technician I Chris
Romines
Date of hire: Dec. 2, 2013
Birthplace: Acworth
Hobbies: hunting, fishing and metal
detecting for Civil War objects (including
buttons and bullets) around New Hope,
where the Battle of New Hope Church
was fought during the Civil War
Greatest achievement: getting hired at
GreyStone Power
Most people wouldn’t know that:
I started my power company career at
Cobb EMC and I also worked in a
taxidermy place for two years
Favorite movie: “Forrest Gump”
Favorite food: fried chicken
Favorite holiday: Christmas
Favorite community: New Hope
Favorite restaurant: Joe’s Crab Shack in
Kennesaw
Favorite song: “Time Marches On” by
Tracy Lawrence
Favorite TV show: “Duck Dynasty”
Special talent: I make my own bullets
for hunting deer
2
Horse championships strengthen
family bonds for Toler
Last winter, Human Resources
Assistant Lanette Toler began
bonding with an 8-year-old racking
horse she purchased in the fall
named Pride’s Dirty Harry. Lanette
says Harry has a friendly and sweet
personality, and they bonded
quickly. He also seems to have the
right disposition for competition.
“He likes attention—he’s a true
show horse,” she says.
In April, Lanette and Harry
competed in the Racking Horse
Spring Celebration in Decatur, Ala.,
and took third place in a class of 14
riders. Last month, they competed
in the Mississippi State Racking
Horse Championship in Booneville,
Miss., and were named champions
in their class. It was the first time Lanette won a set of roses, which was
draped over Harry during a victory
pass around the arena.
During the competition, horses
are judged by their gait, performance, appearance and consistency. Racking horses like Harry have
a four-beat gait, known as the rack.
At full stride, only one foot strikes
the ground at a time, giving them
an unusually smooth ride.
For Lanette’s class, the horses
wear special pads to elevate their
two front feet, while the riders wear
English-style dress. During the competition, all of the riders in a class
show their horses in both directions
around the show ring, changing
speeds as they go.
Since all the horses in a competing class are judged at the same
time, horses and riders must stand
out to win. “You and your horse
have to be on your game. It takes
a good horse that knows what
they’re doing. It’s a combination of
horse and rider,” says Lanette.
The competition is a family affair
for Lanette. Since the mid-1980s,
she and her husband, Tim, have
been showing horses. At home,
they have four horses that Lanette
says are like her children. In their
late teens and early 20s now, the
Lanette and her horse, Harry, circle the
show ring during a competition.
horses have been under the family’s care since
before the age of two.
While Lanette and Harry round the show ring
together, Lanette stays focused on her horse. “I
couldn’t tell you what the judges wear or who’s
in my class,” she says. She does, however, notice
her coaches on the sidelines—Tim along with
Harry’s trainer, Tyler, who Lanette says is like a
son to her.
Since Harry stays in Tennessee under Tyler’s
care, Lanette tries to visit at least once a month
to ride her horse and continue to build their
bond. Her next goal is to win the championship
class and a horseshoe of roses at the Racking
Horse World Celebration in Decatur, Ala. The
nine-day competition, held in September, is the
oldest and largest racking horse show in the
country. This year the competition will celebrate
its 43rd anniversary.
This year’s wins have been bittersweet for
Lanette as she remembers a time when her dad
was there to cheer her on. “My dad was real
involved before he got sick. He went to shows
with me,” she says.
Lanette’s father passed away last year, but is
honored each time she and Harry glide around
the show ring. “I said this year that I was dedicating these shows to my dad,” she says.
Employee news
New employees
Michael K. Moore
joined GreyStone May
30 as Vice President
of Power Supply. He
has spent his whole
career working with
electric co-ops and
has served over 10
years as GreyStone’s
Michael K. Moore principal consultant
on power supply matters. Michael previously served as President of C. H. Guernsey & Company, a national engineering consulting company.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical
Engineering from Georgia Tech and has a
Professional Engineer (PE) license. Michael
and his wife, Jayne, live south of Austin,
Texas near the city of Buda and have two
grown sons, Michael Jr. and Spencer. In
his leisure time, Michael plans to get into
woodworking.
David Webb joined
GreyStone May 27
as an Engineer III. He
brings 30 years of
industry experience
to GreyStone, and he
previously worked
for Georgia Power,
Oglethorpe Power CorDavid Webb
poration, his own consulting business and
Utility Support Systems. A native of Smyr-
na, David earned his degree in Electrical
Engineering from Auburn University and
has a Professional Engineer (PE) license.
He and his wife, Judy, live in Douglasville
and have a daughter, Hannah. In his free
time, David loves clay target shooting.
Congratulations
Terry Queen was promoted to a Lead
Lineman June 12.
Travis and Breanna Turner are proud
parents of a new baby
girl. Addison Crystal
was born May 30
weighing 7 pounds,
13 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches
long.
Shyanne Rose
Ken Statham retired from GreyStone
on May 30. We wish him well.
In our prayers
Melvenia White‘s husband, Larry, was
admitted to WellStar Douglas Hospital
and later was transferred to St. Joseph’s
Hospital.
Addison Crystal
Edenia Martinez
and Devin Adams
are proud parents of a
new baby boy. Dylan
Liam was born May 21
weighing 7 pounds,
12 ounces and measuring 22 inches long.
In sympathy
We miss our retiree Wesley Graham,
who passed away
June 12. Wes retired in
2009 after working at
GreyStone for 38 years.
Wesley Graham
Dylan Liam
Gary and Judy
Smith are proud
grandparents of a new baby girl. Shyanne
Rose, the daughter of Christopher and
Leah Smith, was born May 20 weighing 9
pounds and measuring 19.5 inches long.
Jelks offers car seat safety help
Member Services Rep III/CC Carolyn Jelks
was walking at Hiram Pavilion Shopping Center when a nearby car slowed down. The driver stopped to ask her a question, and Carolyn
noticed that next to the elderly driver was a
small child in the front seat without a car seat.
Remembering when her own son was small,
Carolyn says she couldn’t let that go.
“Even with a minor fender bender, that air
bag can deploy and cause serious injury or
even death,” Carolyn told the driver. She then
offered to help the driver and showed her
how to get the child properly in the car seat,
which was in the back seat of the car.
Ken Statham
Carolyn was rewarded $50 for her efforts,
and while she says the monetary effort is
good, it’s not the true reward. “The reward for
me comes from knowing I’m making a difference, not only in the company, but also in the
community,” she says.
“The safety program has definitely made
me more aware of my own safety as well as
the safety of others. When you find these safety issues, then it becomes your responsibility
to do something about it,” says Carolyn.
“I think since the program’s inception, the
monthly safety meetings help keep safety in
your mind,” she adds.
Important dates
EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION PICNIC:
Saturday, June 21 at Six Flags
• Park open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Lunch served from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
• Door prizes from 12:30 to 1 p.m.
• Lunch includes chicken sandwiches, hot
dogs, baked beans, chips, ice cream bars,
cookies, Coke products
UPCOMING HOLIDAYS:
• Friday, July 4
• Monday, Sept. 1
DRESS DOWN DAYS:
• Thursday, July 3
(patriotic clothing)
• Friday, Aug. 29
SOLAR ENERGY 101:
Tuesday, Aug. 26
from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
at GreyStone Power;
RSVP on our website,
www.greystone
power.com
3
Cel-e-brate good times... COME ON!
All employees and temps: Join us for BBQ ribs, pork and fixins’
Thursday, Aug. 14 from 11:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
in the GreyStone auditorium
by Bobby Smith and Friends
Our team made it happen!
• GreyStone’s average quarterly American Customer Satisfaction Index score rose
from 83.75 in 2012 to 84.5 in 2013. The average quarterly Overall Member TSE Satisfaction Score rose from 8.85 to 8.91.
• Financials were under budget in every category for 2013, a testimony to all employees’ dedication to cost management.
• A successful conversion to SEDC for general accounting and work management
was completed on time and within budget.
• Confronted with back-to-back outages caused by unusual winter storms, employees demonstrated their dedication to restoring power quickly and safely,
whatever it took.
• So far in 2014, O&E has experienced a 55 percent improvement on the
worst performing circuits as a result of actions taken by the team.
• GreyStone University is up and running and making an investment in
developing employees to their fullest potential.
• All teams are functioning well and have learned how to efficiently
work together, resulting in several successes, including the national Edgar F. Chesnutt award for Best Total Communications Program.
• Over the past several years, our linemen have proven themselves as
leaders in international and state lineman’s rodeos, with the highest accomplishment being named the World Champion Lineman Rodeo team.
• Successful energy seminars have positioned GreyStone as our members’
“One-Stop Shop for Energy Efficiency.” 2014 will see a solar seminar and a joint
Serenbe-GreyStone seminar.
• GreyStone’s offering and promotion of additional member choices for automated self service in 2013 resulted in an increase of the ratio of the average number of actual member self service items to one member call from
2.4 in 2012 to 3.7 in 2013.
• Members taking advantage of self-service increased almost 28 percent in 2013 over 2012.
• Through July 15, only 28 services have been erroneously disconnected; last year by the same time,
GreyStone had experienced 40 cut-offs in error.
• Automated switching devices manned by experienced, knowledgeable dispatchers have helped restore
power to members more quickly through alternate power feeds.
• Prepaid members now total 6,345.
• GreyStone is the best mobilizer of members who sent messages to Congress and the EPA voicing their concerns. GreyStone members sent 57 percent of the messages sent from co-ops in Georgia.
• GreyStone has the most successful Facebook effort among Georgia co-ops with 3,038 likes.
You made it happen! Congrats Team!
Devotional at Employees Association Meeting
Aug. 7, 2014 written by and presented by Vicki
Harshbarger in preparation for
Celebration/Employee Appreciation Event
Champion.
The word conjures up visions of super heroes, David
and Goliath, Muhammad Ali, the football player
running for the final touchdown that wins the game.
How does the dictionary describe it?
A person who has defeated his opponents in a
competition or series of competitions
Someone who speaks publicly in support of a person,
belief, or cause.
A person who fights for or defends any person or
cause.
Next week, we are going to have a celebration of our
accomplishments, together, as a group. The last year
has been a year full of accomplishments for
GreyStone. How has that happened? It’s because of
you, the GreyStone champions.
You spend at least a third of your day, five days a
week, championing the cause of GreyStone, and
being a champion for the members of GreyStone.
You are the face that members see, the voice that
they hear, the worker that brings light out of
darkness.
A champion is someone like Jackie Veitch, who
noticed that a member’s whole front yard was
flooded, came back to the office and reported it, and
made sure the member found out about it.
A champion is someone like Linda Gladden at the
Dallas office, who a member described as providing
excellent customer service and being compassionate
and understanding.
A champion is Lisa Barnebee and Annette Burks,
who delivered negative information to a member and
yet he wrote in commending them for the wonderful
way they delivered the bad news anyway.
Champions are the linemen who rescued members
stuck in ditches in our recent snow storms.
A champion is Jerry Tucker, who a member said was
able to take down a tree in “the most expeditious
way!”
When a member writes to GreyStone, a Mrs. Pierson,
and says that she is leaving to move to California, but
didn’t want to go until she had thanked us for all we
had done for her for the last eight years, and how we
worked with her when she needed it, then you know
a Champion was the one who helped Mrs. Pierson.
GreyStone employees are special people. I thought
so the day I walked in here nearly 24 years ago. If
you weren’t, GreyStone would not enjoy the
wonderful reputation it enjoys in this community
today.
The Bible encourages us to run with determination
the race that lies before us. Each of you here have
committed yourselves to excellently run the race.
That’s why on next Thursday we’re celebrating each
of you as champions of GreyStone.
A champion, consistently and without
reservation, strives to reach his full potential.
A champion has the courage to risk failure,
knowing that setbacks are lessons to learn from.
A champion demonstrates a deep desire to
succeed, applying passion and heart to any
and every task at hand.
A champion uses an event to gain greater selfknowledge as well as feedback on physical
improvement.
A champion trains their thought processes as
well as their body to produce a total approach to
performance.
A champion understands their weaknesses and
trains to strengthen them.
A champion actively creates a life of balance,
moderation and simplicity - values that help
improve running and life.
A champion views competitors as partners who
provide challenge and the chance to improve.
A champion understands performances are like
a roller coaster, with many ups and downs, and
that you have to accept both the good and the
bad.
A champion has vision. A champion dreams of
things that haven't been and believes they are
possible. A champion says "I can."
Let’s pray.
Heavenly father,
Thank you for each employee here today, each of
these champions of GreyStone ,who lift up the
banner of GreyStone in our community. These men
and women are the GreyStone that people know
and experience. Lord, I pray your blessings and
protection on each one of them and their families.
Without each one of them, Father, GreyStone would
not be the corporation it is today.
Thank you Lord.
Amen.
CELEBRATION DAY
IS TODAY!
Lunch in the Auditorium any time
between 11:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Door prizes will be given out every 30
minutes, and you do not have to be
present to win.
Thank you, Employees!
You are the Champions!
EMPLOYEE INTRANET POSTS
We Are The
CHAMPIONS
Editor: Ashley Kramer
PRC Staff: Vicki Harshbarger, Ashley Kramer, Amanda Busby, Trisha
McBee, Susie Barzelatto
GreyStone Power: Home of the World Champion Lineman Team
Connect
Stay connected!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Birthdays
Employee ads
BUILDER SPECIALITIES: Company installs and
sells garage doors, appliances, fireplaces and insulation. Contact John Walton at 404-886-1169.
CONCRETE CUTTING: Concrete Cutting by
Williams Brothers Concrete Cutting. All size jobs
accepted. Many years experience. Call Matt Williams, Jean Bentley’s brother, at 770-439-3020
or 770-231-6844.
COUPONS REQUESTED: Julee Wynns would
like your coupons from the Sunday paper. With
additional coupons, she can donate food to
local food banks. Please contact Julee at ext.
2426 or [email protected] for
more information.
EGGS FOR SALE: Call Terry Queen at 678-8581133. Located in Villa Rica.
EGGS FOR SALE: Free-range eggs for sale.
Located in Hiram. Call Gary and Judy Smith at
770-265-0676.
FOR SALE: Goat milk soap and lotion for sale at
www.tarastinysfarm.com. Nubian and Nigerian
Dwarf Goats for sale at www.tarastinysfarm.
webs.com.
FOR SALE: Table and six chairs for sale. $400
firm. Visit the intranet employee ads to view a
photo. Call Nancy Mathison at 770-370-2066 or
on her cell, 770-446-7060.
FURNITURE REPAIR: Modern or antique furniture repair. Call Jerry Maxwell at 404-784-5301.
KRAFT DJ SERVICES: Need a DJ for a party,
wedding or celebration? Call Kurt Kraft of Kraft
DJ Services at 770-459-1278.
MASSAGE: B Still Healing Massage in Villa Rica
offers 30, 60 or 90-minute massages, a 60-minute prenatal massage, a 60-minute hot stone
massage, ear candling and massage packages.
Call Brandie at 404-934-8265.
PERSONAL TRAINER: You know you need to
work out, but you can’t seem to get motivated! What you need is a motivator, a licensed
and certified personal trainer to keep you on
track—someone who will work with you until
you’re disciplined enough to go on your own.
Personal, private and accommodating! Call
Sher at 770-546-9781.
READY TO RELAX AND ENJOY THE SUN? For
rent: Gulf Shores Plantation, Unit 4911 in Gulf
Shores, AL. Two bedroom, two bath condo
sleeps six. One indoor and six outdoor pools,
seven tennis courts, 24-hour security-gated
resort with unobstructed ocean view. Contact
Greg at 678-595-5300 or DeEnna at 404-9933141, or email [email protected]. Visit
www.vrbo.com/280683 to learn more.
TRAVEL FOR LESS: Visit www.ytbtravel.com/
perfecttentravel. Hotels, air fare, car rental,
flowers, special vacations. Online, easy. Visit
the web site to make your plans or call Bob
Harshbarger at 770-401-2973.
WANTED: Need tree cut down, very large pine
between two houses. Will take an expert. Close
to GreyStone. Call 678-280-4197.
WOODHAM CRAFTS: If you are looking for
unique and affordable handcrafted gifts,
check out samples of my work on Facebook at
“Woodham Crafts.” I offer hand painted 8x10,
10x10 and 11x14 stretched cotton canvas
pictures, along with hand painted, made-toorder bird houses. There is nothing over $20
and I can finish most things in a few days. Send
me a message on my Facebook page, call/
text 770-530-3499 or email woodhamcrafts@
hotmail.com.
To place a free employee ad, email
[email protected]
or call 770-370-2600. Ads can also be
placed on the employee intranet.
August
1
Judy Palmer
2
Tim Clower (R)
2
Daniel Wix
2
Blake Johnson
3
Ed Cahill
4
David New
4
Janice Nalls
5
Irene Sims (R)
6
Jean Bentley (R)
6
Loyd Lee (R)
6
Flint Weathers
11 Ricky Williams
11 Tim Costner
12 Don Hurst
12 Trisha McBee
12 Jennifer Crowe
12 Leigh Leathers
13 Chris Smith
17 Eric Brown
18 Eddie Elrod
18 Amber Fishburne
19 Billy Driskell
19 Scott Bryan
19 Nabil Chabayta
21 Jeff Camp
21 Jim Johns
22 John Atcheson
23 Rusty Crone
24DeLayne
Eriquezzo (R)
24 Heather Meeks
24 Abby Frasier
26 Jeff Peters
26 Rodger Martin
26 Amy Smith
27 Helen Painter
27 Ashley Kramer
28 Howard Cole
29Marcita
Scharnhorst (R)
30 Kurt Kraft
30 David Drewski
September
1
5
5
6
8
9
10
11
13
13
17
18
19
19
21
25
25
27
27
29
29
James Harrell (R)
Jimmy Kirkpatrick
John Earle
Becky Sims
Charles Rutland (R)
Brit Kimsey
Josh Kirby
Allyson Patton
Michael Moore
Susie Barzelatto
Norma Mitchell (R)
Sandra Thompson
Debbie Davila
Kevin Cargle
Shirley Brock (R)
Josh Jones
Matthew Orr
Jerry Solomon (R)
Danny North
Jackie Veitch
Jack Rider
(R) = Retiree
Page two: Thurman and Ziehl win third quarter Chairman’s Awards
Page three: Bailey rescues toddler from street
GreyStone celebrates
employee champions
GreyStone employees turned out in droves to get their fill of
barbecue and celebrate the co-op’s accomplishments for 2013
and the first half of 2014. A cooking team led by Planters EMC
Director Bobby Smith cooked throughout the night before the
event, preparing ribs, pulled barbecue pork, chicken and more.
During the celebration, GreyStone President/CEO Gary Miller
spoke about the theme of the event, which was “GreyStone
employees are champions.”
“Each of you, through your words and actions, has championed the cause of GreyStone and its members. Each of you
recognizes that we are here to represent our members and look
after their needs. Whether it’s restoring power in awful weather
conditions, working with members who are struggling financially, or simply doing your job in the most efficient and cost-effective manner in order to keep costs and rates down, you are a
champion,” he said.
Gary also recapped some of the recent employee accomplishments, which included GreyStone linemen placing first
in the EMC division and fourth overall at the last International
Lineman’s Rodeo. GreyStone also ranked number one among
EMCs for communications, winning the Edgar F. Chesnutt award
for Best Total Communications program.
Join the employee, retiree and board family in celebrating
David’s 30 years of service at GreyStone!
Friday, Aug. 29 from 6 to 8 a.m. in the auditorium
Hosted by the Building & Grounds Department
4
An internal publication of the Public Relations
and Communications Department
VOLUME 24 • NUMBER 8 • AUGUST 2014
Amanda Busby, right, presents door prize winner Lisa
Barnebee with the grand prize, an iPad.
Employees were treated to ribs, barbecue pork and chicken
prepared by GrillSmith, the cooking team from Planters EMC
headed up by Planters Director Bobby Smith.
Gary also said that GreyStone ended last year under budget in
every expense category, for the first time ever. Another first for the coop was a 9.05 for the second quarter member satisfaction score, the
highest score ever achieved by GreyStone.
Another positive was an increase to GreyStone’s Facebook page
likes following the polar vortex.
Gary also touted GreyStone’s reliability improvement initiative. “We
have experienced a 55 percent improvement on the worst performing
circuits as a result of actions taken by the team,” he said.
GreyStone has also been a leader in messages sent to Capitol
Hill and the EPA regarding keeping energy affordable. “GreyStone’s
members were responsible for 57 percent of the messages sent to
Washington. Both Georgia EMC and NRECA are taking our process
and using it to help other co-ops be more successful,” said Gary.
Another process praised during the program was GreyStone’s
safety program. “Our safety program is being used as a model by both
GEMC and Federated Insurance to help other co-ops reduce their lost
time accidents,” Gary said.
Door prizes that included concert tickets, as well as retail and
restaurant gift cards, were drawn during the celebration. Head Cashier Lisa Barnebee was the lucky winner of the grand prize, an iPad.
Each employee also received a special commemorative paperweight
engraved with GreyStone’s logo and the word “champions.”
Video of the event and Gary’s speech can be viewed on GreyStone’s
YouTube page at www.youtube.com/greystonepower. Visit the intranet
to see more photos from the festivities. 1
Meet Member Services
Rep III Ana Ventura
First job at GreyStone: Receptionist
One phrase to describe me: friendly
servant
Birthplace: El Salvador
Hobbies: traveling, exercising, playing
soccer, jumping rope
Greatest achievements: my family and
earning my associate degree in Computer Networking
A favorite GreyStone memory: the Service Awards banquet is always a motivational night
If I could trade places with anyone for a
week, it would be: Iris Levin
Thurman and Ziehl win third
quarter Chairman’s Awards
Lineman Jeremy Thurman and
Information Systems Coordinator
Latika Ziehl were honored at a recent Employee Association meeting
as the winners of the Chairman’s
Award for the third quarter. They
each received $100 for going the
extra mile for others.
Jeremy’s nominator says he and
his wife are over the youth program
at their church, “leading the youth
by being their friend, leader, big
brother and mentor.”
Jeremy works many hours at his
church, donating his time by doing
“lock ins” and organizing raffles
to help the youth raise money for
events they have at the church.
“He also is a great representative of
GreyStone Power in the community
and does a great job here at GreyStone,” says his nominator.
Jeremy is married with one child
and another on the way.
Latika’s nominator says, “Not only
is Latika the epitome of the perfect
employee, she takes her drive of
excellence another step forward by
Jeremy Thurman and Latika Ziehl won the
third quarter Chairman’s Awards.
reaching out into our community to volunteer
and mentor at-risk youths.”
Recently, Latika volunteered for the “Celebration of Excellence” event, which was in honor of
the educational achievements of Georgia youth
in foster care who were graduating from high
school and college.
“Latika is not only an exemplary employee,
but an outstanding citizen in our service territory. As a manager, I am proud to have her on my
staff,” says her nominator.
Snapshot of the month
Favorite movie: “God’s Not Dead”
Favorite TV show: “Caso Cerrado” (“Case
Closed”)
Favorite music: mariachi bands
Favorite restaurant: Don Pepe’s in
California
Favorite book: Bible
Favorite city: Orlando
Special talent: my kids like my Thanksgiving turkey and my pupusas (a
traditional Salvadoran dish similar to a
Mexican gordita)
2
GreyStone’s Foundation Board awarded students (front row, from left) Courtney
Knight, Karim Lakhani, Autumn Cole and Madeline Detraz with the $3,000 Foundation Scholarship. Not pictured, student Deja Stith.
Employee news
New employee
Curtis Benford
joined GreyStone July
28 as the Network
Administrator. He
previously worked in
network engineering
for Acuity Brands, a
lighting manufacturer.
Curtis has a degree in
Curtis Benford
Management Information Systems from the
University of Georgia. A Georgia native,
he lives in Winston with his wife, Kimberly,
and children, 7-year-old Kennedy and
1-year-old Henry. In his free time, Curtis
enjoys landscape architecture, target
shooting and rooting for UGA athletics.
Congratulations
Tony Brown and Flint Weathers were
both promoted to Lead Lineman positions July 27.
Todd Voyles was promoted to Apparatus Tech II July 27.
pounds, 2 ounces and measuring 20.75
inches long.
Derek Carruth, Josh Jones and Andre
Reed were all promoted to Line Foreman
July 27.
Cathy Edmondson got engaged on
July 29 in Panama City Beach to Chris
Wedell.
Eric and Crystal
Brown are proud
parents of a new baby
boy. Tucker Lane was
born Aug. 12 weighing
7 pounds, 3 ounces
and measuring 20.25
inches long.
Tucker Lane
Gary and Bonnie
Miller are proud
grandparents of a new
baby boy. Grayson
Alan Miller, the son
of Nick and Elizabeth Miller, was born
July 30 weighing 7
In our prayers
Suzanne Teems had outpatient surgery Aug. 7 at Cobb Hospital.
In sympathy
To Melinda Abercrombie in the death
of her father, Robert F. Abercrombie, on
Aug. 18.
Grayson Alan
Bailey rescues toddler from street
When Distribution System Operator Keith
Bailey was working in his garage recently,
he saw a toddler in diapers run by his house.
Keith, whose home is near the entrance of a
neighborhood with a busy road, tried talking
to the little boy to get him to stop running.
When the boy didn’t respond and continued running, Keith picked him up, and
the toddler latched on to him. Keith’s son
recognized the little boy and knew where
he lived. When Keith brought the toddler
back to his home, the boy’s panicked parents
were leaving the house in search of their son.
Keith learned that the boy is autistic and nonverbal, which is why he had not responded.
Keith says you can find unsafe conditions
and acts everywhere you look when you are
aware. His goal is to earn top marks on his
safety score. “I try to have a 5 in safety every
year since they started it. It’s an easy way to
get the appraisal up.”
Keith also applies his safety knowledge
outside of the office when grinding stumps.
“I’m a lot more conscious using the chainsaw
because of a video we watched here,” he says.
Alicia Bonner completed three certified courses at West Georgia Technical
College toward an Associates degree. She
was on the presidential list for 2012-2014.
To friends and family of Johnny Peek,
the son of the late Board Chairman Billy
Peek, who passed away July 22.
Important dates
DAVID NEW’S RETIREMENT BREAKFAST:
Friday, Aug. 29 from 6 to 8 a.m. in the
auditorium
HOLIDAY DRESS DOWN DAY: Friday,
Aug. 29
UPCOMING HOLIDAY: Monday, Sept. 1
FROZEN YOGURT SOCIAL: Thursday, Sept.
11 from 2 to 5 p.m. in the auditorium
SEPTEMBER SATURDAYS FESTIVAL:
Saturday, Sept. 20 and Saturday, Sept. 27
from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Douglas County Courthouse, movie at 8 p.m.
DOUGLAS COUNTY CHAMBER GOLF &
TENNIS CLASSIC PRESENTED BY
GREYSTONE: Wednesday, Sept. 24 at
Mirror Lake Golf & Country Club
FOXHALL FAMILY FESTIVAL: Saturday,
Oct. 4 from 12 to 8 p.m. at Foxhall Resort
and Sporting Club
Keith Bailey rescued a toddler who was
running through his neighborhood.
ANNUAL MEETING: Saturday, Oct. 11
from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at GreyStone’s Douglasville office
3
Photos of
Components and
Displays for the
GreyStone
Celebration/
Employee
Appreciation Event
Photos of the
GreyStone
Celebration/
Employee
Appreciation Event
Spotlight on Excellence Entry Form
NRECA Voting Member Classification *
Distribution Cooperative: more than 90,001 meters
Category *
15. Best Event
Entry Title *
GreyStone Celebration/Employee Appreciation Event
I wish to receive Judges' comments on this
entry
Yes
Entrant's Name *
Vicki Harshbarger
Cooperative *
GreyStone Power Corporation
Mailing Address
#597
P.O. 897
Douglasville, GA 30133
United States
Email *
[email protected]
Phone Number *
(770) 370-2039
Names of others (freelancers or
organizations) involved in the project, if
applicable
Trisha McBee, Ashley Kramer, Amanda Busby, Hannah Johnson, Gary
Miller, GrillSmith, Print Design Promote, and Laser Dimensions.
Describe your/the co-op's role in the
project *
I was asked by President/CEO Gary Miller and the Senior Leadership
Team to head up the planning and orchestration of a
celebration/employee appreciation event to honor all employees and
their achievements over the past year. With the help of my other
department members, including Trisha McBee, Ashley Kramer, Amanda
Busby and student intern Hannah Johnson, we planned a successful
recognition event for all employees. We also promoted the event and
chronicled the day through the employee intranet and newsletter.
Describe others’ role in the project
(Reference outside sources of material,
including templates; pre-existing Web tools
and apps; information from outside groups,
such as Straight Talk or Touchstone Energy;
stock photos and music, etc.) *
I recruited GrillSmith, owned by Planters EMC Director Bobby Smith, to
work with his crew, which includes Matt Brinson, CEO at Planters, to
provide the ultimate in a barbecue experience for our employees.
GrillSmith cooked all night in our truck bay.
We also recruited Print Design Promote to print signs and banners
designed in-house for display at the event.
Laser Dimensions created, under our direction and design, the
GreyStone "Champions" paperweights given to each employee as a
lasting keepsake.
Circulation or Number of People Reached *
Number of Attendees *
240
Project’s Budget *
$12,000
Target Audience(s) *
All GreyStone employees
Project's Objective *
Restrictions/Limitations *
Budget, time and manpower. Our department was short an employee
who left and was not replaced.
Describe why you chose this type of social
media and how you used it *
Provide a brief summary that states the purpose of the event, how the program was implemented, and results and
how they were measured *
PURPOSE: A special event planned specifically for and to thank employees for a year of great accomplishments, largely
due to commitment to two of GreyStone’s Guiding Principles, “Educated and involved employees are our greatest asset
and our keys to success,” and “Surpassing member needs and expectations is our focus.” For specific achievements, see
"Cel-e-brate good times..." insert on page 3.
WHAT: GreyStone Celebration/Employee Appreciation Event
WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 14, 2014, 11:15 – 2:30 p.m., GreyStone Auditorium
THEME: Through These Doors Walk the Champions of GreyStone
FOOD: Catered by Planters EMC Director Bobby Smith, CEO Matt Brinson and GrillSmith. Ribs, pork, chicken and all the
fixins’ including dessert.
DOOR PRIZES: 10 door prizes included two sets of Braves games tickets, seven $50 gift certificates to restaurants, and an
iPad as the grand prize.
PRESENTATION: All materials were designed in-house. Video shown throughout the luncheon portrayed the year’s
accomplishments; banners across the doors “Through These Doors Walk the Champions of GreyStone;” signs throughout
the room listed accomplishments; balloons; table decorations; placemats showing employees’ accomplishments over the
championship year.
IMPACT: Every employee received a crystal paperweight inscribed with the words, “Champions,” an ongoing, visible
reminder of the corporation’s appreciation to employees.
SENTIMENTS: The year of accomplishments shared with employees during the luncheon by President/CEO Gary Miller,
filmed and placed on the employee intranet and YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ZSAp420oJQk&list=UUsv_LvH1EHCd0Hci0Tyjtgg. See speech on page 12.
RESEARCH: Employees were surveyed personally and online as to what type of event and food they would like in
celebration of a momentous year. The survey also asked employees to report accomplishments for the year.
ACTION: Every action was taken with one aim in mind: to show employees appreciation and create an excitement about
recent accomplishments, inspiring an environment of celebration and enthusiasm, from executive level to the frontline
employee. The Executive Team and Senior Leadership Team provided direction on the event. Recruiting another co-op’s
board member and CEO to provide the food, cooked all night on-site, added excitement as employees smelled the aroma
of the food and saw it cooking on massive grills underneath the warehouse truck bay. It conveyed a sense of true
appreciation to our employees. We recruited printers to create the banners and signs and a specialty company to produce
the crystal paperweights.
COMMUNICATIONS: Every conceivable internal means of communicating GreyStone’s thanks for the successful year was
used to invite and share the news with employees including Connect (the employee newsletter), the intranet, fliers, and
email.
EVALUATION: The Celebration event was one of the best ever attended, with 240 employees out of 250 attending.
Employees freely shared their positive sentiments about the day and were so pleased to have an event to celebrate them
and their efforts. Often GreyStone hosts events for outside organizations, members, charities, or seminars, but this time
it was all about the GreyStone employee. The appreciation employees felt was palpable. Emails going back and forth
between employees, and to the CEO and the PR and Communications Department, displayed their appreciation.
Provide a brief summary that states the
purpose, how the program was
implemented, and results and how they
were measured using the RACE framework.
Each component has its own word limit
noted below.
Research *
Action *
Communication *
Evaluation *
Upload Supporting Materials File #1
15._best_event.pdf
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Upload Supporting Materials File #2
Video or Audio Link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ZSAp420oJQk&list=UUsv_LvH1EHCd0Hci0Tyjtgg&index=2