OAEC - Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives

"The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it." - Mother Teresa

Happy Labor Day! We hope everyone has a safe and relaxing holiday! ⚡️💚

OAEC Safety & Loss Control hosted Hotline School for hands-on training, safety education, equipment demonstrations, and real-world workstations.

From energized line techniques and pole changes to grounding, wire-down scenarios, and emergency procedures, participants strengthened the skills and knowledge needed to safely serve their communities.

A big thank you to all the instructors, presenters, and lineworkers who made this valuable training possible!

Outside presenters:
Lane Mangum, Buckingham
Lyle Mathis, RMA Engineering

What makes electric cooperatives different? Membership. ☝️

Cooperatives answer to members, not shareholders. Every decision is made
with you in mind. RE:MEMBER -- your cooperative belongs to you.

Happy September! Start your month with some great reading by Oklahoma Living Magazine 👀✨https://ow.ly/LAOh50ZHX2b

Today, OAEC's General Manager/CEO, Nicki Fuller and Indian Electric Cooperative CEO Todd Schroeder had the opportunity to speak on a panel at the Gathering Business Summit hosted by the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma.

The panel focused on Connecting Rural Oklahoma: Broadband, Infrastructure and Economic Opportunity.

Electric cooperatives care deeply about the communities they serve and are invested in economic opportunity and better quality of life across rural Oklahoma.

When feasible, electric cooperatives engage in strategic partnerships to help provide reliable broadband to underserved and unserved communities and some co-ops have expanded their service through fiber subsidiaries to provide vital connectivity across rural communities.

We are grateful for the opportunity to share the positive difference co-ops make!

This year, NRECA International launched a new community service initiative focused on what happens after the lights come on—using electricity to expand access to education, opportunity and better quality of life. Ten volunteers from the cooperative network joined the inaugural project In Guatemala, and Oklahoma was proudly represented. 🌍💡

Jennifer Meason, CEO of Cotton Electric Cooperative and the NRECA International Board Chair and Nicole Bode, OAEC Multimedia Specialist, were among the volunteers from across the nation, serving a rural community near Antigua. 🇬🇹

Together, volunteers installed five computers at a children's literacy center, donated Spanish-language books, helped prepare a community garden and spent time on educational activities with local students.
📚🖥️🍎

That is the cooperative spirit in action: paying forward by bringing power to communities, then helping people use that power to empower lives for a brighter future. ✨

Learn more here: https://oaec.coop/2026/08/beyond-the-light-oklahoma-co-op-volunteers-participate-in-nreca-internationals-inaugural-community-service-project/

This week, OAEC hosted the first class of the High Line Leadership Program. ⚡️

This program is a three-year professional development experience built for linemen, foremen and superintendents ready to take their leadership to the next level. This week’s class focused on Computer 101, giving students the essential computer and digital workplace skills they need to succeed in today’s utility environment.

Through hands-on learning, classroom instruction and peer collaboration, participants will strengthen their leadership, communication, HR, legal and utility-specific skills—preparing them to lead with confidence, integrity and purpose. 👏

👏⚡️Over 200 cooperative employees and directors attended leadership training courses presented by NRECA, our national organization, this week at OAEC. As part of Cooperative Principle #5, Education, Training and Information, OAEC is committed to providing essential training to those serving our co-ops.

A commitment to continuous learning will only strengthen our mission of delivering safe, affordable and reliable power to members at the end of the line. 🙌

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Please help us wish Anna Politano, Director of PR & Communications and Derec Janaway, Director of Safety & Loss Control, a very happy DUO birthday! Thank you both for everything you do for Oklahoma's electric cooperatives