About Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc

 

The Tri-County neighborhood offers many recreational opportunities at Rend Lake as well as educational opportunities through two colleges: Rend Lake College at Ina and Kaskaskia College at Centralia.

 

Our History

Tri-County Electric was formed and incorporated as a cooperative in October of 1938 to provide electricity to the rural areas of Jefferson, Marion and Washington counties in Southern Illinois.


Tri-County Board of Directors

Tri-County Electric Cooperative exists to provide service to its members in the best manner possible. The board of directors meets monthly to develop policies and approve long range plans for the organization.

The board consists of nine directors elected by the membership. Three directors are elected from each of the three counties served by the cooperative: Jefferson, Marion and Washington.

The annual membership meeting of the cooperative is held for the purpose of electing board members, giving annual reports and conducting any other business deemed necessary. Each member is entitled to one vote upon each matter submitted to a vote at the meeting of the members. Current directors are as follows:

  • Dexter Edmison - President, Jefferson County
  • Jerry Corners -Vice President, Jefferson County
  • Sam Phillips - Secretary/Treasurer, Marion County
  • Phil Carson, Washington County
  • Don Guymon, Marion County
  • Duane Harre, Washington County
  • Larry Manning - Jefferson County
  • Richard Russell, Washington County
  • Greg Vieira, Marion County


Tri-County County Electric Cooperative Staff

Tri-County Electric Cooperative employs staff level personnel to oversee the day-to-day operations of each department of the cooperative. Current staff members and their respective titles follow:

 

What is a Cooperative?

An electric cooperative is a member-owned and controlled utility providing electricity and associated services to members at cost.

Electric cooperatives were established by rural pioneers in the late 1930s and 1940s to provide electricity to rural Americans in places where investor-owned utilities wouldn't or couldn't serve because of cost.

Rural electrification was made possible by the Rural Electrification Administration (REA), created by executive order of President Franklin Roosevelt on May 11, 1935. REA made low-interest financing available enabling cooperatives to build power lines into rural areas.

More than 75 years later, electric cooperatives across the country provide electricity for businesses and industries as well as farms, residences and recreational areas.

 

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