Jackson EMC Operation Round-Up board named

GAINESVILLE - Two Hall countians have been named to Jackson EMC's "Operation Round-Up" Board of Directors.

Gus Lobo and Sherry Rogers will help oversee grants awarded to charities and the less fortunate in the ten counties the electric co-op serves.

The program is funded by participating Jackson EMC member-consumers who have their monthly electric bill rounded up to the next even dollar.

Spokeswoman Bonnie Jones says on average, EMC members will contribute $6.00 per year, which will be deposited in the Jackson EMC Foundation. Foundation funds will be administered by the volunteer board and be used to fund grant requests from charitable organizations and individuals.

"Jackson EMC has a long history of helping improve the quality of life in the communities we serve through contributions and sponsorships," said cooperative president and CEO Randall Pugh, "but we are tremendously proud of our members for joining together and using the strength of their numbers to make change in their communities by donating their spare change."

The cooperative currently serves 185,000 meters, with 180,000 individual accounts.

"If every one of our cooperative members participated, Operation Round Up could generate more than $1 million annually," Pugh said. "The power of our members is their ability to come together to accomplish what they couldn't do as individuals. As a group, they have the ability to do an amazing amount of good in our communities, improving the quality of life for many people and serving their fellow citizens."

Jones says, however, member-consumers who neglect, for whatever reason, to opt out of the program, and then realize their bills are being rounded up, will be allowed to do so even after the program has started. In addition, Jones says any money collected over and above the actual amount of the bill will be refunded.

Lobo is an underwriter for Homestar Financial Corp. in Gainesville. Rogers is a retired AT&T employee. Other members of the board are: John Mitchell, Banks County; Gwen Hill, Barrow County; Very Rev. Mandy Brady, Clarke County; Beauty Baldwin and Joyce Britt, Gwinnett County; Amber Casper and Shade Storey, Jackson County; and, Dr. Robert Hooper, Madison County.