Year after year, Sam Houston Electric Cooperative members are greeted by smiling Co-op employees as they arrive for the Annual Meeting of Members at the Polk County Commerce Center in Livingston.
But this year, on June 10, one attendee worked just as hard greeting people, jumping for attention and getting to know people through sniffs and pets: Gypsy the dog.
“He’s super friendly,” said Samantha May, Gypsy’s owner. “He’s a people-person dog.”
While it was Gypsy’s first meeting, May and her family are longtime attendees, having been members of Sam Houston EC since the 1980s.
A consumer-member asks a question during the Q&A portion of the Annual Meeting of Members.
“If I could wiggle my tail like that, I’d be friendly too,” a fellow attendee said to May after meeting Gypsy.
Like the friendly greetings, another longstanding tradition of the Co-op’s annual meeting for 35 years is Walter Plant’s musical performance.
“Last year was the first year I missed,” said Ron Lemons, a retired Sam Houston EC employee who likes to keep up his annual meeting attendance to enjoy Plant’s music.
Lemons retired more than 20 years ago as a field collections supervisor after dedicating over 38 years to the Cooperative. Alexia Lemons, wife of Ron’s grandson, is now a member services representative at the Co-op, another attendance motivator for him.
Gypsy the dog attends his first Annual Meeting of Members.
Doug Turk, CEO/general manager, addresses the 300 attendees of the Annual Meeting of Members. He encouraged consumer-members to remain active with the Co-op and ask questions when they see Sam Houston EC employees at local events.
Miss Polk County Heaven Four Bear delivers a door prize to a consumer-member as part of the Annual Meeting of Members.
Aside from fellowship, snacks and music, the meeting allows attendees to learn about important events at the Co-op.
“You get to listen to some good music and hear some info that may impact our area,” May said.
Members are also owners of Sam Houston EC, so they have a hand in choosing the Co-op’s leadership—exercising Democratic Member Control, one of the Seven Cooperative Principles all co-ops follow. Directors Milton Purvis of District 1 and Robert C. Boyd of District 3 were reelected to five-year terms.
The Co-op is celebrating 86 years of service alongside immense growth, having added 3,500 meters and sold almost 2 billion kilowatt-hours in 2024—the most energy sold in a year in the Co-op’s history.
A consumer-member shows off the $500 bill credit she won as a door prize at the Annual Meeting of Members.
An attendee holds up his Texas Co-op Power magazine.
Doug Turk, CEO and general manager, reported that Sam Houston EC is the 10th fastest growing electric cooperative in the nation.
However, last year’s Hurricane Beryl cost the Co-op more than $20 million. Joe Conner, chief risk officer, said that the Co-op is pursuing reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but the agency will only reimburse up to 75% of costs incurred.
The hurricane left 81,500 meters—about 90% of the Co-op’s system—without power, reported Ryan Brown, assistant general manager. However, crews and contractors restored power in less than six days.
“Being able to watch the outage numbers drop drastically every evening—it really was a good sense of accomplishment,” said Joel Colston, chief engineer.
Ryan Brown, assistant general manager, speaks to attendees about the current state of the Co-op.
Don Boyett, board president, speaks to consumer-members.
Andrea Tassin, billing office supervisor, left, greets attendees as they registered for the meeting.
Colston said Beryl was the first major storm he dealt with in his position, and now he can apply that experience to future restoration projects, such as the storms that blew through the state on Memorial Day. The May storm left about 43,000 people in the Co-op’s service territory without power, but electricity was restored to the majority by midafternoon the next day.
“We’re hoping that the hurricane season this year will be more mild,” Turk said. “We always keep our fingers crossed this time of year, but we’re also preparing.”
Brown said 2024 was the second year in a row that the Co-op cut down more than 26,000 dead trees that threatened power lines, whereas 7,000 are cut in a typical year through this prevention program. But Co-op arborists have reported improved tree health, with fewer dead trees being cut in the first few months of 2025, Utility Forester Janay Jones said.
“The initiatives completed in 2024 not only continue to pay off today but will do so for many years,” Brown said. “Despite these challenges, your Co-op continues to invest in quality employees and technologies to provide to each of you the highest level of service.”
Casey Evans Davis, board secretary, starts the business portion of the agenda by reporting on the quorum.
Turk shared how Sam Houston EC’s service goes beyond what many members may expect, highlighting improvements to their phone system, an improved app and a new website, community events, and the Co-op providing $85,000 in scholarships to 32 high school graduates.
“If you’re out at any of the local festivals or local community events, and you see us out there, I’d encourage you to stop by the table, say hi, ask any questions that you have,” Turk told members.
Charles Oldner, father of board member Mike Oldner, has put this idea into practice ever since his photo was featured in last year’s annual meeting story in Texas Co-op Power.
The photo brought Charles Oldner fame at his local church, so he was eager to speak again to the employee he had posed alongside—Andrea Tassin, billing office supervisor.
“When he comes in the office, now, he’ll ask for me, and I go out and chat with him,” Tassin said. “He’s super nice.”
Attendees enjoy cookies, popcorn and drinks as they enter the Polk County Commerce Center. Livingston High School cheerleaders gladly serve the attendees.
In the weeks leading up to this year’s meeting, the pair planned to take another photo together, the start of a potential tradition.
“I told him I’m going to get them framed or something,” Tassin said. “Maybe I’ll do something with last year’s and this year’s.”
Official business ended after Turk opened the floor for questions and members took the opportunity to ask questions, make comments and sing praises.
The meeting ended on a joyous note as 24 names were called as winners of door prizes, and Plant played once again for the crowd.
“It’s a lot of fun to see a lot of people that you don’t even see that live in the same town,” said Henrietta Oppenhammer, a Co-op member of 30 years. “It’s exciting to see people win.”
Engineer Merek Brister shows consumer-members how electricity is restored after an outage.
A couple leaves the Annual Meeting of Members with a $15 bill credit. Each registered member received the bill credit as they exited.
Buck Bland, operations supervisor, shuttles attendees to their vehicles following the meeting.
