The Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Newberry Electric Cooperative, Inc. was held at Newberry Electric Cooperative, Inc., located in Newberry County, South Carolina, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
The meeting was called to order at 6:28 p.m. by Chairman Johnnie Dickert, followed by Trustee William Lominick’s invocation, with the determination of a quorum present.
The secretary reported that the following Board Members were present:
Barbara C. Bishop
Leon Fulmer, Jr.
J. Craig Kesler
Melanie B. Hawkins
William Lominick, Sr.
Johnnie L. Dickert
Douglas E. Hipp
John W. Nichols
Also present were President and CEO G. Keith Avery and Executive Assistant Tara Chapman. Attorney Thomas Pope, III, was absent.
The meeting continued with Chairman Dickert calling for the meeting to go into executive session. President and CEO Avery and Mrs. Chapman left the meeting at this time. After some discussion, a motion was made to return the meeting to regular session. The motion was seconded and passed with no objection. No voting or actions took place during the executive session.
The Board dispensed with the reading of the minutes from the April 2026 Regular Board Meeting. Trustee Kesler moved to accept the minutes as emailed. The motion was seconded and passed without opposition. The meeting continued with a reading of the minutes from the May 2026 Special Board meeting. Trustee Hipp made a motion to accept the minutes as emailed. The motion was seconded and passed without opposition.
Committee Chairman John W. Nichols reported that the Finance Committee convened for its regular meeting on Monday, May 20, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. The members of the committee are Trustees Johnnie L. Dickert, J. Craig Kesler, William Lominick, and John W. Nichols. All committee members were present, along with President and CEO Avery.
Chairman Nichols reported that the Finance Committee reviewed cash disbursements for April. All expenditures were found to be in order, and the committee presents this report for information. The board's consensus was to accept the report.
Due to Attorney Thomas H. Pope, III’s absence, there was no Attorney Report.
President and CEO Avery reviewed the meetings, events, and activities he participated in during the month, including the groundbreaking ceremony for the new ECSC Training Center. Also, he discussed the upcoming ACES conference he will attend at the end of the month.
President and CEO Avery reviewed the April 2026 operational data in detail. The amount of write-offs for April 2026 is $1,608.16. Trustee Hipp made a motion to accept this amount. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
President and CEO Avery reviewed the Engineering & Operations and Operational Support reports for April 2026. Integration of downline reclosers into the SCADA system is still underway. New processes are being implemented to collect data that will enable faster response times during outage restoration. Newberry Electric Cooperative received the President's safety award from ECSC.
President and CEO Avery reviewed the details for ECSC's new Training Center Groundbreaking event and confirmed who would attend. Two Trustees plan on attending the event.
President and CEO Avery went over the details for the ECSC Summer Conference. Eight Trustees plan on attending the event, which will be held in June 2026.
President and CEO Avery discussed the ECSC Trustee Association Conference, which will be held in August 2026. Seven Trustees plan on attending the event.
The Central Electric Cooperative, Inc.’s May 12, 2026 G20 Meeting, May 13, 2026 Special Called Engineering Committee Meeting, May 13, 2026 Special Called Power Committee Meeting, and May 13, 2026 Special Called Member Meeting and Board Meeting summaries were all accepted as information.
President and CEO Avery notified the Board of the sponsorship request for the 8th Annual Golf for Good Tournament hosted by Lynches River Electric Cooperative. After some discussion, Trustee Kesler moved to sponsor the event at the Fairway Partnership Level. The motion was seconded and approved by unanimous consent.
President and CEO Avery reviewed the memorandum from Brad Captain, Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at CFC, announcing the 2026 CFC Annual Membership Meeting.
Chairman Dickert announced the Board Committee Appointments for 2026–2027. There were no objections to the appointments. The committee appointments are attached to these minutes as Exhibit A.
The next scheduled Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held on Monday, June 29, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.
There being no further business and without objections, Chairman Johnnie L. Dickert adjourned the May 2026 Regular Board Meeting at 8:05 p.m.
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SECRETARY APPROVED
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CHAIRMAN