In an effort to enhance her leadership skills, learn best practices for community engagement and develop techniques to market her community for economic growth, Natalie Bradley of Flint Energies recently completed the inaugural Co-ops Lead program. 

Developed by Georgia EMC, the statewide trade association for Georgia’s 41 electric membership cooperatives, Co-ops Lead was designed to equip participants with the necessary tools and knowledge to become effective leaders within their electric co-ops and in their local communities during three class sessions. The first session, Leadership Development Day, allowed participants to learn about their personal strengths using the CliftonStrengths talent assessment tool. During the second session, Community Development Day, participants learned best practices for civic engagement and community wide planning. The third session, Economic Development Day, focused on the basics of economic development, recent development trends and the important role EMCs play in developing their communities. 

“Electric co-ops that offer community involvement opportunities and contribute to local causes have a competitive edge when it comes to employee recruitment and retention, as well as economic development,” said Dennis Chastain, president/CEO of Georgia EMC. “Programs like Co-ops Lead help ensure cooperatives have a pipeline of employees who understand the fundamentals and importance of community development to grow successful communities for many years to come.”

In addition to the curriculum, Co-ops Lead allowed participants to network with fellow EMC leaders from other cooperatives in Georgia. Together, they discussed and shared solutions for common community issues and identified mutually beneficial ways cooperatives can collaborate with their local communities. 

Graduates from this year’s program consisted of 20 participants from 11 electric cooperatives across Georgia. At their graduation ceremony held in May, each participant delivered a presentation showing how they plan to build on the knowledge they gained in Co-ops Lead in their own EMC and community. 

“The Co-ops Lead program was the perfect opportunity for networking and learning from other EMC professionals across the state of Georgia. It reinforced our mission at Flint Energies and provided additional tools to allow me to serve our members and communities better,” said Bradley, Flint’s Community Connections Specialist.

Equipped with tools and insights from the Co-ops Lead curriculum, Bradley has the needed foundation to drive economic growth and foster sustainable development within her community.