Randolph EMC Re-Connect: Recent Episodes
Randolph EMC
A podcast from Randolph Electric Membership Corporation that keeps member-owners in touch with their cooperative.
Communications Manager Nicole Arnold interviews 2023 Youth Tourist Colton Freeman upon his return from Washington, D.C. Colton discusses his time with other young people from across the country while in the nation's capital. The Youth Tour is sponsored by REMC and other electric cooperatives every summer so that students can learn more about cooperatives.
Host Nicole Arnold interviews Mark Hensley, the Executive Director of Randolph Senior Adults Association in Asheboro, NC, in the first part of the show. Mark speaks on the challenges and opportunities facing Randolph County's growing senior population, and he discusses the Sharing Success Community Grant award RSAA has received from REMC. In the second part of the show, Nicole interviews Diane Smith, Executive Director of West Chatham Food Panty in Siler City, NC. Diane discusses the plight of the hungry in our service area and the history of dedicated volunteers who work to meet their needs. Nicole and Diane talk about the Sharing Success Community Grant WCFP and its impact on this organization and the community.
In the first half of the episode, Host Nicole Arnold interviews President of People Helping People Chrissy Haynes. PHP is REMC's 501(c)3 fund that contains all the change rounded up by members who participate in this charity to help members in need. In the second half of the show, Nicole interviews Dremia Meier of Randolph County Habitat for Humanity. Dremia details the impact that REMC has had in our partnership with Habitat and discusses how to help out this local organization during the holidays.
Nicole Arnold speaks with Jeff McDuffie, Safety and Environmental Coordinator about the importance of safety. Later, Nicole interviews Member Service Specialist Selene Lopez about how she used her training to save the life of her her cousin.
Nicole interviews Trinity High School Science teacher Mindy Thornlow, who spent her summer internship with Randolph EMC. Mindy was selected by the Kenan Fellows Program for the prestigious honor of a year-long career development program that included summer training on-the-job at your local cooperative. Randolph EMC partnered with NC State and the Kenan Program to host Mindy at our Asheboro and Robbins headquarters.
Mindy describes her professional journey and which students she especially seeks to reach. As a high school science teacher and trusted advisor to her students, Mindy seeks to open new worlds of possibility for her students. She talks about her desire to help them see a professional path forward, one that provides a stable, enriching career and also does not require heavy debt for post-high school education.
In this episode, Mindy recounts her experiences during her summer internship, including her time in the field with crews restoring power to members experiencing outages. She also discusses her priorities in educating her high school students about future opportunities and meaningful careers in energy.
Randolph EMC is proud to partner with NC electric cooperatives, NC State, and the Kenan Fellows to offer this deep investment in workforce development for the benefit of young people.
Nicole interviews Paul Caviness, Manager of Energy Services, and Brooke McNeill, Energy Efficiency Specialist. Paul and Brooke describe how they provide home energy audits free of charge for members who have concerns about their energy usage. They recount instances where their audits have saved members money on their electric bill. They also provide tips for members on smart ways to keep your house cool during the hot summer months without maxing out their power consumption. Finally, Paul and Brooke describe a new campaign from REMC called Connect To Save, which helps members stay in control of their power bills.
Randolph EMC chose Kristen Jensen to represent the cooperative for the national Youth Tour event, held annually in Washington, DC. Kristen is a basketball star at her high school, winner of a prestigious college scholarship, an EMT and a volunteer in her community. Randolph EMC is proud to bring recognition to young people in our area who are dedicated to service to others.
Randolph EMC new member Patrick Desota, also known as radio DJ Chase Matthews, recounts his experience receiving a high energy usage alert. Puzzled at first, Patrick called Randolph EMC to investigate further. Patrick and podcast host, Nicole Arnold, discuss the source of the problem. If left undiscovered, Patrick's bill would have been very high at month's end. Patrick describes the value of Randolph EMC's communication tools to save members money.