{Pictured above: Honorable Dale R. Marks (third from left) served as the Keynote Speaker at the Defense Summit. Marks is the Deputy Under Secretary of War for Acquisition & Sustainment (PTDO) and previously served as the Executive Director of the 96th Test Wing at Eglin AFB.}

CHELCO was proud to co-host the NRECA Florida Regional Defense Summit, held May 12-14 in Fort Walton Beach. In partnership with the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (NRECA), CHELCO welcomed cooperatives, Department of War, and Department of Energy personnel from the Southeast and Washington, D.C., to this three-day event, which included a 96th Test Wing mission briefing and tour of Eglin AFB.

The purpose of the Summit was to ensure Department of War installations are well-equipped to maintain mission assurance under the new energy landscape by bringing together electric cooperatives, their member installations, and Pentagon-level personnel to develop energy infrastructure projects.

The summit was funded by the Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity, and NRECA led the project. In their first summit in Alaska, they learned that cooperatives and installations greatly appreciate hearing about service priorities straight from the source. The main objective of these summits is to ensure that installations and cooperatives can have an open dialogue about their grid modernization needs and identify opportunities to strengthen collaboration.

Tina Rushing, CHELCO Energy Services & Government Accounts Coordinator, played a key role in facilitating the conference in collaboration with NRECA, including securing Deputy Under Secretary of War for Acquisition & Sustainment (PTDO) Hon. Dale Marks as the event’s keynote speaker.

CHELCO SVP & COO Matthew Avery said that CHELCO’s strong relationship with Eglin AFB has garnered respect among electric cooperatives around the country.

“I’m proud of the relationship we have built with Eglin AFB, which has been enhanced through our 50-year utility privatization contract,” Avery said. “Our working relationship with Eglin is one that the Department of War looks to as a great example. I’m proud of our team’s hard work on the contract, and I’m thankful for Eglin’s trust in CHELCO to meet their needs and support their critical missions every day.”