DeFuniak Springs (April 27, 2026) – Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CHELCO) hosted its Annual Meeting at Freeport High School on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Over 500 members and guests attended the meeting, where they spoke to CHELCO representatives and participated in live demonstrations and children’s activities. Board President Gerald Edmondson, Secretary/Treasurer Gayle Hughes, and Chief Executive Officer Steve Rhodes gave annual reports as part of the business meeting.
New this year, CHELCO CEO Steve Rhodes extended a special invitation to Gary Smith, CEO of PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, CHELCO’s wholesale power provider. Smith has led PowerSouth since 2000, and his presence made this year’s meeting especially meaningful as he prepares to retire on June 1. Rhodes and Smith explored the future of the electric utility industry and the evolving role of cooperatives, particularly as rapid growth in data centers, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies drives new expectations for reliability, capacity, and innovation.
Immediately following the business meeting, CHELCO drew the random winners of the $1,000 scholarship in a drawing of nearly 40 eligible applicants. The winners were Teghan Araneo (Paxton HS), Christopher Bolden (Niceville HS), Lori Brown (Columbia Southern Univ.), Addison Cook (Walton HS), Forrest Geoghagan (Paxton HS), London Hughes (Walton HS), Julie Laviolette (Walton HS), Madelyn Neel (Crestview HS), Maria Sandor (Florida Virtual HS), and Jonathan Smith (Troy Univ.).
Following the 2026 election, the Trustees for Districts 3, 5, and 8 are:
District 3, Brantlee Lawrence (newly-appointed to replace Tim Braddock who resigned due to relocating outside of CHELCO’s service territory)
District 5, Ronnie Jones (45 years of service to the Board)
District 8, Gayle Hughes (27 years of service to the Board)
The Board of Trustees also held its election of officers following the Annual Meeting and nominated the following officers, unchanged from 2025:
President: Gerald Edmondson (District 6)
Vice President: Brady Bearden (District 4)
Secretary/Treasurer: Gayle Hughes (District 8)
Asst. Secretary/Treasurer: Bert Prutzman (District 7)
To view the recording of the 2026 Annual Meeting and the 2025 Annual Report, visit CHELCO.com/Annual-Meeting.
CHELCO is a not-for-profit electric cooperative serving more than 76,000 accounts in Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, and Santa Rosa counties, including on Eglin Air Force Base.
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Photo (1) Cutline: Members look on as CHELCO CEO Steve Rhodes (R) and PowerSouth Energy Cooperative CEO Gary Smith (L) discuss data centers, AI, and what’s ahead for cooperatives.
Photo (2) Cutline: CHELCO Energy Services team members (L–R) Betty Sims, Bryan Gilbert, Holli Grantham, Kevin Campbell, and Tina Rushing pose between presentations at the Energy Expo.
Photo (3) Cutline: CHELCO Operations team members (L–R) Tarrant Bowles, Chad Holt, Jesse Nolin, and Kevin Wilkerson at the Annual Meeting Energy Expo.
