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LAS VEGAS, May 12, 2009 – Sam Houston Electric Cooperative, Inc., headquartered in Livingston, Texas, received the Edgar F. Chesnutt Award for Best Total Communication Program, the highest honor bestowed through the Spotlight on Excellence Awards program. Sam Houston EC was recognized today during Connect 2009, a national communication, marketing and member services conference convened by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives.
Keith Stapleton, chief communications officer, accepted the Chesnutt Award from Karen Combs, president of the Council of Rural Electric Communicators, which established and oversees the Spotlight on Excellence Awards. Combs cited Sam Houston EC’s comprehensive plan and success in using a broad array of communication tactics to update more than 51,000 co-op member-owners after a major storm. Hurricane Ike devastated the Texas Gulf Coast and Sam Houston’s entire electrical distribution system on September 13, 2008.
One judge for the 2009 round of Spotlight on Excellence said, "Sam Houston Electric Cooperative's 'Hurricane Ike Communication Plan' has all the elements of an outstanding strategic communication plan and crisis communication plan all rolled into one. Research, planning, execution and evaluation hallmark the plan, and it's apparent that in every phase Sam Houston Electric made customer safety and informing the public paramount.”
Another judge noted, "The effort took full advantage of all layers of communication -- press releases, TV, and radio broadcasts, a Web site and presentations to Emergency
Operations Centers. Communicating constantly about the size and scale of the power outage and what crews were doing to restore it was one of the most important accomplishments of Sam Houston Electric Cooperative."
In the days following Hurricane Ike, the majority of the cooperative’s members were displaced. This displacement heightened the need for disseminating regular updates about restoration of service. Sam Houston EC’s goal was to utilize every available communication tool to keep the public informed.
The co-op did that by employing traditional and non-traditional methods of communication. First, the utility established a central information source – the “Storm Central” Web site. Once the hurricane started its approach, updates were posted to prepare neighbors for what was about to happen next. Second, the co-op recognized the need for multiple levels of communication to reach out to people once power was out systemwide. Some members had battery-powered radios; others had generators to power their radios and TVs; and others were completely without power, relying solely on word-of-mouth.
All area media outlets were contacted, even weekly newspapers. Sam Houston EC's communications staff's existing relationships with local media personnel helped keep the lines of communication open once the storm hit. Local outlets in Lufkin, Beaumont, and Huntsville as well as larger outlets in Houston knew to call Sam Houston EC for updates. Co-op staff maintained daily contact with local and regional radio stations.
Ten countywide Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs), along with the Multi-Agency Communication Center (MACC), played an integral role in the co-op's communication following the storm. By working with these agencies, the Sam Houston EC became a key component in creating a dynamic communication network that included law enforcement, emergency personnel and community leaders who met to share vital information further demonstrating the cooperative spirit at work.
Photos and video footage were used during and after the storm to depict the severity of damages as well as to be crucial documentation for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). As the restoration process began, Sam Houston EC put its focus on keeping its members informed about safety during emergency events and how to better plan for the needs of themselves and their families. The co-op firmly believes measures such as this will maintain high member satisfaction levels following storms like Ike. In fact, the co-op topped 90 percent in member satisfaction during the third quarter of 2008, the same quarter in which the hurricane hit.
The annual Spotlight on Excellence awards recognize electric cooperatives across the country for their high-quality communication and marketing efforts. More than 700 entries were submitted in this year’s competition and were judged by faculty members of the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Edgar F. Chesnutt, for whom the award is named, was the manager of corporate communication with Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Little Rock, from 1961 until his death in 1987. He wrote a highly praised handbook on public relations, "Getting in Step," which co-ops still use today and is required reading in preparing for the Certified Cooperative Communicator program.
More than 500 electric co-op professionals in marketing, member services and communication are attending the Connect 2009 Conference, May 12-14, which offers exhibits, workshops, seminars and other educational presentations pertaining to the electric utility industry and the cooperative sector. NRECA is the national service organization representing the nation’s more than 900 consumer-owned electric cooperatives, which provide electric service to 42 million people in 47 states. Touchstone Energy is a national alliance of local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives providing high standards of service to customers large and small. Touchstone Energy Cooperatives serve their members with integrity, accountability, innovation and a long-standing commitment to community.
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