Houston County Farm City honors WEC in tribute to frontline workers
A group that celebrates the connections between rural and urban areas honored the contributions of Wiregrass Electric Cooperative (WEC) on billboards throughout Houston County in November.
During the week of Thanksgiving, the Houston County Farm City group recognized frontline workers for their contributions to society on a billboard promoting its annual Farm City Week festivities. Dexter Tolbert, a foreman for one of WEC’s line crews, was pictured with representatives from among law enforcement officials, teachers, farmers, health care workers, and emergency responders.
“It was an idea by our chairman, Randy Davis,” says Gloria Jeffcoat, a WEC member who serves on the Houston County Farm City steering committee. “Randy wanted to thank frontline workers. A lot of people could have gone home or worked from home during the pandemic, but these workers were still out there. They never quit working.”
Jeffcoat says selecting a WEC lineman to represent the utility industry resonated with committee members, given the similarities between the organizations.
“Farm City is all about bringing to light what each side offers to the other — farmers rely on the city for supplies, and those in the city rely on what farmers produce,” she says. “Farm City is about the community coming together. Wiregrass Electric, especially with its Operation Round Up program, is so much a part of the community. They reach out to the community.”
Additionally, WEC’s membership — with thousands served in both Dothan and in rural communities — strongly reflects the core relationships Farm City seeks to promote, Jeffcoat says.
WEC appreciated the opportunity to be included on the billboard, which featured the frontline workers standing in a field on the Jeffcoat farm.
“We are so grateful for this organization and are humbled they selected and recognized WEC employees as frontline, essential workers,” says WEC Chief Operating Officer Brad Kimbro.