Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative*

A big part of philanthropy involves, of course, cutting checks. On average, Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative gives between $70,000 and $100,000 a year to various organizations, said spokesman Greg Davis. But the employees of the co-op know that human capital is also vital for successful schools, nonprofits and charities.
“Concern for the Community” is the final rule on a list of seven that many electric cooperatives observe. But last does not mean least for the employees of Arkansas Valley. Of its nearly 150 employees, at least 50 are involved in community groups, volunteering their time, knowledge and resources, Davis said.
“We literally do hundreds of school programs every year,” he said. “Some are safety related, which is associated with what we do, but a great deal are not.”
These include mentoring programs, in which Arkansas Valley employees spend time with students and help them with homework. The co-op recently partnered with Cook Elementary School in Fort Smith, which needed new safety patrol equipment. In addition to supplying that, co-op employees served as crossing guards for a day.
Community giving is a concern at every level of leadership at the co-op. CEO William H. Peters serves on the board of Turner Memorial Hospital in Ozark and also participates in fundraisers for the United Way and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. The Ozark Chamber of Commerce recently bestowed two honors on Arkansas Valley. It named the co-op its large business of the year and named employee Tony Wilson as person of the year, citing his community involvement.
In addition to energy assistance programs for lower-income residents, Arkansas Valley performs free home energy efficiency audits for its 56,000 members. Last year, the co-op performed more than 700 audits, Davis said.
“Part of the expectation of our members is that we are improving the quality of our communities,” he said. “That’s what they want us to do, and that’s what we’re doing.”

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