Building the 'right' road to success for your rural electric system, community, and its youth: a new way of thinking.

• Author: Ulman, Brenda R.

Today's rural electric systems have a much greater job to do than just provide electric service to their members. Our author calls systems to action to build the "right" road to preserve and protect what we value the most: our rural electric system, our community and its future--the youth of rural America. The three case studies included show the benefits received from a system and its community working together.

INTRODUCTION

In 1993, at a presentation to the Nevada Rural Electric Association's (NREA) Youth Energy/Leadership Seminar, a week-long camp sponsored by NREA, I had a unique opportunity to see through the eyes of the future rural leaders. They shared many of the same concerns that you, as a rural leader, must face today. Limited employment opportunities, higher education and quality of life were noted as major issues threatening the survival of their communities and their future within those communities. However, it was not so much the issues themselves that became the focus of our discussion--it was the support they would need from their families in facing these issues.

The thoughts of the youth and the words of one young woman who said, "If there was a job to go home to, I'd go home," compelled me to research the importance of protecting and preserving what we value most--our rural electric systems, communities and the future of rural America--its youth. The survival of rural electric systems and communities demands that we take action now to design and build the "right" roads. It is not just what we do, but who we are and what we value that is being threatened. This is a cause worth fighting for.

Visionary leadership, enormous commitment and hard work championed the cause of bringing electricity to rural America over 50 years ago and significantly improved the quality of life in rural communities. That same leadership, commitment and hard work will be needed to embrace this new cause--one that will generate the momentum to drive rural electric systems and their communities through the next 50 years.

This article describes the design and building process of the "right" road for your system and community. This is not a new way of designing or building--it is a new way of thinking about our responsibility to build these roads. To portray this new way of thinking, the Compass design, described later in this article, was created to provide a visual reminder of our responsibility to work together in building these roads. For many rural electric systems and their communities, the road construction is underway. We will visit three rural electric systems that are in the building process and ask each manager to personally reflect on the importance of protecting and preserving what they value most: their system, community and its youth.

WHAT WE VALUE MOST INFLUENCES OUR DECISION TO BUILD

For 14 years I have worked for NRECA. The past five years I have served as an outside consultant to the Management Services Department. My decision to leave full-time employment and serve as a consultant was based on a strong commitment to traditional values. At the time, I had a newborn baby and a two-year-old. My husband and I, like our parents, believe we have a tremendous responsibility to instill in our children--the importance of family, respect for others and self respect, honesty, responsibility and accountability.

Our goal is to provide a loving, supportive home environment that will enable our children to develop confidence in their abilities and a desire to use them to make a difference in the world around them.

What does this have to do with rural electric systems, communities and youth? Everything! These same traditional values are woven into the fabric of rural America. The Roper Study, a 1992 study commissioned by NRECA, supports this fact. In a section entitled "Rural America: The People Are Its Strength," it states, "The majority of the general public surveyed felt rural Americans possess many admirable characteristics, such as strong sense of family, friendliness, honesty in business, commitment to community, and concern for people outside their community. Residents of small towns and rural America are also seen as getting real fun out of life, being in good health, and as having close-knit families," (Roper, p.vi). In addition, "Rural Americans are overwhelmingly proud of where they live and the lifestyle they have. They are the first ones to confirm that rural America is worthy of its reputation as a place where quality of life and people with traditional values may be found," (Roper, p. 85).

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO TAKE ACTION AND BUILD THE 'RIGHT' ROAD NOW?

Increased and aggressive competition; takeover/buyout attempts; the lack of: employment opportunities, quality education, quality of life and critical community services threaten the very existence of what we value most: our rural electric systems, communities, and, ultimately, the future of rural America--its youth.

The traditional response to a threat against family, particularly a close-knit one, is to pull together and fight back to protect its interests. Likewise in business, "It has been long recognized in group dynamics and international affairs that a common external threat or enemy will internally consolidate a group. Individuals will be more committed to an organization and its goals when conflict is experienced with other organizations," (Carlisle, p. 438).

Rural electric systems and communities function both as a business and a type of family. Thus, it is not only what we do, but who we are and what we value that is being threatened. Taking action and building the "right" road now is imperative to protecting and preserving what we value most. This is a cause worth fighting for.

WHAT IS THE 'RIGHT' ROAD?

The "right" road implies that there are many roads to choose from and that a combination of factors such as system size, makeup of membership, demographics and community needs will determine the "right" road for your system or community.

Greg Boudreaux's article in this issue, "Competing in the Year 2000 and Beyond," identifies and describes four broad categories of rural electrics, called diversity groupings. "Diversity means that one size does not fit all, that there is no single solution that systems must undertake to meet the new competitive threats." According to the article, NRECA recognizes that the "right" road in their effort to meet the needs of each diversity group will be different. Likewise, the "right" road for each system within a diversity group, as well as for each community, will be different as each works to address its own needs.

DESIGNING THE PLANS FOR THE ROADS

In Glenn English's presentation at NRECA's Setting The Rural Agenda Conference, he said, "My colleagues on the [Capitol] Hill asked me why I would consider leaving my influential position to become the General Manager of NRECA. I told them that the action wasn't on the Hill anymore, it is with the private sector. I want to be where the action is--with the rural electric systems." He challenged the attendees with these words, "The success or failure of rural electric systems and...