Press Releases

HILCO ’s Operation Round Up^® Grants Funding to Local Organizations (posted 8/14/08)

Operation Round Up^® is a program in which residential members of HILCO Electric Cooperative, Inc. sign up to voluntarily have their electric bills rounded upward to the next dollar. Every month, the additional pennies, nickels and dimes are added to a special fund. The Operation Round Up^® Trust Board, comprised of representatives of the HILCO districts, meets once a quarter to review applications and to decide how the funds are to be allocated.

At their July meeting, HILCO Electric’s Trust Board voted to disburse $11,160 to ten organizations in the HILCO service area. These funds were donated during the second quarter of 2008.  

Grant checks were presented on July 22, 2008 at HILCO ’s Midlothian office by HILCO Board Directors, Margaret Hill, James Perkins and Joseph Tedesco.  A second presentation was held at the Itasca HILCO office on July 24, 2008.  On hand to present the award checks was HILCO Board President, William (Bill) Allen.  

The following organizations were recipients of the second quarter funds disbursements:

·         Aquilla Scholarship Foundation, Inc. (Aquilla) - $500 - College scholarships

·         Central Texas Senior Ministry ( Waco ) - $1,500 - Services for elders in Hill county

·         Common Ground Ministries (Waxahachie) - $600 - Snacks for children

·         Grandview Volunteer Fire Department ( Grandview ) - $320 - Bottled water

·         Hospice of the Heart (Whitney) - $1,100 - Gel cushions, over-bed tables, foot cradle

·         The House Where Jesus Shines ( Waco ) - $1,200 – Computer/TV for educational presentations

·         Joint Committee for Christmas (Whitney) - $500 - Project assistance - food boxes

·         Penelope Volunteer Fire Department (Penelope) - $2,000 - Brush rig outfitting for fire truck

·         White Bluff Volunteer Fire Department (Whitney) - $2,325 - Two emergency radios

·         WRC Pregnancy Center of Ellis Co. (Waxahachie) - $1,115 - Client educational outreach website  

Since the Operation Round Up^® program began in 2001, over $361,445 has been returned to communities within the HILCO service area. This has been made possible from the generosity of residential members who have opted to participate monthly in the program. Members may have their names added to or removed from the program by calling HILCO at 254-687-2331 or 800-338-6425.  

The next deadline for Operation Round Up^® is September 30, 2008. Applications are available online at www.hilco.coop, or can be picked up at one of the three HILCO offices located at 115 E. Main in Itasca , at 4581 FM 933 in Whitney or 300A Silken Crossing in Midlothian . Organizations can contact Jill Huggins , HILCO Executive Assistant, for more information at 254-687-2331 or 800-338-6425, extension 1142.

Aquilla Scholarship Foundation, Inc. Bill Allen, Carol Duncan and Paula Gregory	Central Texas Senior Ministry Bill Allen, Julies Oates and Sarah Miller
Grandview Volunteer Fire Department Bill Allen and Chief Frank Huggins	Hospice of the Heart, Inc. Bill Allen and Debrah Baumann, RN
House Where Jesus Shines Bill Allen, Nilsa Latimer and Gladys Carrasquillo	Joint Committee for Christmas James Perkins, Susan Johnston, Diana VanWagner, Margaret Hill and Joseph Tedesco
Penelope Volunteer Fire Department Bill Allen, David Lednicky and his sons Deven and	White Bluff Volunteer Fire Department Bill Allen, Jim Browder and Guin McGinnis
WRC Pregnancy Center of Ellis County Joseph Tedesco, Donna Young, Shirley Mizell, Margaret Hill and James Perkins

HILCO Director Earns Certification (posted 8/4/08)

HILCO Electric Cooperative Director Joe Tedesco has successfully completed the coursework and testing to earn his National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Credentialed Cooperative Director Certification. The official recognition was earned in compliance with the HILCO board policy that requires all board members to obtain the certification when elected.

Tedesco, who represents HILCO members in District 4, joined the board in May. He and his wife Melinda have been members of the cooperative since 2002. He earned a B.S. Degree in Psychology from Cedar Crest College , with minors in Special Education and Computer Science. He is retired from Air Products and Chemicals in Dallas and is currently teaching algebra courses in the Palmer Independent School District .

The cooperative serves over 22,450 meters in Ellis, Dallas, Johnson, Hill, and McLennan counties.

HILCO Director Joe Tedesco

HILCO Awards Scholarships (posted 7/2/08)

HILCO General Manager/CEO Debra Cole has announced the winners of the HILCO Electric Cooperative 2008 Scholarship for Excellence contest.

The contestants were asked to write a 200 word essay on “The Importance of Good Leadership.” Ten winners from HILCO’s service area were chosen from 38 member entries.

Maci Alexander of Whitney won the top scholarship prize, a $1,500 scholarship to the college of her choice.

Samantha Patterson of West, Marilynn Romero and Lauren Weatherly, both of Whitney, won Scholarships of $1,000 each.

The following students were the winners of $500 scholarships: Jacob Werchan and Caleb Russell of Waxahachie; Lauren Elizabeth Vinson of Itasca; Taylor A. Alexander of Milford ; Jennifer Robertson and Demsey Bonner, both of Whitney.

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HILCO Director Earns Certification (posted 6/5/08)

HILCO Electric Cooperative Director Ron Roberts has successfully completed the coursework and testing to earn his National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Credentialed Cooperative Director Certification. The HILCO Board of Directors adopted a policy for all board members to obtain the certification when elected to serve on the board.               

Roberts, a long time resident of Hill County , became a member of the HILCO board of directors in 2007, representing District 3 in the HILCO service area. He has been in the residential construction industry most of his adult life. He is a self-employed a home builder who has built and remodeled homes in and around Hill County since 1992.

The cooperative serves over 25,300 meters in Ellis, Dallas, Johnson, Hill, and McLennan counties.

HILCO Director Ron Roberts

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