Written by The Energy Co-op Staff – 1/16/2024
Staff Reflections | 2023 Review and 2024 Preview
A very happy new year to The Energy Co-op membership and community from your cooperative staff! We start 2024 – The Energy Co-op’s 45th year serving Pennsylvania – with bright eyes following a fruitful 2023. Last year, we embarked on a new strategic plan, through which we aspire to have transformative impact on Pennsylvania’s renewable energy transition. As we begin the year fully charged (pun intended!), our team would like to share some memories from 2023 and excitement for what’s ahead in 2024. Take a look at what each staff member has to say.
What was your favorite Energy Co-op memory in 2023?
Hillary Bedeian
“We held many fun staff outings and social events in 2023, my favorite of which was a staff visit to meet our Executive Director’s new baby in the fall!”
Divya Desai
“It seems like every year as an Energy Co-op staff member brings exciting opportunities and wonderful memories. 2023 was such a positive and memorable year making it tough to highlight just one favorite (so I’ll share two!). The staff and Board strategic planning retreat was a pivotal moment for The Energy Co-op in 2023 and one of the most memorable events I’ve had to date. We embarked on a growth and transformation journey to better serve our members and Pennsylvania’s clean energy future, and the retreat’s outcomes will continue to shape our progress. I was also fortunate to welcome my daughter into the world in 2023; I am immensely grateful for the staff’s dedication and hard work and enthusiastic support from the staff and Board to ensure The Energy Co-op continued our important work while giving me the ability to enjoy some quality family time.”
Eleanor Fulvio
“My favorite Energy Co-op memory of 2023 was our strategic planning retreat with all staff and Board members in March. Not only was it great to spend time with my colleagues and the Board outside the office and get to know them a bit better, it was also an extremely productive day. So many interesting viewpoints were shared and discussed, and we came away from the retreat a stronger team with a renewed commitment to our mission and long-term goals. It laid the groundwork for what has been and will undoubtedly continue to be a clear path forward for The Energy Co-op as we seek to be leaders in the clean energy space and make renewable energy as accessible as possible to our members.”
Gabriel Hochenberger
“The most memorable day in 2023 with The Energy Co-op had to be our summer happy hour event at Libertee Grounds in Fairmount. Our late afternoon out on the town was filled with great eats, delicious drinks, and surprisingly intense minigolf competition. I’m looking forward to more Energy Co-op happy hours during my second year with the organization and hoping my putt-putt skills don’t disappoint me next time we find ourselves on a course.”
Lauren Keller
“Some of my favorite memories during my tenure at The Energy Co-op are the connections I’ve made with our members—from sharing knowledge about our programs and working to get their questions answered, to hearing about the energy-saving projects they are interested in and gaining insight into what offerings they would like to see in the future. Our members are the reason why I am here, and building on our connections and invigorating member engagement are of the utmost importance to me.”
Eric Miller
“2023 was my first full year as a member of The Energy Co-op team, and attending my first Annual Member Meeting in June was an awesome experience! In a world that is becoming increasingly digital, it was exciting to see so many of our members come out to work together as a community, participate in the democratic process, and display the values of our cooperative organization.”
Colin Teague
“As my first full calendar year at The Energy Co-op, 2023 was an exciting one, so I’m going to cheat and give two memories!
Getting to know our three newest team members, Eric, Gabe and Lauren was my favorite memory of 2023, as well as the memory that will be most impactful on our future. While Eric and Gabe joined us in late 2022, it was during the past year when I really got to know our new team members and began to collaborate with them on new initiatives.
My second favorite memory of 2023 was attending my first Annual Member Meeting. It was inspiring to see our members come together to democratically participate in governing our cooperative and ask thoughtful questions about the year ahead. It was an honor to help host and publicize this event for our members!”
What Energy Co-op initiative(s) are you most excited for in 2024?
Hillary Bedeian
“One of The Energy Co-op’s main objectives in 2024, which is outlined in the strategic plan we developed earlier this year, is to support community energy resilience. To this end, one of The Energy Co-op’s goals is to develop new programs to support income-restricted customers who wish to purchase renewable energy from us by subsidizing their energy supply costs. By making our offerings more accessible to a broader audience, we can continue to grow the power of our cooperative and make Pennsylvania’s transition to renewable energy more inclusive.”
Divya Desai
“As we continue progress on our strategic plan launched last year, in 2024 I’m excited to create opportunities for our staff, Board, members, community, partners, and peers to support and advance Pennsylvania’s transition to renewable energy. Whether that’s through membership, more affordable renewable energy products, an expanded territory, diversified products, contribution, volunteering, education, partnership, new programs – the list goes on – I look forward to a year during which we aspire to inspire and grow as an organization to better serve Pennsylvania’s clean energy future.”
Eleanor Fulvio
“In 2024, I’m most looking forward to The Energy Co-op expanding our member base by making renewable energy even more accessible to fellow Pennsylvanians who want to support the clean energy transition. Whether that be through opening up to new service territories, broadening our product offerings, entering into new strategic partnerships, or some combination of these, I hope we can advance our mission of being a leader in the sustainable energy evolution through reaching as many people as possible and making our products as affordable as possible.”
Gabriel Hochenberger
“It’s incredibly difficult to choose which initiative I’m most excited for because there are so many we’re looking to implement in the coming year. Generally speaking, I’m most looking forward to the new membership growth initiatives laid out in our updated strategic plan. In 2024 The Energy Co-op is striving to make renewable energy even more accessible to the PA community through increased affordability, product diversity, and possibly even service area expansion.”
Lauren Keller
“In the new year, I am very excited for a sleeker and more easily navigable website and member portal for current and prospective members to use. I am also looking forward to increasing The Energy Co-op’s visibility across our in-person and virtual events and social platforms. Furthering educational engagement that is both interesting and fun will help us build upon our networking avenues to grow our membership and partner communities. Lastly, I believe our members should be acknowledged for new members they bring to The Energy Co-op as well as their community action around renewable energy, so I am personally excited to continue innovating member benefits with the goal of creating a more engaged member community.”
Eric Miller
“In 2024, I am really looking forward to developing The Energy Co-op’s educational and policy-based programming. In addition to our renewable electricity and renewable natural gas programs, I believe The Energy Co-op has a vital role to play as a thought leader and community resource as well. Electricity choice is a vital tool for Pennsylvanians looking to fight climate change, but broader knowledge and advocacy on how to create a clean energy future and the barriers that stand in the way of doing so are crucial as well.”
Colin Teague
“In 2024, I am most excited about The Energy Co-op’s participation as a sponsor of the 2024 Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Philadelphia Flower Show. As a Philadelphia-based cooperative, we are proud to be a part of this iconic Philadelphia event. Exhibiting at this year’s flower show will enable The Energy Co-op to connect with people from communities across our Eastern PA service territory and help us transition more Pennsylvanians to renewable energy.”
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So much to look back on and look ahead to – and those are just the highlights! It also must be emphasized that none of this would be possible without the dedication and support of our members and broader Energy Co-op community. We’re grateful for the continued and growing enthusiasm for our work towards Pennsylvania’s clean energy future. If you’re interested in hearing more, becoming a member, getting more involved, or partnering with us, you can email us at info@theenergy.coop or give us a call at (215) 413-2122. We can’t wait to collaborate in the year ahead!