ORLANDO, February 21, 2006 (AgNewsWire) – A high school senior from Hattiesburg, Mississippi addressed more than 10,000 members of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Tuesday in Orlando, Florida. Kent Ford was chosen as national spokesperson of the Youth Leadership Council (YLC) for the NRECA 64th Annual Meeting. Representing Mississippi and sponsored by Pearl River Valley Electric Association, Ford was one of the young representatives from 44 states chosen to assist the national trade association in conducting its Annual Meeting this year.
“When we came here to the national meeting this year, my job was to speak about the benefits of the Youth Leadership Council to the general assembly. And then we’ll also continue working to promote rural electric cooperatives as well as the work that they are doing for their communities.”
Ford was chosen to represent the council last summer during NRECA’s Youth Leadership Conference in Washington, DC. He says that YLC members get the opportunity to increase their knowledge about national energy issues affecting electric cooperatives and the consumers they serve.
“One of our main functions here is to work what’s known as the Congressional Action Center where we actually try to get the people who are here for the national conference to send emails to their congressmen. So, we’re kind of taking on the role of semi-lobbyists in having a direct hand in seeing not only how the government work, but being able to have a chance to influence that government as well.” (Full Release)