General Manager’s Message – February 2026
The Next Chapter
Well, the college football season is over. The Alabama deer season is fast closing. But it’s still winter, so what else is there to do?
For romantic guys like me, you need to turn your focus to your wife or girlfriend. February is the month of love, and Valentine’s Day is February 14.
Lately, I’ve been writing about the changes in the electric industry, but I would like to focus on a specific change at South Alabama Electric Cooperative.
1 of your long-term cooperative employees is retiring in February. Chris Sanders has served the cooperative faithfully for over 40 years. Now he has decided to focus on another chapter in his life.
Chris and I have worked together at the cooperative for 33 years, but we have known each other our entire lives. Yes, we are second cousins, but we are as close as any brothers. Just ask his wife, Tammy. Her regular complaint about our long phone conversations: “Don’t y’all see enough of each other that you don’t have to talk to each other all the time.”
Chris is the general foreman for your cooperative. He has basically held every position for the outside employees. To say I am proud of Chris is an understatement. I think about how God blessed us both with great careers. If you had told us about our cooperative careers over 40 years ago — when we worked together at the peanut-buying point in Ariton — we would have laughed our socks off. No way we could see this in our future. God is definitely good.
Chris’ attention to serving cooperative members is unparalleled. He has done all he can for members and fully understands they pay for us to have jobs and retirements. I don’t want to paint our working relationship as all serious. Laughter fills the office many afternoons, which is why I will miss him.
Chris and I grew up in a time when dads were tough on male children, wanting them to be the best. Chris is younger than me, but I remember a football game in his senior year at Zion Chapel High School. He played running back when he normally played center and linebacker. He scored four touchdowns. We celebrated on the field after the game, and Chris’ dad, Johnny Sanders, known as J.A., came up to Chris and said, “Son, on that last run, if you would have cut it back to the right sideline, you would have gotten touchdown number 5.”
That was how dads were then, always pushing us to be better.
Chris and I have talked about how the tough way they raised us made us into the men we are today. J.A. would be proud of the career Chris has completed.
1 of the hardest things to do in leading your cooperative is saying goodbye to employees/friends because we are family here. Not working with Chris will be tough, but I know his next chapter will be as full and fun as the chapter he’s closing at South Alabama. I may not see him as much, but I’m sure we will burn up the phone, and I am sure I will hear Tammy in the background saying, “My goodness, don’t you all ever get tired of talking to each other?” Well, Tammy, the answer is no.
Happy retirement to my cousin, brother, friend, and employee. You have earned it, and I have to tell you just 1 more time as your boss, “Tighten up, Cod.”
Now that the South is basketball country, February is a warmup to March Madness. But February can produce some very cold weather, and electric bills can still be high. So, please conserve electricity use.
I guess I should address my earlier statement about being romantic.
I am as romantic as an elephant is eloquent moving around a china shop. My first date was to the movies with my to-be wife to see the romantic classic “First Blood.” Being the romantic guy, Rambo was setting a great example for us other romantic guys.
So, I’m not romantic, but I will say Happy Valentine’s to my wife and daughters. Enjoy your time with all your family. It is all way too short.