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New Roads, Louisiana 70760
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Pointe Coupee Electric and NRG Name 2010 Youth Tour Delegates to Washington, D.C.

The winners of the 2010 Rural Electric Youth Tour Contest sponsored by Pointe Coupee Electric Membership Corporation (PCEMC) and NRG, Louisiana Generating were announced March 7 following the judging of the essays by the nine finalists from a tri-parish region.

Representing Pointe Coupee Electric and winning the all expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. during the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's (NRECA) Youth Tour Conference are Howarneshia Bates from Iberville Parish, Heather Crabtree of Pointe Coupee Parish and Phillip Romano of West Baton Rouge Parish.

Also selected from among nine finalists to represent NRG, Louisiana Generating on the tour were Emily Myers of Pointe Coupee Parish and McKeba Green of West Baton Rouge Parish.

            Pointe Coupee Electric delegate Howarneshia Bates attends Plaquemine High School and is the daughter of Kathy and Danny Green of Plaquemine; Heather Crabtree attends Catholic High of Pointe Coupee and is the daughter of Tamar and Chad Crabtree of New Roads; Phillip Romano attends Port Allen High School and is the son of Donna Doucet and Bryan Romano of Port Allen.

Photo Caption: PCEMC Board Member Peter Rumfola Jr., Board Member Alton B. Smith Jr., Howarneshia Bates, Phillip Romano, Heather Crabtree and Irvin Settoon Sr.

NRG, Louisiana Generating delegates Emily Myers attends Catholic High of Pointe Coupee and is the daughter of Janet Granier and Eric Myers of Lakeland; McKeba Green  attends Port Allen High School and is the daughter of Eula Green of Port Allen.

Photo Caption: Director of Regulatory and Transmission Assets-NRG South Central Jennifer Vosburg, McKeba Green and Emily Myers

The other finalists who will serve as alternates if any of the five winners are unable to take part in the Youth Tour are Kathryn D’Albor who attends St. John High School in Iberville Parish; Caroline Williams who attends Plaquemine High School in Iberville Parish; Zachary Guzzardo who attends Catholic High of Pointe Coupee in Pointe Coupee Parish; and Kaylan Garrard who attends Port Allen High School in West Baton Rouge Parish.

Photo Caption: Shown from left are Heather Crabtree, Zachary Guzzardo, Emily Myers, PCEMC Director Peter Rumfola Jr., Kathryn D’Albor, Howarneshia Bates, Caroline Williams, Phillip Romano, McKeba Green, Kaylan Garrard, PCEMC Director Irvin E. Settoon Sr., PCEMC Director Alton B. Smith Jr. and Director of Regulatory and Transmission Assets-NRG South Central Jennifer Vosburg.

 The Pointe Coupee Electric and NRG, Louisiana Generating Youth Tour finalists were selected from approximately 200 high school juniors from the three-parish area served by Pointe Coupee Electric who were eligible to participate in a writing contest. The students submitted essays in the form of letters to any elected official on a topic of their choosing. The final competition held March 7 consisted of the written letter accounting for 50 percent of the judging, an interview which counted for 30 percent, and the oral presentation of the letter, which made up 20 percent of their score. Judging this year’s event were Rick Ward, Director of Marketing and Member Services with the Association of La. Electric Cooperatives; David Latona, Manager of Member and Public Relations with Dixie Electric Membership Corporation (DEMCO); and Jamie Mabile, Economic Development Analyst, Louisiana State Division of Administration, Office of Community Development and Disaster Recovery Unit.

Attending the contest judging and congratulating the contestants on their presentations were PCEMC board members Irvin E. Settoon Sr., Alton B. Smith Jr., and Peter Rumfola Jr.

Also present to congratulate the winners was Jennifer Vosburg, Director of Regulatory & Governmental Affairs for NRG South Central.  

The youth tour delegates selected will be among the approximately 28 young people from all over the state participating in the Louisiana Tour to the nation's capital, June 11 through June 18, 2010.

Approximately 1,250 Youth Tour participants from 37 states will meet in Washington, D.C. for the 43rd National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's "Government-in-Action" Youth Tour Conference where they will meet their congressional delegation, learn first hand how our government works, tour historical sites and participate in many educational programs.

            Pointe Coupee Electric, one of Louisiana’s 11 electric cooperatives, which has been providing services for over 70 years to parts of Iberville, Pointe Coupee and West Baton Rouge parishes, has participated in the Rural Electric Youth Tour for three decades. NRG, Louisiana Generating began sponsoring students on the tour four years ago as part of its expanding community support program.

     PCEMC is your local electric co-op providing services in Iberville, Pointe Coupee and West Baton Rouge parishes for over 70 years. PCEMC is connecting people...impacting lives!

Contest Rules

Students must write a formal letter approximately 500 words to an elected official. Students, this is the perfect opportunity to voice your personal opinion to your elected officials on any issue, problem or success. In the letter, the topic of concern should be stated and thoroughly discussed. The letter should be addressed to the respective local, state or federal official in formal letter format. Obscene or offensive material will not be accepted and will automatically be disqualified. Good luck to all and have fun writing.

Guidelines and Information

1. Letter must have a cover sheet including:

a. Full name and age of student

b. Parent's or guardian's name, address and telephone number

c. Name and address of school

d. Sponsoring teacher's name

e. List of all school/community clubs and extracurricular activities

f. Student's email address

2. Letter must be in the format of a formal letter, typed and double spaced.

3. Do not sign your letter. Simply sign or end your letter as follows: A Concerned Student, A Thankful Student, A Grateful Student, etc.

4. Contestants should keep a personal copy of the letter.

5. Deadline is January 23, 2009 at 4:30 p.m.


 Letters become the property of Pointe Coupee Electric and may be published at the discretion of Pointe Coupee Electric.

Judging

Preliminary Selection- A judging committee will select the top three entries from each parish (Iberville, Pointe Coupee and West Baton Rouge). The preliminary winners will advance to the final selection and will be notified by mail and telephone.

Final Selection

- The final judging will be based on the written assignment (50%), personal interview (30%) and oral presentation of the letter (20%).

Three first place winners, one from each parish, will represent Pointe Coupee Electric and two other first place winners will represent Louisiana Generating (NRG) at the NRECA Youth Tour Conference in Washington, D.C. June 11 through June 18, 2010. There will be no Leadership Conference this year.  If unable to attend this conference, the winner must step down and the trip will be offered to the second place winner. A student must attend the Youth Leadership Conference in order to attend the Washington D.C. trip. Second place winners will be chosen as alternates and will attend in the event the first place winners are unable to attend.

Mail contest entries to:
Member Services Department, Pointe Coupee Electric, P.O. Box 160, New Roads, LA 70760 or deliver to 2506 False River Drive, New Roads, LA 70760

Contest entries must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, January 22, 2010

For more information contact Joanie Bishop at the following:
225-638-3751 or 1-800-738-7232

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


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