Flippin' the Switch
Flippin' the Switch
Leading the Line with New CEO Ricky Maready
Leadership born from experience stands at the heart of our latest Flippin' the Switch episode featuring Ricky Maready, Jones-Onslow EMC's new CEO who brings an extraordinary 37 years of cooperative service to his role. Ricky's journey from load management technician to chief executive offers a masterclass in understanding electric cooperative operations from the ground up. This front-row seat to Jones-Onslow's evolution has shaped his leadership philosophy, which he summarizes beautifully as focusing on "the little old lady at the end of the line" – ensuring that every member receives equal attention regardless of size or influence.
The episode takes a meaningful turn as we spotlight the cooperative's Bright Ideas grant program for teachers with Community and Communications Director Krystal Phillips. Whether you're curious about the cooperative's leadership transition, community development, or educational support initiatives, this episode showcases how Jones-Onslow continues evolving while remaining true to our cooperative principles. Ready to learn more about the people and programs that make your electric cooperative special? Listen now and discover the stories behind the service.
all right, we are back with another edition of flipping the switch. It is been a busy summer, lots happening for people inside the co-op and outside the co-op, and our newest edition is our new ceo, ricky moretti. Now it's kind of funny to say newest addition, because you're definitely not a new addition to Jones-Onslow. Ricky's been here for 37 years, wow. So welcome to Flippin' the Switch, ricky.
Speaker 2:Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1:I don't even think over your 37 years is this the first time you've been on this podcast?
Speaker 2:First time I've been on the podcast.
Speaker 1:What First? Timer, I know I know Well, we're going to have to make you a regular. Here we are in this podcast situation and we're going to ask you a few questions.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:We have given Ricky some of these questions, but some might pop up as a surprise while we're chatting. You never know. There you go, keep you on your toes.
Speaker 2:I'm on my toes.
Speaker 1:Now, 37 years is a long time to be anywhere. 37 years in the same place and now 37 years in the same company. What does it mean, over your time at Jones-Anslow, to now be the CEO?
Speaker 2:It is a. You're right, 37 years is a long time. It's been great, great experience. I kind of would say I started at the bottom and worked my way up and actually spent most of my time in the Sneed's Ferry office Sneed's Ferry area, we have a district office there and spent about 26 years there of my 37 years.
Speaker 1:And prior to that you were at this main office in Jacksonville.
Speaker 2:I was at the main office here in Jacksonville. I started out as a load management technician.
Speaker 1:Now are some of the jobs that you have had over 37 years not at the co-op anymore.
Speaker 2:Exactly that being one of them, and the next one I had was a CACT tech.
Speaker 1:And what would we think that would be?
Speaker 2:That would be satellites installing satellites back in the day now.
Speaker 1:We had had a conversation about this a few weeks ago and I said oh, you mean like the satellite that's as big as your house?
Speaker 2:and you said, yes, yes, the big 10 foot satellite dishes. Who would have ever thought, john?
Speaker 1:donzo was selling satellites and then you had satellites. Then where did you go?
Speaker 2:I went to a staking engineer.
Speaker 1:And now we still have that job.
Speaker 2:We do. We still have the staking program under engineering and it's great that helped me as far as lining poles and learning the territory and area of Jones-Honslow.
Speaker 1:I think over the past couple months, since we've having like these conversations about your evolution, to this position it's been really enlightening to hear all the things you have done at Jones Onslow and also the fact that, no matter if it was in your job title or not, you did it anyway.
Speaker 2:Exactly, that's kind of how I was raised in the co-op world. That's kind of how I was raised in the co-op world. You could fall over into something that you were not familiar with, but you became familiar with it. A lot of cross-training unprovoked cross-training, may I say and I think that's helped me out along my career as much as anything.
Speaker 1:You've been out there with them setting poles.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:All sorts of things. So you think about learning a job. You've had 37 years to learn every aspect of this co-op and get to know a lot of people because, as our listeners know, people that go to Jones-Onslow tend to stay at Jones-Onslow.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:I think you and Mary Ann Gerganus are two of those people that have stayed Absolutely so I think that's one of those great things about Jones-Onslow.
Speaker 2:It is. It is the people here, the family atmosphere. It's more than just coming to work.
Speaker 1:You know that was one of our next questions was why do you think that Jones-Onslow is such a special place to work? But I think you got it, it's all the people.
Speaker 2:right, it is the people, and it's our members too. But it is our people and the employees here serving our members.
Speaker 1:Now, one of the things I would like to draw attention to is Ricky's known in the community. For sure you go around town and everybody's like, hey, ricky, ricky, ricky will stop you in the drive-thru because he probably went to high school with your sister, brother or even you just to check in and see how you are. Sure, you're a man of the people, ricky. Now your experience through these years you know you spent over 20 years in Sneets Ferry. How does that kind of give you an aspect of looking at operations day to day?
Speaker 2:It actually the Sneets Ferry area, the beach area, is one of our densest population and you know as well as I do we're one of the top in the country as far as meter per mile. That's right, and the density comes a lot from that area and we have a mix of all different type people there and that has helped me also dealing with different people from all over the United States and world at that.
Speaker 1:You've got people that just come for a couple months to their beach house, people that have been there for a couple centuries in their family.
Speaker 2:Even we do have those types of people All different types of members in Sneets Ferry. We do.
Speaker 1:Your time at Sneets Ferry. You were definitely present there primarily, but you spent a lot of time in Jacksonville, coming back and forth too.
Speaker 2:I did that role I had in the beginning there as the district manager. I fit into a more PR on the whole company-wide so I would end up in Pollocksville or Maysville, swansboro, richlands, dealing with some politics and some member issues. Member engagement Exactly.
Speaker 1:And you kind of have seen our whole area go through this change. You know, from 37 years ago Jacksonville kind of ended at the end of Western Boulevard, past the mall Exactly, and we've seen it kind of expand all the way to almost to Richland. You know, it used to be probably 25 years ago, even Sneets Ferry area was just a small fishing community.
Speaker 2:It is not a small fishing village anymore which of it is, and we try to keep that, but it's, it's tough, it's, it's exploded, especially in the tops of beach.
Speaker 1:Uh, sneet fair area and the rich lands and smalls world just like you said, but uh yeah, it has changed a lot you know we've grown in our membership through the years tremendously absolutely and as we grow, there's lots of different things that happen to us. Personally is like our growth within our job and how the co-op is changing to meet the needs of our members, kind of over those 37 years to this point, what do you think your leadership style has been?
Speaker 2:It's kind of I get in a direction on the little old lady at the end of the line and I'll explain that to you or our listeners.
Speaker 2:We cannot forget about our members. That are our individual meters and we call it little old lady at the end of the line because we have large developers, we have the military base, but we've got to treat them all the same. We're a co-op and that's how we do it. If you dig down into it, treating them the same yeah, they go. No, you're not going to be able to treat them the same, but yes, we do try to treat them the same. As far as the co-op world, and. Jones-onslow EMC.
Speaker 1:That member experience is really important.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:At Jones-Onslow. You're not a customer, you're a member. That's right, and being a member means a lot of things, and part of that is that we hope that we can be your ally and your friend and give you tips, true, and you build those bridges, I think.
Speaker 2:I try to, and I think I try to walk the walk and talk the talk.
Speaker 1:Oh, you do, so come along with me. So now we're going to jump back into you being an Onslow County native, right. What are some of your favorite parts of the community that we serve?
Speaker 2:Well, obviously I love the beach.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:I love Topsail Beach, Surf City, Sneeds Ferry that's my home.
Speaker 1:But you are a Jacksonville native.
Speaker 2:I'm from Half Moon, North Carolina.
Speaker 1:See, there we go.
Speaker 2:Right off Gumber Ranch.
Speaker 1:Native I'm from half moon north carolina.
Speaker 2:See, there we go right off gum branch and I do love my area there also. Okay, are you a whiteow grad? I am a jacksonville grad. Don't be saying about the thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sorry big rivalries back in the day, it still is.
Speaker 2:It still is, but not like it used to be no, that's true it is. That was a big crosstown rivalries back in the day.
Speaker 1:So some people will never wear red and some people will never absolutely green, Absolutely Just how it is.
Speaker 1:I have a friend that way but that experience throughout all of your life makes you perfect for this position, because you know what Jacksonville was, where it is now and where it's going to be. You know the people that make up our community and the people that can come here and be part of the community, even if they didn't originate here. Now, over the next little bit, you're going to have some priorities that you're going to have to kind of tackle. I'm sure Do you have like some sort of vision of where you want to go, I do, I do, we we've actually.
Speaker 2:You know it's cliche to talk about growing pains, but we actually have a lot of growing pains.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's hard when you grow, all the time.
Speaker 2:Not only here at Jones-Oslo and our facilities but in our employees but out in the community. Like you just said a while ago, Swansboro, Sneeze Ferry are expanding and growing. That means more line and polls and workers coming in, contractors coming in, plus growing our employment here and keeping great employees. Yeah and uh, that's tough but uh that is part exactly, and technology is a huge part of it. I think that's uh. One of my main focuses right now is retention. We're working on it. Yeah, we're working on it.
Speaker 1:Jones-Onslow's got nothing but blue skies ahead.
Speaker 2:Amen.
Speaker 1:So if you had a message to tell Jones-Onslow members what would it be?
Speaker 2:Being a part of a membership, I think gives you a different perspective on the decisions being made at your house or in the field. Or you see the employees at Jones Oslo EMC. Knowing that they're working for you, that's a big thing.
Speaker 1:It's a huge part of the co-op world.
Speaker 2:It is.
Speaker 1:And one of the things that we always like to say is that we're your neighbors, we're your friends and it's nice when you call the number 910-353-1940. You actually are talking to somebody. You can go the automated route, you can go the automated route. You don't want to chit-chat with anybody?
Speaker 2:It's nice to be able to talk to our MSRs. They're at the front line, they're typically the first contacts and that sets that whole demeanor of being member owned.
Speaker 1:Well, it's really important to have that personal connection and we're all very fortunate that you are with us. Well, I appreciate it. So, ricky, welcome to Jones-Onsel as the CEO.
Speaker 2:Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1:I think you'll stay for a little while. I hope so, I hope so. I hope they'll keep me. I think you're going to be here for the long haul. Thank you, 37 years is pretty good.
Speaker 2:It is pretty good.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Ricky.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 3:All right, everyone Natalie here, and we hope you enjoyed our interview with new CEO Ricky Moretti. I'm here to close out the episode with a rapid fire Q&A segment supporting some of the strongest pillars in our community. Our teachers School is back in session and that means teachers are bringing their projects and ideas to life for the new school year. Here at Jones Onslow, we have the honor and privilege of helping out financially by awarding teachers Bright Ideas grants. We've been doing this for decades and it's one of the highlights of our job in the communications department. So today we have our community and communications director, crystal Phillips, here to give you all the information you need to know to provide any teachers you know with the opportunity to receive assistance with classroom projects. Or, if you're a teacher yourself, tune in and see how we can help improve your classroom.
Speaker 1:Welcome Crystal. I feel like I was just on here.
Speaker 3:I was.
Speaker 1:I was just on here. People are going to be like, oh my god, it's this lady again.
Speaker 3:But she's got some good information to share, so I do.
Speaker 1:I'll have you back anytime, even if it's on the same episode.
Speaker 3:Thanks, hey, double up. So obviously, crystal and I work together in the communications department so I get to see how involved she is and how passionate she is firsthand. But, crystal, I'm just going to let you have the floor and talk about your background and why you love this program so much Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Bright Ideas is one of those programs that is very unique to electric cooperatives and, coming from my background prior to coming to Jones-Onslow five years ago, I have spent my whole career in higher ed and higher ed is one of those places where you get to know the students and you get to know the teachers that make them who they are. And Bright Ideas does that every year in the same way. We're very unique being able to support teachers with innovative ideas that they may not have the funding at their school or through various other, you know, outlets in the community and we're able to make those dreams happen. And it's nice because it's not limited to just being something that's electricity driven, it's your idea driven. So, from my background and coming to this, it's kind of a full circle moment. You know I used to fundraise for students to get an education and now I get to do the other side of it to help the teachers provide a better level of education and inquisitiveness, and it's a unique offering for us.
Speaker 3:For sure, and it's such a blessing too, because obviously we want to set students up for success in our service territory. But it all starts with teachers.
Speaker 1:It does.
Speaker 3:And they are so, so important. So we are very lucky to be able to help out. So you already kind of gave us a rundown of what Bright Ideas does. How did this grant program start?
Speaker 1:It all started with one of our sister co-ops called Brunswick EMC, which is down in the Southern part of our state. It was one of the folks that worked at the co-op. They were in line at, I think, a Walmart over 31 years ago and you know that back to school time is chaos. You know. For parents like myself, it's got to get 16 composition notebooks and binders. But for a teacher it's one of those experiences where they are trying to think ahead of like what if Susie Sweetwater in the class doesn't have a composition, doesn't have a pencil, doesn't have this?
Speaker 1:So this person that was at Brunswick EMC was at the Walmart. She was standing in line. There was a lady in front of her and she had a cart and it was just full of school supplies. You know. First thought she's like wow, she do it and she get donations. Is she going to pick up stuff? She got to talk to her. She's like well, that's a lot of school supplies. And the lady said oh yeah, I buy a lot of extra school supplies, so my students that maybe don't have something I can meet their needs and they don't feel awkward on that first day Right.
Speaker 1:And from that interaction at the Walmart in Brunswick she came rushing back to her co-op and told the CEO what can we do to make lives a little easier on teachers? We all know that teachers aren't paid bukus Right, and if there's some small way that we can help them, this is the way they found it. So from 31 years ago, from that one interaction at Walmart, it has grown to being in 26 co-ops within the state of.
Speaker 1:North Carolina. That's amazing. It took her one idea and within that one year pretty much everyone started to trickle on. Jones-anzo was right at the beginning, so when Brunswick did it, our CEO at the time was like absolutely, we're going to do it too. How much money do we need to do so? Over the years it's just been one of those things that has grown tremendously and it's great to see it in all 26 co-ops.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, and I think that's such a testament to what we can do as a co-op and how that originates. You know, we're out in the community, we see a need, we fulfill that need. And then obviously, as it trickled into, all the other co-ops in the state. That's just like planting a seed.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and it also gives you that validation of one small interaction can make a change.
Speaker 3:Absolutely OK, so can you quickly run us through the Bright Ideas application process? Absolutely.
Speaker 1:It's super easy. I would suggest, if you are an educator, make sure you apply. The process is not something that is so overwhelming that it's going to take you days to complete. Our grants are ranging from $500 to $2,000, and the $2,000 is more if you have a team project. A team can be two, it could be 20. An individual funding amount is a little bit lower just because it's one person.
Speaker 1:We've funded beehives at White Oak High School, which has been a progression through the years to see that grow. We've done solar farms, little mini solar farms. Hydroponic gardens we did at Maysville, which I thought was really cool. It was a living history show and so they had all the students in a certain grade go out and learn more about the community they're in. So it's not limited to like a STEM related program, right, we encourage you to go out and if you have an idea and you think, hey, I'd really want to make this happen for my students because it's something that would be really important and make their learning experience better, then let's do it Now.
Speaker 1:To do the application, you just go to our website. It's joemccom backslash community, backslash bright ideas. That's a lot to say. Click on the apply now. You'll just set up an account, so you'll put in your username, password, start a new account, find your school on the form and then from there all you need is the name of your project, who else is going to be involved in your project, how many students would be impacted, and then an itemized budget of what it would cost to make this a reality. Once they do that, they have to have applications in by September the 15th. So that will be here very soon. Mark that on your calendar. Yes, september the 15th, by five o'clock. All applications have to be in Now. From that, it takes about a month because there are so many applications. Right now we're at 156 applications, which is amazing.
Speaker 3:Typically, we start to see them roll in closer to fall time, but it's been really awesome to see everybody super excited and enthusiastic about it, so be sure to get them in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if you wanted to start, like you know you do this year, and you think, oh, okay, I don't want to wait again until September. Our applications open on April the 1st, so you actually have a long time to apply for these. Once they do that, we'll go through. They go to blind judges in each one of the counties because our Bright Ideas grants serve schools that are on our service territory. In Pender County, all of Onslow County schools and Jones County schools.
Speaker 1:At this time we only do public schools. That's just something that we had decided years ago. Doesn't mean it won't change, but for now that's where we're at and from there they'll get judged and then we notify all the teachers. They get a letter via email and snail mail from Regardless. Either way, we try our best not to turn anybody down if we can help it. We award close to $75,000 every year to this program, which is a lot, and it's just a drop in the bucket for what the teachers need, I know. And from there we have a big banquet in December and highlight all the winners and their projects, and it's a great time.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's awesome to see everybody come together and share how all of their funded projects turned out. And just a time to celebrate teachers, because, again, they are just such a pillar of our community, absolutely Well. That's pretty much all the important stuff that you guys need to know if you are interested in applying. But to close it out on a sweet note, do you have any projects that you remember fondly in your time with this program?
Speaker 1:oh, gosh, there was a project in topsoil. April kinlaw shout out. She's a wonderful teacher. She did a um superhero like science night, which was really great one of the things, I have to say. She remembered her time as a student and was just enamored with the idea of a science night. After hours it was like she's like oh, this is something that I did as a kid and I think my kids would really like it, and that's what she did. She made her childhood, you know, fun and dream come to reality. You know, fast forward, like 15, 20 years later she's still doing it and there are so many stories about people that were students in a classroom that got a Bright Ideas grant, that are now educators in our community. Right, and they're applying for Bright Ideas grants. So she's one of the many that we have here. We always have to acknowledge.
Speaker 1:You know, our friend Brandon Dillman. Yep, he is the beehive master. You think about White Oak. They have started something there that actually is essentially what Bright Ideas is all about. Years ago he wrote a grant to bring one hive on campus just for part of his science class offerings and then they grew it into several hives. They have a farm with a pollinating garden and from there now kids can go on field trips to a facility that they built with funding from the community and Bright Ideas grants where they can see how beehives work. They have a camera inside the hive and they can see what the bees actually do and they see how bees are processed. So it's really great to see what teachers can do whenever you just give them a little bit of extra incentive to do it. You know, some of those ideas could have just been sitting in a vault somewhere in the back of the brain and thinking, hey, it may not have ever worked out for me, but I'm glad that we're just part of the journey to help it be successful.
Speaker 3:Right, we don't want any of those dreams to not come to fruition, and it's really cool to see how, even with that first project, that.
Speaker 3:Brandon did, how big it's gotten. And also, too, I've gotten to interview some teachers as we promote the banquet and just get a little bit more personal with them, and to hear their stories of when they were in school and potentially being impacted by a broad ideas grant to now applying for their own. It's just such a cool experience and I hope it's a legacy that lives on forever. Absolutely All right, crystal. So how can we contact you if we have any questions?
Speaker 1:about our application. You can call me Our number here at the office is 910-353-1940 and just ask to speak to Crystal Phillips. You can also email me, which is kphillips at joemccom and, like I said, you can visit our website, joemccom. Slash community, slash bright ideas.
Speaker 3:And that gives you all the information and remind everybody when our due date is, you better?
Speaker 1:hurry. It's September the 15th, so we have about two and a half three weeks until you've got to get them in. So I know there are some of us that wait till the last minute, and that's no judgment. I'm there with you, but just make sure it's in by five o'clock on the 15th.
Speaker 3:Sounds good. Well, thanks, crystal, for breaking everything down, and we wish everybody a big good luck to all who are applying. I hope everybody has a great year. Well, folks, that's all for today's episode of Flippin' the Switch. Be sure to follow us on our social media platforms to stay in the loop with Jones Onslow. We'll see y'all next time.