The members and employees of San Patricio Electric Cooperative have built a decades-long tradition of gathering in Beeville on a Saturday morning each September for the co-op’s annual meeting. But this year, SPEC changed just about everything about the event: the venue, day of the week, time of day, programming—even the name was changed to put members first: Member Appreciation Day & Annual Meeting.
“Every aspect of this meeting has been changed—every single bit of it, even the location—and that was a major ordeal and major challenge,” General Manager Wolff said just before the doors opened for the Thursday, September 10, event at the San Patricio County Convention Center in Sinton. “It’s all about focusing on members, and now we get to see the fruits of our labors, all the planning and the work that we put into this.”
The work paid off: 216 members of the cooperative and hundreds of total attendees began filling the convention center well before the announced 5:30 p.m. start time, leaving nary an empty seat by the time the business meeting started at 7 p.m. They were there to participate in the business of the cooperative that they own but also for fun and some goodies.
Attendees won dozens of door prizes, put their knowledge of the co-op to the test with interactive games, exchanged hugs and handshakes with neighbors, and were treated to a dinner of barbecue sandwiches; kids took part in an indoor activity area and outdoor touch-a-truck zone with police, fire and co-op vehicles. Electric vehicles from Tesla and Aztec Chevrolet also were on hand, and Jennah Denney of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association gave a presentation on data centers and EVs and how cooperatives are leading the charge in a world that’s becoming more electrified.
“In my 10 years working in co-ops, this is probably the most well-attended meeting I’ve been to,” said Denney, whose mom lives in Aransas Pass. “And though a lot has changed over the past 75–100 years, your co-op’s mission has not: to evaluate how to best serve its members reliably, affordably and safely.”
Ensuring that mission since the co-op’s founding 88 years ago is the charge of the board of directors, which represents the co-op’s more than 8,000 members in the decision-making process. The election of directors is part of every annual meeting, and this year, four seats on the board were up for election. Director Jim Bassett, who represented District 6, chose not to seek another term on the board.
The co-op’s attorney, Milton Lorenz, announced that 734 ballots were received. Members reelected President Tom Mayo of Taft, representing District 2, and elected Frank Massey of Bee Country, District 6, to three-year terms. Charles Ring of Sinton, District 5, and Lee Ann Lockard of George West, At-Large, were elected to one-year terms to complete unexpired terms on the board. Ring and Lockard, who were previously appointed to the board, will stand for election again next year as part of their regular election cycle. Bassett, who was succeeded by Massey, was presented with a framed board resolution and challenge coin honoring his 15 years of service.
“Over the years, he has given countless hours to serving our members and helping guide our cooperative,” Mayo said. “We are grateful for his leadership, commitment and friendship.”
A moment of silence was observed for Clyde Stewart, a longtime co-op employee and 13-year board member, who died shortly after the 2025 annual meeting.
Since that annual meeting, San Patricio EC reached a milestone 18 years without a lost-time incident; sent two of its lineworkers on a life-changing mission to Guatemala, where they helped wire 135 homes for electricity; two other employees used a paddleboard to make outage repairs during flooding; and the co-op made reliability a focus, according to a prerecorded video shown at the meeting.
Wolff, who took over as general manager last August, credited his employees for a successful year.
“One of the things I’ve come to appreciate most during my first year as general manager is the people who make this cooperative work,” Wolff said. “They are your neighbors, your friends and members of the communities we serve, and I’m proud to call them my team.”
SPEC returned $2.6 million to members in capital credits in 2025, and the co-op put unclaimed credits to work for the community, funding 10 scholarships of $10,000 each for the 2026–27 school year and sending local high schoolers Brennan Keese and Aryn Vanecek to Washington, D.C., as part of the Government-in-Action Youth Tour.
Vanecek took to the stage to thank the co-op for sending her with 141 other Texas teens to our nation’s capital for an unforgettable experience in June. Before she departed for D.C., Vanecek asked previous attendees what to expect.
“I got the same answer every single time: This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I didn’t understand what that truly meant until I got to go,” said Vanecek, who is still in touch with friends from the trip. “I want to thank San Patricio Electric Co-op for allowing me to go on this life-changing trip.”
This meeting was the first to be held in Sinton since the 1970s and was the most well-attended in decades.
“I know this is very different, y’all coming here to Sinton, but it looks like it was a good idea. Thank you for coming,” Mayo said. “I want to thank the employees who worked so hard to put this meeting together. Our employees are very, very good at what they do.”
Wolff also credited his team for their work to keep power reliable and affordable in the face of a rapidly changing world.
“I’m proud of what this team has accomplished, I’m proud of how they serve our members today and I’m excited about what we’re preparing to accomplish tomorrow,” he said. “Our cooperative exists because of you—our member-owners. Thank you for your trust, your support and the opportunity to serve you.”