Member Appreciation Day Barbecue

At first, the crowd of green-clad employees at United Cooperative Services’ Stephenville office outnumbered the members who had come for a barbecue lunch and a chance to win cash, bill credits and gift cards at the co-op’s annual Member Appreciation Day.   

Soon, however, the parking lot began to fill up with hungry attendees ready for lunch. The smell of barbecue, supplied by Natty Flat Smokehouse in Lipan, permeated the air inside the co-op’s community room and wafted into the hallway where members began lining up to eat.

Member Appreciation Day was instituted in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic when venues weren’t booking events for large groups. Members were invited to all eight United offices to enjoy barbecue, talk with United employees, make new friends and greet old ones.

This year’s total of 729 memberships who registered at the event eclipsed last year’s total of 598. Many of the members who registered brought family and friends with them, bringing the total number of attendees to about 1,500.

At each of the eight offices, United offered door-prizes consisting of cash, bill credits and gift cards to area businesses, grocery stores and restaurants. In total, nearly 150 lucky winners took home a prize. Members who attended stood a good chance of winning one of the prizes (a full list of prize winners can be found on page 19).

Mary Bailey and her husband Bobby won a $100 gift card to Cracker Barrel. Mary said she felt especially happy to win a gift card because she’s currently undergoing chemotherapy and doesn’t feel like cooking. She visited the Burleson office for Member Appreciation Day.

“I’m doing pretty good,” Mary said. “The Lord has blessed me. I don’t feel like doing a lot of things, but I enjoyed Member Appreciation Day. Oh, my goodness, I was so happy I didn’t know what to do. That helped me a lot with not cooking that day. I enjoyed myself.”

The buffet at Stephenville included favorites such as brisket, sausage, potato salad and banana pudding or peach cobbler for dessert. Tall glasses of iced tea, lemonade and soft drinks lined a table, ready for the taking.

Susan Driskill and her husband Russell brought their two-year-old granddaughter, Sophia with them to the Stephenville office for the lunch on Oct. 4.

Taking a break between bites of barbecue, Susan mentioned her appreciation for United’s fiber internet, which they had installed last year.  

“We love it,” Susan said. “Before we had United, we had to use cellular hotspots. Because of the trees and hills, we couldn’t even get line-of-sight internet. So, when the co-op was offering that, we were so excited.”

As hungry members passed through the line, United CEO Cameron Smallwood greeted each one.

“Every year, I take this opportunity to meet one-on-one with as many members as possible,” Smallwood said. “I get a chance to hear members’ concerns first-hand, which is a valuable resource and touchstone for how we’re doing as a co-op. I’m particularly thankful for all the well-wishes and thanks I got in Stephenville for our internet service—a business that our members overwhelmingly voted for us to get into.”

At the Granbury office, Ryan Pruitt, a United energy solutions coordinator, said he enjoyed spending time talking with and educating members about topics ranging from home insulation standards, HVAC tune-ups, rebates available to homeowners and even just general questions about the status of the Texas grid.

Pruitt was one of five energy solutions specialists manning information tables at United offices.

“It was great to see so many members engaging with one another and with United’s employees over a meal,” Pruitt said. “Being my second year with United, Member Appreciation Day has quickly become my favorite event to participate in.”

United employees take this opportunity to engage and educate members every year with displays about solar power, the status of the internet buildout process, home efficiency and energy audits of the home.

Sipping on a cold drink in Granbury, Paul Kloberdanz reminisced about his time in the area and how things have changed over the years. Now retired, he said he’s lived near Lake Granbury for nearly 30 years and has been with the co-op since 1995. The lunch was a welcome chance to talk to others.

“The meal is a good thing,” Kloberdanz said. “I just enjoyed getting down here. The event is always nice because there’s plenty of good people to talk to.”

Susan Hernandez of Alvarado brought her son, Justino, and her daughter, Iris, to the festivities at the Mansfield office. Later joined by her husband, Justino, this is the first year the family has attended the Member Appreciation Day event though they have been members for 17 years. The family grabbed goody bags and a bite to eat before heading out.

“I came to pay my bill, and the lady over there (member service representative) told me about today,” Susan said. “I never knew about it. I’ve really enjoyed it, and I’ve enjoyed spending time with my family.”

Marty Haught, United’s chief operating officer, attended the Burleson event, greeting members, listening to feedback from them and thanking them for coming.

“The members are the reason we’re here,” Haught said. “Member Appreciation Day is about honoring our members, giving back to them and showing our gratitude. The cooperative belongs to its members. That’s why it’s important for us to take the time to recognize our members as an organization. It’s a day of fun, but more importantly it reminds us all why we’re here.”

In Burleson, local business owner Brady Millsap stopped in after hearing about the event from a friend.

“I think you guys have one of the best operations out there as far as utility companies,” Millsap said. “My brother is actually getting service with you guys, and I told him, ‘Count yourself lucky that you have United Co-op, because they really hold their numbers down and hold the cost down for their members.”