J.M. &uot;Malloy&uot; Chandler of Greenville and Harold Powell also of Greenville were elected to the Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives’ Board of directors April 3 during the association’s 55th annual meeting in Montgomery.

Chandler will serve on the association’s member services committee. Powell will serve on the association’s governance and public relations, and legislative committees.

A.R.E.A.’s board also elected Mike Simpson of Sand Mountain Electric Cooperative as chairman, Nolan Laird of Wiregrass Electric Cooperative as vice chairman, and Gary Harrison of Dixie EC as secretary-treasurer.

The annual meeting, which was held April 2 and 3 in Montgomery, attracted more than 350 rural electric leaders and supporters from across the state.

Named as the association’s State Senator of the Year was Bobby E. Denton of Muscle Shoals; Rep. H. Mac Gipson of Prattville was named State Representative of the Year.

A.R.E.A.’s highest award, its Eminent Service Award, was presented to U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt for his untiring efforts in support of the rural electric and public power programs in Alabama and across the nation.

Tom Perry, retired manager of Southern Pine Electric Cooperative in Brewton, received the Bill Nichols Award for Rural Electrification and John Ussery, a longtime employee of Wiregrass Electric Cooperative in Hartford, was presented the Jack Jenkins Cooperative Employee Citizenship Award.

Clark J. Stewart of WHEP Radio in Baldwin County received the association’s 2003 Media Excellence Award for fair and accurate reporting of local and national issues that affect electric cooperatives.

The Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives is a federation of notfor-profit electric cooperatives, which provide low-cost, dependable electricity to more than 1 million Alabamians in 63 counties.