GreyStone Power has been honoring veterans in the local community via financial and in-kind support, through service programs such as Habitat for Humanity, as well as scholarships, donations to organizations dedicated to honoring military service, employment opportunities, and recognizing and showing appreciation for its own veteran-employees. Specific efforts to recognize military personnel began in 2015, when GreyStone hosted an event honoring Vietnam veterans during the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War.
Since that time, the co-op has launched a number of other initiatives to recognize veterans, including an annual military service recognition breakfast for GreyStone Power employees, retirees and board members who are veterans or are actively serving in the military. At this year’s breakfast event held on Nov. 11, GreyStone recognized the co-op’s newly hired veterans, as well as the spouses of veterans.
The event featured the presentation of colors by the South Paulding High School ROTC, and guests enjoyed special remarks from retired Col. John Thompson. Thompson, who had a 30-year military career, was recently inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame on Nov. 6. He began his career with the 4th Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, in Feucht, Germany, and served and commanded in a variety of conventional and special operations aviation assignments. Thompson had more than five years of combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Through the Vets Power Us initiative, a program of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), electric cooperatives nationwide strive to recruit, hire and honor veterans. GreyStone participates in the initiative, which was developed to support veterans, active military and their spouses by helping them explore meaningful career opportunities within America’s electric co-ops. Visit www.electric.coop/vetspowerus(link is external) to learn more.
“Supporting local veterans is part of GreyStone’s commitment to the communities we serve,” says Gary Miller, president/CEO of GreyStone Power. “These men and women have made great sacrifices through their service, and it’s a privilege to support them and recognize them in any way we can.”
GreyStone Power is a member-owned cooperative providing electricity and related services to more than 123,000 members in eight counties, including portions of Paulding, Douglas, Fulton, Cobb, Carroll, Bartow, Fayette and Coweta counties.