Our Mission
Powering communities
and empowering lives.
Dixie Electric Mission Statement
Dixie Electric’s Core Values
Safety
We are committed to making safety the most important aspect of our culture for our employees and members.
Accountability
We are committed to keeping our members at the heart of all we do and are committed to staying true to the cooperative principles.
Employee Support, Development, and Loyalty
We are committed to creating a culture in which our employees can reach their full potential through a productive work environment, development opportunities, and competitive compensation.
Quality Service
We will strive to provide reliable electrical service at an economical rate to our members while building and maintaining a quality electrical system.
Integrity
We will strive to do the right thing in all that we do and in the decisions we make.
Community Support
We will support our local community through charitable, educational, and economic development opportunities.
Dixie Electric Member Handbook (PDF)
Cooperative Difference
Dixie Electric Power Association is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative. As a cooperative, we operate by the seven cooperative principles:
Voluntary and Open Membership
Cooperatives are voluntary organizations open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political, or religious discrimination.
Democratic Member Control
Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the general membership. In primary cooperatives, members have equal voting rights – one member, one vote.
Members’ Economic Participation
Members contribute to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the cooperative. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing the cooperative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the cooperative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.
Autonomy and Independence
Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their cooperative autonomy.
Education, Training, and Information
Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives. They inform the general public – particularly young people and opinion leaders – about the nature and benefits of cooperation.
Cooperation among Cooperatives
Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional, and international structures.
Concern for Community
While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies accepted by their members.
Our History
May 11, 1935
President Roosevelt Orders Rural Electrification
President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order to electrify rural areas.
This order not only provided rural electrification, but it also provided jobs for Americans who desperately needed them during the Depression.
May 20, 1936
REA Becomes Permanent
Congress approved the Rural Electrification Act and Roosevelt signed the legislation, making the Rural Electrification Administration a permanent federal agency.
This Act allowed REA to receive funding and in turn, offer low-interest loans to rural residents who created electric cooperatives and brought power to rural America.
July 15, 1938
Jones County EPA Receives REA Loan
Jones County Electric Power Association received one such REA loan.
7 months later, Jones County EPA began offering electric service to rural areas of Jones County, as well as surrounding areas.
December 31, 1939
700 Members served
Jones County EPA served 700 members along 230 miles of power line.
Early
Years
Dixie EPA was located on Ellisville Boulevard in Laurel.
2 employees operated the office while General Manager Stover Smith answered service calls, along with Serviceman Lenard Breazeale.
These employees not only built lines for the rural areas, but they also taught rural residents how to benefit from this new-found power source.
January 1, 1943
Dixie EPA Expands
Dixie moved from Ellisville Boulevard to a wooden office building at 317 South Magnolia Street in Laurel. Dixie Electric purchased the property from Alfred McRae.
After building a new brick facility, Dixie rented the wooden office building to Dr. Earl McRae. After Dr. McRae moved out, Dixie moved its linemen and engineering departments into the building. From 1949 to 1970, Dixie Electric’s headquarters operated from this location.
The offices were expanded several times to accommodate the growing number of employees.
December 31, 1949
Jones County EPA Becomes Dixie EPA
Jones County EPA changed its name to Dixie Electric Power Association including Wayne County and parts of other neighboring counties.
By 1950, the Association grew to 1,735 members and encompassed more than 700 miles of line.
December 31, 1949
Waynesboro Branch Opens
Dixie Electric opened its first branch office on Highway 84 in Waynesboro.
January 1, 1952
Petal Branch Opens
Dixie Electric opened another branch office at 101 West Eighth Avenue in Petal.
While at the South Magnolia location Stover Smith retired, and in 1964, Ora Beasley became General Manager.
January 15, 1971
Dixie Electric Moved to Its Present Location on Highway 184.
July 1, 1975
James T. Dudley, Jr. is named General Manager
February 1, 1996
Data Partnership
Dixie Electric partners with a Central Area Data Process for software applications in the areas of billing, service orders, work orders, and accounting. CADP later expanded and changed its name to National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC). This is the current enterprise computer system used by Dixie Electric.
October 1, 2000
Petal Branch Expands
A new building was built for the Petal branch office on Highway 42 in Petal.
January 1, 2004
Waynesboro Branch Moves
The Waynesboro branch office relocated next door from their old office on Azalea Drive.
The former bank building was purchased and renovated to better accommodate the needs of the members in Wayne County.
August 29, 2005
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina devastated Dixie Electric’s service territory, knocking down trees and lines.
All of Dixie Electric’s members were without electric power. The restoration took three weeks.
January 25, 2008
James T. Dudley, Jr. Retires
James T. Dudley, Jr. retires and Alan Bradley, long-time engineering manager, is named the new General Manager.
November 1, 2010
James T. Dudley, Jr. Returns
James T. Dudley, Jr. returns to serve as Interim General Manager.
July 1, 2011
Randy Smith becomes General Manager
Randy Smith is selected as the General Manager and James T. Dudley, Jr. retires.
October 24, 2020
Dixie Electric forms DE Fastlink
The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the need for rural broadband.
Electric Cooperatives were called upon to help bridge the digital divide, and Dixie Electric members voted in October 2020 to amend the Articles of Incorporation to allow Dixie Electric to provide fiber to its members.
DE Fastlink was formed shortly thereafter, and the first fiber subscriber was connected in Dec. 2020.