Members of the Rural Electric Member Action Committee (REMAC) will have its two representatives present on the selection committee when it comes time to review the applications to replace outgoing Pioneer Electric General Manager Malloy Chandler.

At REMAC's quarterly meeting this past Saturday, Oct. 1, REMAC President Margaret Pierce announced that Barry Wood of Industry, and Ronnie Jones of Tyler in Lowndes County, will join Ted Tindal, Jimmy Gardner and Hugh Strickland of the Pioneer Electric Board to serve on the selection committee and review the managerial applications. Strickland will be serving as chairman of the new selection committee.

"We have two excellent people to represent us not only on the selection committee but also at all of the Pioneer Electric board meetings," Pierce said.

"They are both retired, astute businessmen who can ably take on this responsibility. This is a big step for us to have this representation."

Wood and Jones will be at every PE board meeting and will be allowed to ask questions and be included in every executive session, according to J. Doyle Fuller, one of three attorneys representing REMAC members in a lawsuit that was first filed in Feb. 2004. The suit alleged gross mismanagement of the cooperative's funds and that management made poor business decisions that brought the cooperative to the verge of insolvency.

According to Wood, applications are now being accepted for the general manager position, which will be vacated by Chandler on Jan. 5, 2006.

"We will know the number of applicants in more detail during the month of November," Wood said. "We haven't been given the exact cut-off date for receiving applications as yet."

Wood said that from the number of applications submitted, the selection committee would then choose ten applicants. Even though Wood and Jones will have voting authority on the selection committee, they will not have a vote in the final decision for a new general manager. Wood said that the final decision would come from the Pioneer Electric Board of Trustees.

Pierce urged all of REMAC's members and Pioneer Electric members to attend Pioneer Electric's Annual Membership meeting, which will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Greenville High School auditorium.

For more information, contact www.myREMAC.com.