Mark Justice, Director of Education and Community Relations at Cobb EMC, was named Distinguished Cooperator today by the Georgia Cooperative Council, a statewide nonprofit association whose membership is composed of financial, electric, telephone, marketing, and service cooperatives. Nominees received the honor this morning during the Council’s Annual Meeting for members at GRESCO headquarters in Forsyth, GA.
 
“It’s always special when a Cobb EMC employee gets recognized for outstanding work in our community,” said Kevan Espy, President and CEO of Cobb EMC. “Cooperatives thrive on relationships formed within the communities and schools they serve. Under Mark’s leadership, these connections continue to grow and create opportunities for organizations and educators.”
 
Cobb EMC’s community efforts have evolved over the years to include a significant emphasis on education and literacy initiatives that have impacted countless students, cooperative members, and the community. Justice has developed unique outreach programs and expanded the cooperative’s involvement to include support for various ongoing education and non-profit organizations. These programs benefit local communities that Cobb EMC serves throughout its five-county service territory.
 
“Mark is the quintessential servant leader, and his commitment to our community is unwavering and seemingly endless,” said Kris Delaney, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Cobb EMC. “In addition to the numerous initiatives that Mark spearheads with local schools, he works with numerous community groups and chambers of commerce and serves in a leadership capacity for many of them. This is all in addition to the list of 54 projects that we included in his nomination.”
 
The Georgia Cooperative Council gives out the Distinguished Cooperator award each year to a nominee that is a cooperative employee or any person that has contributed to the development of a Georgia cooperative. They must also be outstanding in one or more fields of cooperative endeavors affecting many people.