HUGHESVILLE, Md.—The board of directors of the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) elected new officers at the regular monthly board meeting on Tuesday, August 20, 2013. Richard A. Winkler of La Plata was elected chairman. W. Rayner Blair III of Lexington Park was elected vice chairman. Fern G. Brown of White Plains was re-elected to the secretary-treasurer's post, and Kenneth L. Dyson of Hughesville was re-elected as the assistant secretary-treasurer. Board officers' terms are limited to five years. Joseph Stone of California, former chairman, and Samuel "Jack" Hammett of Prince Frederick, former vice chairman, will continue to serve on SMECO's board.
Richard Winkler, who represents Charles County on the SMECO Board of Directors, retired as the Director of Fiscal Services (CFO) for Charles County government after 27 years of service. Winkler currently serves as secretary-treasurer on the Board of Directors of the University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center, formerly Civista. He is a member of its executive committee and chair of the finance committee. He is also a legislative appointee to the Board of Fire and Rescue Commissioners and a Trustee of the McDonough Charity School Scholarship Foundation. He is a past president of the Charles County Rotary Club, the Charles/St. Mary's Baseball League, past treasurer of Hawthorne Country Club, and a current member of the Knights of Columbus and American Legion Post 82. He has held the posts of chairman and treasurer of the Charles County Democratic Committee.
Winkler enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1964 and was recalled to active duty from 1968 to 1969. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland University College. He has been a SMECO director since 2006 and currently serves on the Policy, Audit, and Budget Committee and is chairman of the Personnel and Benefits Committee. He holds both the Credentialed Cooperative Director designation and the Board Leadership Certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
Rayner Blair has represented St. Mary's County on SMECO's Board of Directors since 1999. Owner of Blair's Jewelry and Gifts and Suntime Tanning LLC, Blair also serves as president of the Blair Real Estate Development Company. He is a member of St. Clements Island Museum and St. John's Church and past president of the Southern Maryland Boating Association.
Blair is a graduate of the University of Maryland. He currently serves on SMECO's Board Risk Oversight Committee and is chairman of the Capital Projects Committee. He received the Credentialed Cooperative Director designation in 2005 and is pursuing the Board Leadership Certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
Fern Brown has served as secretary-treasurer and Kenneth Dyson has served as assistant secretary-treasurer since September 2009.
Source: SMECO