Coweta-Fayette EMC Board of Directors
J. Neal Shepard, Jr. Chairman
Coweta County Since 1994
nshepard@utility.org
Ross Henry Vice Chairman
Fulton-Heard Counties Since 2002
rhenry@utility.org
Daniel C. Langford, Jr.
Secretary-Treasurer
Fayette County Since 2016
dlangford@utility.org
Therol Brown
Fayette County Since 2006
tbrown@utility.org
James W. Fulton, III
Fayette County Since 2003
jfulton@utility.org
Donald Harris
Coweta County Since 2018
dharris@utility.org
Lee Hunter
Coweta County Since 2020
lhunter@utility.org
Alice J. Mallory
Fayette County Since 1994
amallory@utility.org
Mildred A. Winkles
Coweta County Since 1994
mwinkles@utility.org
Think about the manner in which your neighbors influence your behavior. Maybe its knowing that you’ll have to face them, that you’ll run into them at the grocery, at church or at the mailbox. You care what they think and you’re somehow “accountable.”Well, that’s how your Board of Directors feels. Each of them really is your neighbor. They’re people you select to represent you in the everyday operations of the company you own. And they’re people who know that they’re accountable to you for the actions we take and their consequences.
This group gives each item on the agenda their full attention, looking into the future as best they can to make sure that the interests of over 90,000 other members and customers will benefit from their decisions. Most of them also keep up with high-demand careers, volunteer time through civic and professional organizations and are leaders in their churches and the community at large.
J. Neal Shepard, Jr.- Director/Board Chairman, Coweta-Fayette EMC
Neal Shepard was an original director of the Coweta-Fayette Trust /Operation Round-Up Board in 1993-94. He has served on the Coweta-Fayette EMC Board of Directors representing Coweta County since November 1994. He was elected as Board Secretary-Treasurer in 2003 and served through October 2021 when he was elected to serve as Board Vice Chairman. He has served as the chairman of the board’s Finance Committee and is currently serving as Chairman of the board’s Policy & Public Relations Committee. He is also the Chairman of the EMC Gas Board (True Natural Gas) and serves on the board of Relyco Resources, Inc. Both are wholly owned subsidiaries of Coweta-Fayette EMC.
He is Vice Chairman of Georgia Systems Operations Corporation that operates the power grid for the Cooperatives throughout the state of Georgia. Neal is also the delegate from GSOC to the Georgia EMC (GEMC) board of directors.
Neal Shepard has been in the insurance business since 1973. He began his financial securities business in 1992, where he currently works and has been serving clients for 31 years. He also served 10 years as Chairman of the Board of the Coweta County Water and Sewer Authority. He has served the community in leadership capacities with the Kiwanis Club, the Red Cross, and the Chamber of Commerce. His career includes 4 terms in the Georgia Legislature, during this time he also served by appointment as the Liaison to the Reagan White House for 4 years, and remains active with friends and contacts in Washington D.C.
Neal and his wife, Jodie, have 3 sons, daughters-in-law and 7 grandchildren.
Ross Henry- Director/Vice Chairman, Coweta-Fayette EMC
Ross has served as director on the Coweta-Fayette EMC board since 2002 representing the service areas other than Coweta and Fayette counties. He has been a member of the boards Finance and Policy & Public Relations Committees. He currently serves as Board Chairman of Relyco Resources, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Coweta-Fayette EMC.
Ross has been the Sheriff of Heard County for 27 years with a career in law enforcement spanning over 36 years. He serves on numerous boards and is active in many projects and causes benefiting children, especially his Toys for Tots Christmas project. He brings together public and private partners to provide an array of resources to his community. He is a member of the Franklin Methodist Church.
Ross was presented the Georgia EMC 2012 Community Service & Volunteerism Award for EMC directors and recently received the Distinguished Citizen Medal from DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), the James Stewart Chapter.
Dan C. Langford, Jr.- Board Secretary/Treasurer, Coweta-Fayette EMC
Mr. Langford has served as director on the Coweta-Fayette EMC Board since March 2016 representing Fayette County. He was elected as the board’s Secretary/Treasurer in October 2021 and began serving as the Chairman of the board’s Finance Committee in November 2021. He also served on the board’s Policy & Public Relations Committee as well. He serves on the Board of Directors of Relyco Resources, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Coweta-Fayette EMC. He was elected Vice Chairman of the Relyco Board in October 2018. He also served two terms on the Coweta-Fayette Trust Board from 2005 to 2010, serving as Vice Chairman 2008 & 2009, and as Chairman in 2010.
He has earned the Credentialed Cooperative Directors’ Program certification, the Board Leadership certification and holds Director Gold certificate.
Dan has been the mayor of Brooks, Georgia since 2010, and prior to that, served on the town council since 1998. The town is still considered rural and is rich in Dan’s family history. He learned early on that he was the seventh generation of his family to leave footprints on the family farm. He soaked up Brook’s stories like a sponge, and today he is the local historian and a master in the art of storytelling.
For his day job, Dan works in finance at a not-for-profit organization in the area and also manages the family farm with his brother. His wife, Lesley, is the Lead Pastor at Brooks United Methodist Church and serves on the board of Flint Riverkeeper.
Dan and Lesley, who have been married since early 1989, have two grown sons and a what they refer to as a “BC grandson,” because he was born about three weeks before COVID descended upon America.
Therol R. Brown- Board Director, Coweta-Fayette EMC
Mr. Brown has served on the Coweta-Fayette EMC Board of Directors representing Fayette County since October 2006. He served as Vice Chairman of the Board from October 2011 through October 2021 and served as Chairman of the board’s Policy & Public Relations Committee from November 2011 through October 2021. He is also on the Board of Directors of Relyco Resources, Inc., and True Natural Gas, wholly owned subsidiaries of Coweta-Fayette EMC.
He has completed the Credentialed Cooperative Director certification with the National Rural Electric Cooperative of America and holds a Board Leadership certificate.
He became a member of the statewide Georgia EMC Board of Directors in January 2022 where he serves as CFEMC’s Voting Delegate to GEMC and was recently appointed to serve on the GEMC Service Committee for a three-year term January 2023 – December 2026.
Mr. Brown holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of West Georgia. After retiring from the Georgia Department of Transportation, he served as the Executive Director of the Georgia Highway Contractors Association (GHCA). He also served as President of Therol Brown & Associates that provided consultant services to a number of clients engaged in construction/transportation activities for several years, but now he’s fully retired.
Mr. Brown is a member of Ebenezer United Methodist Church, and a member of Fayette Masonic Lodge #711. He is a lifetime resident of Fayette County and is married to Judith Richards Brown.
James W. Fulton, III – Director, Coweta-Fayette EMC
Mr. Fulton has served on the Coweta-Fayette EMC Board representing Fayette County since March 2003. He was elected as Vice Chairman of the Board in October 2010 and as Chairman in October 2011. He has served on the Policy and Public Relations Committee and the Finance Committee. He is also on the Board of Directors of Relyco Resources, Inc., and True Natural Gas, wholly owned subsidiaries of Coweta-Fayette EMC. He has earned the Credentialed Cooperative Directors’ Program certification, the Board Leadership certification and holds the Director Gold certificate. He currently serves as Member Representative on the Advisory Board for Oglethorpe Power, Georgia Transmission, and Georgia Systems Operation Corporation, and serves as Coweta-Fayette EMC’s delegate to NRECA (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association). Jim, a well-respected residential and commercial real estate industry veteran, has earned numerous distinctions and served on real estate boards throughout his 40-plus years in real estate. In addition, Jim has been active in numerous community projects and organizations including the Peachtree City Development Authority, Mid-West Georgia Home Builders Association, and Chairman of the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, where he was named Fayette County’s “Businessperson of the Year” in 1990. He is a graduate of Georgia Tech with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He and his wife, Elaine, have two grown sons, daughters-in-law and three grandchildren.
Donald E. Harris- Director, Coweta-Fayette EMC
Mr. Harris has served as director on the Coweta-Fayette EMC Board since April 2018 representing Coweta County and is a member of the board’s Finance and Policy & Public Relations Committees. He is also on the Board of Directors of Relyco Resources, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Coweta-Fayette EMC.
He has earned the Credentialed Cooperative Directors’ Program certification and is currently pursuing Board Leadership certification.
He has built a solid reputation with his independent insurance agency offering multiple lines of insurance and financial services and is also currently serving as Pastor of the Newnan Family Worship Center. Don has served and presided over local Kiwanis and Rotary clubs. His background includes success as an independent mortgage broker and project manager for IBM Corporation. He was a scholarship player on the Furman University basketball team and later became a high school band director and head basketball coach.
Don and his wife, Cynthia, have a son, Kenan, who is a surgical physician assistant in Las Vegas, NV.
Alice Mallory- Director, Coweta-Fayette EMC
Ms. Mallory was an original director of the Coweta-Fayette Trust /Operation Round-Up Board in 1993-94. She has served on the Coweta-Fayette EMC Board representing Fayette County since March 1994 and the Finance and Policy & Public Relations Committees. She is also a board member of Relyco Resources, Inc., and a past member and officer of the True Natural Gas Board, both wholly owned subsidiaries of Coweta-Fayette EMC.
She became a member of the statewide Georgia EMC Board of Directors in 2003 where she served for 19 years and held all three officer positions. She previously served as Secretary/Treasurer on the Advisory Board for Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Georgia Transmission Corporation and Georgia System Operation Corporation.
She has earned the Credentialed Cooperative Directors’ Program certification, the Board Leadership certification and has held Director Gold certification.
Ms. Mallory holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Auburn University, a Master’s in Special Education from the University of West Georgia and has completed the certification program for Hospital and Homebound Education at the University of Georgia. She is a retired school teacher, having spent 33 years in the teaching profession. She is involved in a large number of community organizations and is a member of the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, Fayette Retired Educators, Women in Aviation, and Methodist United Women.
Alice has a son and daughter and three grandchildren.
Mildred A. Winkles- Director, Coweta-Fayette EMC
Mrs. Winkles was elected to the Coweta-Fayette EMC Board in October 1994. She currently serves on the Policy and Public Relations Committee and has served on the Finance Committee. She is currently Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of Relyco Resources, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Coweta-Fayette EMC.
She has earned the Credentialed Cooperative Directors’ Program certification, the Board Leadership certification and holds the Director Gold certificate.
Mrs. Winkles served as Member Representative of Oglethorpe Power, Georgia Transmission, and Georgia System Operations Corporation for 19 years and as Chairman for 5 years. She now serves as the Member Representative of Smarr EMC.
She has also served Coweta-Fayette EMC on the state level, serving as President of the EMC Directors Association of Georgia for 5 years. During that time, she organized the Annual EMC Directors Conference that has brought information and training to the Georgia EMC Directors.
Mrs. Winkles served on the Boards for Coweta County Council on Aging, Meals on Wheels, and Coweta County Board of Equalization. She served as Chairman of the Sharpsburg Optimist Club. She has also served as a mentor for women inmates providing bible study in the prison ministry program at Coweta County Sheriff’s Department.
She previously worked at Farmers and Merchants Bank as Customer Service Representative and was the co-owner of M&R Enterprises and Graphis.
She and her husband, William, reside in Sharpsburg, Georgia and have two grown children, five grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.
J. Lee Hunter
After a 36-year career at Southwire Company, Lee retired as Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Now in his second career, Lee works with his son, Scott, at Hunter Wealth Management to help their clients achieve their financial goals.
Lee holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of West Georgia. He is a Registered Professional Engineer, a Certified Energy Manager, and has received a U.S. Patent. Lee holds Series 7, 66, and 24 Registrations from The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Since joining the Board of Coweta Fayette EMC in 2020, Lee has completed the necessary training and has obtained both the Credentialed Cooperative Director Certification and the Board Leadership Certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
During his career, Lee served as a member of the code-making panel of the National Electrical Code for more than 12 years, and he received the 2002 Georgia National CIO of the Year Award. Additionally, he was selected by Computerworld Magazine as one of its Premier 100 IT Leaders in 2005. Since 2002, he has served as a member of the Board of Directors of True Natural Gas, a subsidiary of Coweta-Fayette EMC. He has served on the Board of Directors of Coweta-Fayette Electric Membership Cooperation and subsidiary Relyco Resources, Inc., since 2020.
Lee is a member of the White Oak Golden Kiwanis Club in Newnan and the Georgia Tech Alumni Association. He is a past member of the Board of Trustees of Inner Harbor Children’s Hospital in Douglasville. In addition, Lee is a Deacon of the Newnan First Baptist Church. He and his wife, Susan, enjoy traveling and spending time with their family, including spoiling their three grandchildren. In his spare time, Lee enjoys quail hunting in South Georgia and salmon fishing in Alaska.