Nice upgrade to the Barry Electric Mobile App
Here is a short video on how to enter an outage through our mobile app. Look for the the Barry EC app in your mobile app store if you haven’t already downloaded it.
BEC Provides Leadership Experiences to Area Youth
MISSOURI ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE YOUTH PROGRAMS: EDUCATION AND FUN IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND JEFFERSON CITY
One hundred and three high school students from Missouri participated in two exciting electric cooperative youth programs, providing them with opportunities to learn, grow as leaders, and explore important issues.
MISSOURI ELECTRIC YOUTH TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D.C.
The Missouri Electric Cooperative Youth Tour took place from June 12 to 18, providing 103 high school students with an immersive experience in Washington, D.C. Hayden Royer of Wheaton, sponsored by Barry Electric Cooperative, was among the local delegates.
Throughout the seven-day tour, the students engaged in a variety of activities focused on politics, leadership, community service, and current societal issues. Highlights included meetings with representatives from their congressional districts, visits to iconic monuments and museums, such as the Smithsonian Institution’s establishments and Arlington National Cemetery.
An unforgettable evening featured a sightseeing and dance cruise on the Potomac River, bringing together delegations from five other states. Additionally, the Missouri delegates participated in the Electric Youth Day, a special program coordinated by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which featured speeches by government leaders and motivational speakers, including Paralympic medalist Mike Schlappi.
Since 1964, cooperative electric utilities across the nation have sponsored over 56,000 high school juniors and seniors for similar visits to U.S. congressional delegations and educational sessions in Washington, D.C.
MISSOURI ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE CYCLE PROGRAM
In July, 101 high school students from various regions of Missouri, including Simon Gates and Bodee Rose from Cassville sponsored by Barry Electric Cooperative, gathered at the Double Tree Hotel in Jefferson City for the Missouri Electric Cooperative CYCLE (Cooperative Youth Conference and Leadership Experience) program. This action-packed three-day event offered a firsthand experience of politics, the cooperative business model, and leadership.
During the program, nationally known speakers engaged the students, and they also had the chance to witness the legislative process in action during a visit to the Missouri State Capitol. One exciting aspect was a "build a cooperative" game that allowed participants to learn more about electric cooperatives through teamwork and competition. Moreover, the group had the privilege of hearing from the Rachel’s Challenge Organization, which shared the inspiring legacy of Rachel Scott as a positive role model.
The educational journey continued with a tour of the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City and a live powerline demonstration at Central Electric Power Cooperative’s headquarters. Additionally, the students had the opportunity to explore electric vehicles and their impact on the energy landscape.
The CYCLE program, now in its 20th year, was recognized with the National Community Youth Service award for being the top youth program among all electric cooperatives in the country.
In conclusion, these two Missouri electric cooperative youth programs offered high school students an incredible combination of education, leadership development, and fun. Whether delving into the legislative process in Jefferson City or exploring the nation's capital, the participants undoubtedly gained valuable experiences and memories to cherish for a lifetime.
2023 Youth Tour & CYCLE Contest Open Now!
Another Successful Linemen's Rodeo for Barry Electric
Fifty-eight linemen from 12 co-ops put their skills to the test this week during AMEC’s Fifth Annual Lineman’s Rodeo to help raise funds for international electrification projects sponsored by Missouri’s electric cooperatives. A total of 48 cooperative and corporate sponsors supported this year’s rodeo. Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick joined the award ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 29 to present the Governor’s Cup to the winning team.
Top finishers in the apprentice division were: Garrett Lynn, Central Missouri Electric Cooperative; Justin Redshaw, Cuivre River Electric; and Andrew Hecky, third place, Cuivre River Electric. Top honors in the journeyman division went to: Jacob Tiefenthaler, Cuivre River Electric Cooperative; Mike Hartley Cuivre River Electric; and Bryce Menne, Cuivre River Electric.
First place and the Governor’s Cup in the team division went to Tim Thompson, Brian Robbins and Alan McNabb from Barry Electric for the third year in a row. Cuivre River Electric’s Jacob Tiefenthaler, Mike Hartley and Jon Pauk took second while Chad Conner, Ethan Moenning and Clint Deatherage from Ozark Electric took third. Congratulations to all of the lineworkers who participated and thanks to all who took part in making this event a continued success.
We are extremely proud to have such talented men keeping the lights on here in Barry County!
Pictured: Alan McNabb, Brian Robbins, Tim Thompson and Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick
Calling All Members to Conserve
Rural electric co-op members asked to conserve electricity.
Due to unseasonably high temperatures, members of Barry Electric Cooperative have been asked to safely conserve electricity as the three-tiered system of electric cooperatives continues to do everything possible to meet members' energy needs.
Associated Electric Cooperative, the power supplier for six regional generation and transmission cooperatives and 51 distribution cooperatives, including Barry Electric Cooperative, notified member systems on June 14 that energy supplies may be tight on June 16 and June 17, and that member systems can help make a difference by conserving energy on those two days from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., when peak energy use occurs.
The conservation appeal was triggered by an unseasonably hot weather pattern, unplanned outages at three Associated generating units and projections of declining wind power for Thursday and Friday.
During the severe winter storm in February 2021, members made a difference by conserving energy to help the system through that energy peak event, and the system served by Associated experienced no service interruptions.
During high-temperature weather events, members can help conserve energy by:
o Raising their thermostats a few degrees. For example, if a normal setting for a member's home is 75 degrees, raise it to 78 degrees.
o Limiting the use of large appliances.
o Unplugging devices that are not in use.
o Turning off unnecessary lights.
We ask members to safely conserve electricity as we work through this weather event. The employees of Barry Electric Cooperative, KAMO Power Cooperative and Associated Electric Cooperative continue to do everything possible to ensure safe and reliable power for members.
NOTICE OF THE 75TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE MEMBERS
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS
Dear Member:
You are hereby notified that the seventy-fifth annual meeting of Barry Electric Cooperative will be held at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center, at 200 West 5th Street, Cassville, Missouri, at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, April 21, 2022 to take action upon the following matters:
1. The report of officers, directors, and committees
2. The election of three directors of the cooperative
3. All other business which may come before the meeting or any adjournment thereof
In compliance with Section 7, Article 3, of the by-laws a meeting of the members of District No. 1 was held at the Southwest School Library, located at 529 W Pineville Road in Washburn, Missouri, on February 7, 2022. The meeting of the members of District No. 2 was held at Barry Electric Cooperative, located on 4015 Main Street in Cassville, Missouri, on February 8, 2022. The meeting of the members of District No. 3 was held at the Clio Community Building, located at 12465 State Highway 39 in Aurora, Missouri, on February 10, 2022. All meetings were called to order at 7:00 p.m.
In compliance with paragraph "b", Section 7, Article 3, the following is a list of candidates nominated in the district meetings, following the order of preference by the respective district vote.
Candidates nominated in District No. 1 David Dalton
(There being no other nominations Mr. Dalton was nominated)
Candidates nominated in District No. 2 Jake O’Neill
(There being no other nominations Mr. O’Neill was nominated)
Candidates nominated in District No. 3 Jason Hudson &
Roy Frank Edmondson
Early registration and voting will be held during regular business hours, Thursday, April 14th through Thursday April 21st, at 10 a.m. in the office of Barry Electric Cooperative. The office will be closed on Friday, April 15th in observance of Good Friday.
Registration and voting at the meeting will begin at 12:00 noon, and the business session will be called to order at 1:00 p.m. Members who voted early will not be allowed to vote again at the Annual Meeting, but are welcome to attend.
Each member registering and voting will receive a $20 credit on their electric bill.
Drawings will be held for door prizes at the meeting. Must be present at meeting to win.
NOTICE OF MEETING BY ORDER OF LEWIS ROYER, SECRETARY
A New Look for Customer Portal
Effective Monday, December 20, 2021, our Customer Portal payment site is getting a face lift! In an effort to make your member experience more user friendly and streamlined, our portal has been modernized.
Your username and password will remain the same, but if you used your account number to log in before, you will be required to use your complete account number on the new site. That number can be found on your monthly statement, in your text or email alerts or you may contact a Member Service Representative at msr@barryelectric.com.
Please remember that if you have the previous Customer Portal saved as a favorite on your device, you will need to update the URL to the new site https://onlinepayment.barryelectric.com/onlineportal/
The new customer portal will not affect the mobile app.
Monthly State
BEC Text Notification
2021-2022 Member Satisfaction Triennial Survey
Barry Electric, in partnership with Bellomy Research, has initiated a market research study to better understand how cooperative members view their electric provider and gain feedback on cooperative performance in several core business areas.
This year’s study will target the opinions of residential members through a mix of email surveys and telephone interviews sent to our co-op members.
We highly encourage our members to participate. Your feedback helps us to ensure we are meeting your needs. Please contact the office if you have any concerns.
74th Annual Meeting Recap
The seventy-fourth annual meeting of the members of the Barry Electric Cooperative was held in the First Baptist Church Family Life Center in Cassville, Missouri on Thursday, April 22, 2021. Registration began at 7:30 am Thursday, April 15 and ran through Thursday, April 22 at 12:00 pm during regular business hours. The meeting was called to order at 1:00 p.m. by the president of the Cooperative, Dr. David Cupps.
The invocation was given by Jeff Fugitt, Pastor of Cassville United Methodist Church.
American Legion Post 118 Member, John Lueckenhoff, led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Cassville High School Jazz Band provided a musical program.
Drawings were held for prizes.
Board President, Dr. Cupps, then introduced special guests and the candidates from each district meeting.
Dr. Cupps called on the Cooperative Secretary/Treasurer, Lewis Royer, for the report of quorum present, notice of meeting and proof of mailing. Mr. Royer stated that there were members registered in excess of that required to constitute a quorum. The total registered membership was 278. Mr. Royer then read the notice of meeting and proof of mailing.
Mr. Royer, then called on to present the financial report as of December 31, 2020. Mr. Royer presented the report as printed in the meeting program.
Dr. Cupps then called for a motion to accept unapproved minutes with corrections from the 72nd & 73rd Annual Meetings as the 73rd Annual Meeting was held virtually. Motion was made and seconded to accept the minutes of both previous meeting. Motion approved.
Dr. Cupps commented on the future of Barry Electric and some of the items that could possibly affect the Cooperative and its operation in the next several years. He also had remarks about the COVID-19 Pandemic and the heroes associated with it.
Dr. Cupps introduced the Cooperative’s CEO/General Manager, Jennifer McBroom, and gave her the floor to present the Manager’s Report. Mrs. McBroom reported on the status of the Cooperative and the operations for the past year.
Drawings were held for prizes.
Dr. Cupps then called on Don Cupps, Attorney with the firm Ellis, Cupps and Hannam to take charge of the meeting for the purpose of election of directors. Mr. Cupps placed in nomination those candidates nominated at the district meetings. District No. 1, Ronnie Thomas, No. 2, Dr. Connie Butler and District No. 3, Dr. Richard Asbill and Aubrey Wolf Jr. Mr. Cupps then appointed the following tally committee: Marvin Phipps, Wayne Hendrix, and Steve Blankenship. Mr. Cupps instructed the membership to mark their ballots and deposit the completed ballots in the ballot box; he then turned the meeting back to Dr. Cupps.
Dr. Cupps thanked the membership for coming and reminded them to cast their ballot.
After a count of ballots, results were announced as follows:
District No. 1 Ronnie Thomas 218
District No. 2 Connie Butler 219
District No. 3 Richard Asbill 111
Aubrey Wolf Jr. 129
Mr. Thomas, Dr. Butler and Mr. Wolf were declared elected.
The President then called for any further business to come before the meeting. There being none, the meeting was declared adjourned.
NOTICE OF 74 ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS
Dear Member:
You are hereby notified that the seventy-fourth annual meeting of Barry Electric Cooperative will be held at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center, 200 W 5th Street, Cassville, Missouri, at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, April 22, 2021 to take action upon the following matters:
1. The report of officers, directors, and committees
2. The election of three directors of the cooperative
3. All other business which may come before the meeting or any adjournment thereof
In compliance with Section 7, Article 3, of the by-laws a meeting of the members of District No. 1 was held at the Exeter Volunteer Fire Department, located at 401 E Commercial Street, Exeter, Missouri, on March 8, 2021. The meeting of the members of District No. 2 was held in the Barry Electric Cooperative office, located on 4015 Main Street, on March 9, 2021. The meeting of the members of District No. 3 was held in the Oak Ridge Missionary Baptist Church, located on Highway 248 east of Cassville, on March 11, 2021. All meetings were called to order 7:00 p.m.
In compliance with paragraph "b", Section 7, Article 3, the following is a list of candidates nominated in the district meetings, following the order of preference by the respective district vote.
Candidates nominated in District No. 1 Ronnie Thomas
(There being no other nominations Mr. Thomas was nominated)
Candidates nominated in District No. 2 Connie Butler
(There being no other nominations Dr. Butler was nominated)
Candidates nominated in District No. 3 Richard Asbill
Aubrey Wolf Jr
Early registration and voting will be held during regular business hours, Thursday, April 15th through Thursday April 22nd, at 10 a.m. in the office of Barry Electric Cooperative.
Registration and voting at the meeting will begin at 12:00 noon, and the business session will be called to order at 1:00 p.m. Members who voted early will not be allowed to vote again at the Annual Meeting, but are welcome to attend.
Each member registering and voting will receive $10.00 credit on their electric bill.
Drawings will be held for door prizes at the meeting. Must be present at meeting to win.
NOTICE OF MEETING BY ORDER OF LEWIS ROYER, SECRETARY
BARRY ELECTRIC BOARD OF DIRECTORS SELECTS JENNIFER McBROOM AS CEO
The Barry Electric Cooperative Board of Directors announced today the promotion of Jennifer McBroom to CEO/General Manager of the Co-op. Ms. McBroom is only the 5th manager in the 75-year history of Barry Electric Cooperative and was chosen after a nationwide search that yielded over 50 applications. From that applicant pool, the board winnowed the choices down to a few to interview in person or via video conference.
Dr. David Cupps, president of board said, “Ms. McBroom was chosen because of her record of leadership as interim CEO. In addition, the board is convinced that she shares their vision for Barry Electric going into the future.” Ms. McBroom served as Barry Electric’s CFO for the last 5 years where she gained invaluable knowledge of the Barry Electric business model.
“The selection process was unhurried and deliberate. The board was able to take time in making this choice thanks, in no small part, to Bill Shiveley.” Mr. Shiveley served as a part-time consultant to the board during the interim between managers. Mr. Shiveley was previously CEO/General Manager of Barry Electric from 1991-2017. “His steadying hand and wise advice to Ms. McBroom while she served as interim CEO was invaluable. During this interim time, the cooperative has operated as smoothly as ever,” Dr. Cupps remarked.
McBroom joined Barry Electric Cooperative in 2016 as the Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining the cooperative, she spent 18 years in the banking industry – spending most of her career serving in community banks as the credit officer for commercial loan portfolios. “I am fortunate to have been able to bring my financial background to the electric cooperative industry, and it has been a privilege to serve as the CFO of Barry Electric for the past 5 years. Being named CEO and General Manager of such a great organization is an honor, and I look forward to leading our employees as we continue to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electric and fiber services to our membership,” McBroom said. Ms. McBroom expressed sincere appreciation of the board and Mr. Shiveley for their continued support.
Jennifer received her Bachelor of Business Administration and Finance from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee where she graduated with honors. She and her husband of 20 years, Tony, have resided in Barry County for the last 7 years, with their two children, Estin (17) and Aiden (13).
The board of directors feels very strongly that Ms. McBroom will be an outstanding CEO for the cooperative. With the full support of her coworkers and the board, the Co-op is excited for the membership to get acquainted with Jennifer and join us in welcoming her to a long and successful career as Barry Electric’s CEO.
73rd Barry Electric Cooperative Annual Meeting
Click on the photo above to see the recording of the 73rd Annual Meeting of Barry Electric Cooperative.
After many setbacks and challenges, the 73rd Annual Meeting was held on Thursday, August 20, 2020. After a vote of the members in 2019, the by-laws were amended to allow registration and voting to occur at the office five business days prior to the actual meeting, and we experienced great response to this change. By allowing our members to have a little flexibility, we saw a larger number of votes then we have seen in the past several years.
Due to the spike in COVID-19 cases in our community, our Board of Directors made the decision to hold a closed meeting that was videoed and made available online. Every registered member will receive a $10 credit on their September electric bill, and a lucky few will receive one of our thirty plus door prizes.
We sincerely want to thank our employees who helped pull off this successful event as well as our wonderful members who remained flexible and understanding as we modified a seventy-three-year tradition.
Election Results as follows:
District 1 : Lewis Royer - 212 votes, declared winner
District 2 : Dr. David Cupps - 218 votes, declared winner
District 3 : Kenyon Atkinson - 144 votes, declared winner / Aubrey Wolf Jr - 119 votes
Questions from the Floor:
Why is the lobby closed? The decision, to make our lobby available by appointment only, was made for additional safety and protection for our members and employees. We are an essential provider, and our lobby sees constant traffic under normal circumstances. Smaller gatherings and less traffic provides less risk of spreading the virus. The Management Team feels like we provide multiple remote payment options, however other business may be conducted in our lobby if not achievable online.
Why is it so difficult to remove a deceased person’s name from a billing address? As a cooperative member, each account owner earns Capital Credits for each year of membership. We take the protection and privacy of each account seriously and have certain procedures we follow to achieve this level of care. Names are not removed from accounts (even in the case of death), but can be moved from the primary account holder position to a secondary holder position. If the account’s usage no longer belongs to all parties represented on the membership, then a new account must be established so that Capital Credits are no longer gained jointly.
What is the status of extra charges for people with diesel pickup trucks in winter? There are no extra charges for members with diesel pickup trucks at any point. A message from the manager article found in the Rural Missouri made mention of avoiding peak rates by charging your diesel engine in off-peak hours.
Barry Electric Cooperative Board of Directors
Barry Electric Celebrates a Whyte Out
Barry Electric Celebrates a Whyte Out
Just when we were unsure what to do without the 39 years of experience of Don Newman, another long-time employee thought the retirement gig looked pretty sweet. On May 15th, Gary Whyte spent his last day at BEC with a smile on his face and surrounded by many friends wishing him the best.
Gary started at BEC in 1989 as a work order and material clerk under then manager, Joe Preddy. Gary’s good nature and knack for multi-tasking made him an office favorite. He was always available to help cover wherever and whenever needed. You would be hard-pressed to find another employee with Gary’s work ethic and attention to details. He also had a wonderful ability to make his co-workers laugh. He always showed great leadership, especially during storms when, on multiple occasions, he would return early from vacation just to help and make sure the lights came back on. Gary was promoted to Assistant Manager by Bill Shiveley in 2004, and he was very instrumental in the launch of goBEC Fiber Network in 2016. Gary was well known in the Missouri Cooperative Community for his volunteer work at the Missouri State Fairs and the Legislative Fish Fries in Jefferson City. No one could take a keepsake State Fair photo like him, and whatever work needed done to feed hundreds of Missouri State Legislators, you can bet he was up for it.
Throughout his career, Gary built special relationships with all his coworkers, but none closer than with Ms. Faith Earle. Faith had forty years in with BEC when Gary first started, and they worked together for thirteen years after that. A lot of great wisdom was passed from Faith to Gary. They even lived next door to one another for several years. Gary, along with his wife Wanda, took care of Faith and it wasn’t uncommon for Gary to take Faith to her weekly Friday hair appointments, during his lunch breaks.
Not only was Gary a huge part of BEC, but his dedication to the Cassville community was incredible. He served on the Chamber of Commerce Board (Treasurer 2010, Vice President 2011 and President 2012), Rotary, Cassville Fire Protection Board and Community Foundation Board. He volunteered at many community events including Roaring River Opening Days, Christmas Parades, Chili Cook-Offs, Dogwood Car Shows, Rotary Rodeos and the Hillbilly Industrial Golf Tournaments. He also volunteered with students in the Tomorrow’s Leaders Today program and is part of the reason, current employee, Kiley Stringer applied for a job with BEC. He was active in the First Christian Church with youth programs, singing in the church choir and teaching Sunday School classes.
All of us at BEC and in the Cassville Community wish Gary Whyte the best in his next adventure. There is no way to truly thank him for all he did for all of us.
Leave the Tree Trimming to Experts
Recent storms and spring growth have left a lot of trees in need of attention. Barry Electric Cooperative wants you to know that tree trimming is a job best left to experts, especially when they are located near power lines. In fact, the two leading causes of death while trimming trees come from falling and electrocution.
If you aren’t careful, you could drop a tree or large limb into a power line, causing the limb to become energized. At the very least this will likely cause an outage and you may be liable for the damages.
Primary power lines are not insulated and pose a serious risk to anyone coming near them. That’s why we ask members to follow the 10-foot rule, which means to stay at least 10 feet away from power lines whenever you work. BEC will clear the trees near the primary high voltage electric line and work with you on safety issues near the secondary low voltage wires near your premises
Keep in mind that equipment used for tree trimming may extend into power lines when you least expect it. So too can ladders used to climb trees. Wind is a factor as well. A limb that appears out of reach of power lines may contact them when hit by a strong gust.
We advise you to contact us if you see trees or branches that could contact our lines. Do not attempt to remove them. We have the proper equipment and training to do the job safely.
Whenever you trim trees or do other yard work, remember these tips:
• Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from sawdust, pine needles and other debris.
• When operating a trimmer or chainsaw, you’ll need ear protection, shoes with slip-resistant soles, chaps and gauntlets.
• If you use a ladder, tie it off to a secure location. Never go anywhere near a power line with a ladder, especially a metal one.
• Be aware of anyone on the ground. It’s best to have a spotter watch for people who might wander into your worksite.
•Safety is our number one priority and we are trained experts in safely removing debris from around power lines. If in doubt, call us!
Don Newman Retires after 39 Years
Barry Electric Cooperative has been blessed for many years to employ some of the best people in Barry County and on May 1st the Co-op celebrated the end of a 39-year career of one of it’s finest. Don Newman hung up his climbing spikes and will enter into retirement with his cooperative family there to wish him the best. There will be no replacing Don’s friendly smile and his willingness to help.
It did not matter if you were a co-worker, a member, a friend, or a stranger, Don has always been there with a smile, a helping hand and many words of encouragement.
In 1980 Don left his job as parts manager for the local Chevrolet dealer, and came to work for then manager Joe Preddy, at Barry Electric Cooperative. He quickly advanced to a lineman position and then on to become a lead lineman.
Through the major Snowstorms of 1984 and 1987, the 2007 Ice Storm and all the other Storms in between, Don has been there working hard to restore power and encouraging his fellow workers. It did not matter how long the guys had been out working, Don was always willing to go to just one more outage.
No matter what the problem was, Don has always had the ability to find something on the truck to make the repair and get the customer’s lights back on. It was never too hot, too cold, or too wet, Don and his crew worked until the power was back on.
Don has not only repaired line and fixed trouble, he and his crew have built many miles of high quality power line that will stand for many years to come.
Don has always quick to help or share his knowledge with other employees. When Don, the began his career; the original Barry Electric linemen were starting to retire. Don had learned the old school ways from them and passed some (just the good parts) of this knowledge on to younger employees. Thanks to Don we know how to set “Raspers” on a house, how to “Hoop” dirt up around a pole, and how not to “Smoke Test” something. Also thanks to Don, we learned about ‘Capassataters”, “that Circle Mill wire” and about how ‘Ole Pappy fixed things”.
While Don is proud of his accomplishments on the job, he is even more proud of his wife Linda, sons Rusty and Ryan and now grandsons Dylan and Reece. His devotion to God and Family is one of the many things we admire about him. He has always been willing to share his faith and testimony with others. He has spent many hours visiting, encouraging, sharing the gospel, and ministering at local nursing facilities and with people convalescing in their own homes.
Don and Linda enjoy Cruises and travel and plan to do more in the near future. Don also enjoys spending time with family, hunting, fishing and is looking forward to doing more of just that. Whatever the situation, you can bet Don won’t be just setting around, he will be busy doing something!
It has been a real privilege to work with Don, we have all learned from his work ethic and his knowledge, and he will be missed at Barry Electric. He has set a high standard that we all admire, both at work and in our personal lives. Thank you Don Newman and enjoy your well-deserved retirement!
