LOCAL NOMINEE WINS STATE AWARD

(Georgia Cooperative Council Distinguished Cooperator Award)

CUMMING, GA (Feb. 18, 2003) – The Georgia Cooperative Council recently announced that Mr. Tommy Bagwell of
Cumming, Georgia is to be the recipient of the 2003 Georgia Cooperative Council Distinguished Cooperator Award.  Mr. Bagwell is the owner of American Proteins, Inc. in Cumming, Georgia.  He was nominated by Sawnee EMC to receive this prestigious award.  Michael Goodroe, Sawnee EMC’s Executive Vice President and General Manager, will present the award to Mr. Bagwell during the Georgia Cooperative Council’s Annual Meeting to be held at the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation headquarters in Macon, Georgia on March 17, 2003.

The primary objective of the Georgia Cooperative Council is to promote, foster, and encourage all types of cooperative associations in the State of Georgia.  The Council has members from a variety of companies, including the Farm Credit System, farm supply co-ops, rural telephone cooperatives, state and federal officials and electric cooperatives.  The Council awards the Distinguished Cooperator Award to those individuals who have had a history of supporting cooperatives in Georgia thereby contributing to the success of their cooperative.

“Sawnee EMC is honored that Mr. Bagwell was chosen to receive this award.  We have enjoyed a successful business relationship with the Bagwell family for over thirty years, and American Proteins has been an integral part of the development of our cooperative,” said Michael Goodroe.

About Sawnee EMC

Sawnee EMC serves more than 115,000 consumers in a seven-county area, including Cherokee, Dawson, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall and Lumpkin.  As one of the fastest growing EMCs in the United States, Sawnee EMC is the third-largest electric cooperative in Georgia and the tenth largest in the nation.  Sawnee EMC is more than just electricity, it’s service.