2025 89th Annual Meeting Set for September 13 at Northbrook Church

The 89th annual meeting of Cullman Electric Cooperative is scheduled for Sept. 13, 2025, at Northbrook Church, starting at 9:00 a.m. Registration and activities will go until 11:00 a.m., at which time the annual business meeting will begin inside the church worship center.

Registration packets were mailed to all Cullman EC members starting the week of Aug. 4th. Members can sign the registration card, fill out the ballot and submit both using the return-mail envelope included with the packet. The signed registration card and completed ballot must be received no later than Sept. 11, 2025. Members that register and vote by mail or in person are eligible to win one of 10 bill credits between $100 and $500.

Members who do not register or vote by mail can do both in-person at the meeting, starting at 9:00 a.m. at Northbrook Church. All members who attend the meeting in person will receive a $20 power bill credit and register for the attendance door prize drawings. This year’s prizes include a 65-inch Hisense 4K HDTV, a Pitboss pellet grill, a Ninja ice cream maker, a RTIC cooler or an all-inclusive ticket package for the Cullman County Fair.

Guests at the annual meeting can enjoy free hot dogs, popcorn and drinks; the hot dogs will be served by the Holly Pond High School Band Boosters. Entertainment includes live music performed outside by Avenue G Band, or guests can watch a co-op movie inside the church worship center. Family friendly activities include an inflatable obstacle course and video game trailer — a favorite activity for children of all ages — along with the Cullman EC bucket truck photo booth and interactive power line demonstration. Be sure to check out the electric vehicle car show, and visit Cullman Regional’s free community health fair at the annual meeting.

Three positions on the Cullman Electric board of trustees are on this year’s ballot, and members will also vote on proposed changes to the bylaws. The complete list of the proposed bylaw changes are available on the Cullman Electric website and were published in the May edition of Alabama Living magazine

In District 2, board member Trina Walker and candidate Andrew Pinyan are on the ballot. In District 6, incumbent Daryl Calvert is running against Jeff Byars. District 4 incumbent board member James Fields is running unopposed.

 Trina Walker has served as the District 2 trustee since being appointed by the board in February 2025. Walker was born and raised in the Fairview and Baileyton communities. She graduated from Fairview High School in 1989, and has devoted her professional life serving schools in Cullman County. For the past 11 years she has been the principal at Fairview Middle School. Before that she served as the assistant principal at FMS and taught at both Holly Pond Elementary and Jones Chapel Elementary. Trina and her husband, Kenneth Walker, have been married 33 years and have three son and four grandsons. They are active members at Desperation Church. Walker has started classes through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association to become a Credentialed Cooperative Director. 

Andrew Pinyan works at Alabama Farm Credit as the Senior Vice President, Director of Agribusiness and Capital Markets. He graduated from Auburn University in 2016 with a B.S. Agricultural Business and Economics degree and has completed the Alabama Forestry Association Young Leaders Program, Alabama Leadership Initiative and the Farm Credit System Leadership Program. He also serves on the boards of the Alabama Agribusiness Council and the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame Museum at Talladega Superspeedway. Andrew and his wife, Caroline, have a two-year old son, Tripp, and a daughter, Perry, who was born in April. They live on a family farm in Holly Pond, and have a small cattle operation. He is active in the community with the Cullman County Cattlemen's, The Link of Cullman County, Cullman County Farmers Federation and Ducks Unlimited.

District 6 board member Daryl Calvert retired from Wal-Mart Fleet Maintenance as shop supervisor after more than 20 years of service. Today, he is owner and operator of a small lawn care business, DC Lawn. Graduating from Cold Springs High School in 1974, Calvert worked as a diesel mechanic for 27 years and farmed for 10. He feels these experiences allowed him to develop good people skills and a strong work ethic. Calvert enjoys lawn work, hunting, fishing and woodworking. In addition, he likes to spend time with his children and grandchildren. Calvert has successfully completed the curriculum of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association to become a Credentialed Cooperative Director.

Jeff Byars has more than 20 years of experience as an accountant, and has worked since 2020 as the owner Sun Back Moon, LLC, a patient advocacy firm that supports families navigating the financial complexities of the healthcare system. He is a licensed EMT and has worked with volunteer fire services in Cullman County for more than 30 years. Byars is a graduate of Good Hope High School and has an accounting degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is currently president of Bethsadia Volunteer Fire Department and treasurer for multiple statewide EMS organizations. Byars says he is committed to cooperative governance and has pledged to obtain his Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) Certificate upon election to the Cullman Electric Cooperative Board of Trustees.

District 4 board member James Fields is a graduate of Hanceville High School. He continued his education at Jacksonville State University where he earned a B.S. degree in Law Enforcement and Sociology. During his career with the Department of Industrial Relations, Fields worked as the Assistant Administrator and North Alabama Supervisor in the department’s Fraud Unit. Fields has successfully completed the curriculum of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association to become a Credentialed Cooperative Director, and has gone further, earning his NRECA Director Gold Credential as well.