Meet the 2026 EMC Board of Director Candidates

Renae Crutches is committed to leveraging her experience to serve Central Georgia EMC members by partnering with the board to manage electricity costs, advance transparency, and hold the Cooperative accountable to the people it serves.

Veronica “Renae” Crutches served as a dedicated public servant with a distinguished 34-year career spanning both active military service and a Department of Defense Civilian. She brings a wealth of teamwork, financial management, and residential utility oversight.

Renae is an Army veteran with extensive experience in public service, while serving as Deputy
Installation Commanders, and Senior Logistics Managers. She led several environmental and
electrical engineering teams in identifying potential health impacts; and developed remediation
strategies for neighborhoods adjacent to military installations affected by years of unchecked waste disposal and environmental contamination. She encouraged efficient uses of electricity to develop sustainable energy solutions and usage to meet the Army’s future combat needs.

During her tenure managing Base Realignment and Closure initiatives, Renae oversaw the effective administration of a $30M budget, ensuring funds were expended in accordance with established regulations, and laws.

Throughout her career, Renae demonstrated a deep commitment to service—not only to her
country but also to her community. Even while serving in demanding government roles, she devoted countless hours to supporting the others through her involvement on multiple Boards and community-based nonprofit organizations.

Renae earned her Bachelor’s degree from Spelman College, as well as two Master’s degrees from Florida Institute of Technology, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. She is also a Senior Executive Government Fellow from Harvard University.

Renae Crutches is committed to using her experience and training to serve the members of Central Georgia EMC by working with the existing board members to manage electricity costs, promote transparency, and ensure accountability across the Cooperative.

Prepared. Principled. Ready to Serve.

Brenda is seeking a seat on the Central Georgia EMC Board of Directors with a clear understanding of what this role demands and a deep commitment to fulfilling it with integrity. She comes to this candidacy not simply with passion, but with preparation — having studied the cooperative’s structure, financial responsibilities, governance obligations, and the rights of its member-owners.

Brenda understands that an EMC board member is not a figurehead. It is a position of real fiduciary responsibility, requiring knowledge of:

• Rate Setting & Cost Management — understanding how electricity rates are structured and advocating for pricing that is fair, transparent, and member-driven
• Financial Oversight — reviewing budgets, audits, and expenditures to ensure the cooperative operates responsibly on behalf of every member-owner
• Energy Planning & Grid Reliability — making informed, data-driven decisions about the cooperative’s long-term energy strategy
• Cooperative Governance — upholding the bylaws, democratic principles, and the seven cooperative principles that make an EMC distinct from a for-profit utility
• Member Engagement & Accountability — ensuring the board remains responsive, accessible, and answerable to the people it was elected to serve
• Environmental Stewardship — advocating for energy decisions that protect the clean water, clean air, and healthy land our community depends on

Brenda is ready for this work — and Central Georgia EMC’s member-owners deserve nothing less.

• Power to The Members
  Central Georgia EMC belongs to you — and it’s time the board reflected that. Brenda Winston is running for the At-Large Board seat to bring a member-first voice to the table and fight for the cooperative your community deserves.
• Affordable and Reliable Electricity
  Rising electric bills are squeezing families and small businesses across our region. Renae will challenge unnecessary rate increases, push for cost-saving measures, and ensure every member-owner has access to the affordable, reliable electricity they were promised when they joined this cooperative.
• Transparency and Responsiveness
  You deserve a board that answers to you. Brenda will demand open financial reporting, clear communication about major decisions, and a cooperative culture where member concerns are heard, respected, and acted upon — not ignored.
• A True Advocate for Member Interests
  From capital credits to energy rates, Brenda will be a consistent, fearless voice for member-owners at every board meeting. She will hold the Cooperative accountable to the people who fund it — you.
• Shaping Our Energy Future Together
  The decisions made today will determine what energy costs and looks like for our community for decades to come. Brenda will advocate for data-driven, member-centered energy planning that prioritizes long-term savings, grid reliability, and the well-being of every household and business Central Georgia EMC serves.
• Clean Energy Planning That Works for You
  Brenda believes that access to clean water, clean air, and healthy food are not luxuries — they are the foundation of a thriving community, and the energy decisions made by this cooperative directly impact all three. Brenda will advocate for responsible, member-centered energy planning that not only lowers electricity costs but also protects the land, water, and air that our families, farmers, and future generations depend on — because a truly healthy community requires both affordable power and a clean environment to live, grow, and thrive in.
  

Samuel believes in GreyStone’s mission of making life better in the communities we serve, and in its commitment to both employees and members.

Once elected, His focus stays simple: reliable power, responsible rate decisions, and fair policies for every member — regardless of size or status.

Every director faces tough calls. On each one, Samuel listens first, ask the hard questions, and decide based on what keeps our cooperative financially strong for the long term.

Reliable. Affordable. Connected. That’s Samuel’s commitment to the people.

 For over a decade, Samuel has chaired the City of South Fulton Board of Code Enforcement. I run structured, non-partisan proceedings — hearing cases, weighing evidence, and making hard decisions that affect local families and businesses. He learned to navigate disagreement with respect and to decide fairly under pressure. That’s the same work a GreyStone director is called to do.

Samuel serves his community beyond the board, too. He sits on the Walden Park HOA Improvement and Oversight Committee. He volunteer with the Atlanta Community Food Bank and the Elizabeth Baptist Church CARES program to fight hunger and support neighbors in need.