The Next Greatest Thing
The Next Greatest Thing” is a podcast powered by the Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative Corporation. This podcast is a place where we come together with electric experts, and dedicated operators to discuss current co-op events, leading-edge technologies, and communicate with AVECC members. We are Arkansas Valley Electric, changing the communities we serve.
Episodes
119 episodes
Getting to Know Jason Kelly
Join "The Next Greatest Thing" as we chat with Jason Kelly, Arkansas Valley Electric's new Construction Superintendent, about his 30-year career in line work and his transition to office life. Jason shares insights on coordinating crews, managi...
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Season 6
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Episode 5
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19:20
What's Up with Wave Rural Connect?
Wave Rural Connect has some exciting news! Listen to today's podcast to learn more about the fiber build out, new services and more!
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Season 6
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Episode 6
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16:02
Getting to Know John Mobley
Guest host Emily Reames talks with Wave Rural Connect Fiber Technician John Mobley about his role in keeping the community connected. John shares insights into the challenges of troubleshooting outages and the importance of reliable internet se...
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Season 6
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Episode 5
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12:15
Cooperation in Crisis: Cooperatives Unite in the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene
Today, we share the story of how Arkansas Valley Electric partnered with a North Carolina cooperative to provide aid after Hurricane Helene's devastating impact. Listen to firsthand accounts of the destruction and the powerful community re...
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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42:29
Getting to Know Brooke Becker
Brooke Becker celebrates five years at the cooperative, shares her new role responsibilities as one of the new billing specialists, stories of motherhood, and her favorite destination spot to go fishing.
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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13:40
Getting to Know Barret Ewing
Barret Ewing takes us behind thescenes of his position as the AVECC Director of Engineering and Operations. He shares his passion for the cooperative, and his vision for the future.
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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12:47
Employee of the Year- Cindy Bowman
Cindy Bowman talks about her reaction to winning Employee of the Year, her passion for plants, love for cattle, and much more on today's episode of The Next Greatest Thing!
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Season 5
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Episode 23
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22:08
Answering the Call: AVECC Linemen Share Their Perspective on Hurricane Helene Relief
Three AVECC Linemen share their experiences traveling to Florida and Georgia in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. They talk about the damage they worked through, living conditions, the challenges of leaving loved ones behind, and the cooperati...
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Season 5
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Episode 22
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30:41
Getting to Know Kenneth Wilbanks
Staking Superintendent Kenneth Wilbanks shares his role in the staking department, his privilege of working with cooperative members, and his passion for sports.
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Season 5
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Episode 21
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16:04
Getting to Know Kendall Ward
Serviceman Kendall Ward knew his career at AVECC would last a lifetime. Kendall shares his journey becoming a lineman, and much more in this month's Getting To Know episode!
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Season 5
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Episode 19
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15:24
Cyber Safe with Your Co-op
Want to keep your co-op account safe from hackers? Join us as we discuss essential cybersecurity tips with AVECC's IT experts. Learn how to create strong passwords, spot phishing scams, and discover what your co-op is doing to protect our emplo...
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Season 5
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Episode 20
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12:55
Getting to Know Stacie Howe
Stacie Howe was recently named the AVECC Human Resources Supervisor. We talk with Stacie about her new role, her history with the cooperative, and why fall is her favorite season of the year.
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11:46
Talking with Multimedia Interns Kendell and Ruthie
Kendell Friemel and Ruthie Qualls share their experiences as Multimedia interns for the cooperative, their plans for their future, and their dream podcast guest to interview.
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Season 5
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Episode 16
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26:56
Getting to Know Matt Larimore
This month, lineman, Matt Larimore celebrates 25 years serving his local community as a cooperative lineman. In today's episode, Matt shares how he started as a summer intern three days after graduating high school, and ultimately turned that e...
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Season 5
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Episode 15
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10:45
A FREE trip to D.C.? Tell me more!
Drayke Boen, Katherine Wright, and Tegan Stimac join us to unveil their newfound insights into electric cooperatives, Tegan’s sweet tea depravity, the girls’ quest to collect trading pins from every state, and the life-changing moments that mad...
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Season 5
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Episode 14
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26:24
Getting to Know Sierra Cowens
Sierra Cowens is now in a new role at the cooperative. Learn about her new position, how it affects cooperative members, and whether or not she prefers tacos or BBQ!
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Season 5
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Episode 13
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10:17
REPLAY: How Rights of Way are Doing Us Right
Right-of-Way Superintendent Chris Tedford talks about how ROW benefits members, how ROW crews are trained and why linemen crews use chainsaws in bucket trucks.
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Season 5
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Episode 13
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29:43
Electrical Safety with Master Electrician Shawn King
Pools, barns and yards. What do they all have in common? They all use electricity! It's important to ensure that you are staying safe when working with electricity. AVECC System Coordinator (and past employee of the year) Shawn King sits ...
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Season 5
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Episode 10
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24:55
Getting to Know Larhonda Melton
Executive secretary, Larhonda Melton reminisces about her years in service to the cooperative, and shares some exciting news.
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Season 5
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Episode 11
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14:11
Getting to Know Kevin McGuire
AMR Coordinator, Kevin McGuire joins the podcast to talk about his time working in dispatch and with meters at the cooperative, AND his passion outside of work. And you'll never guess what it is!
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Season 5
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Episode 9
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10:07
How an $18 million grant will change the communities of the River Valley
AVECC Engineering Manager and AVECC Systems Engineer, Samantha Renard discuss the recently awarded $18 million smart grid grant and how it will ultimately change the rural River Valley communities for the better.
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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14:43
Getting to Know Garon Taylor
Garon Taylor is a lineman for the Van Buren District who has a passion for all things outdoors. We talk with Garon about his position at the cooperative, his love of hunting, and how he felt about being named AVECC 2023 Pole Top Rescue Champion...
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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12:06
Women In Power
Women's roles in cooperatives and society have drastically changed over the past 86 years. Those roles continue to evolve as moure women encourage others to pursue roles that inevitably shape the future of rural electric cooperatives and commun...
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Season 5
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Episode 6
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4:37
Getting to Know Audreia Qualls
Member Services Representative, Audreia Qualls loves the cooperative and everything it stands for. She grew up hearing about the co-op from her dad, who served as a linemen for 35 years. Now, she's serving her community. Audreia talks about her...
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Season 5
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Episode 5
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19:23
REPLAY: Behind the Scenes of an Outage
Brandon Fisher sits down with AVECC engineering manager Chris Howe, Dispatch Manager, John Yates, and former Operations Manager, Don Easom to discuss the behind-the-scenes of an outage. This episode was originally a two-part series...
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Season 5
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Episode 4
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49:06