SMECO
Gilbert “Buddy” Bowling represents Charles County on SMECO’s Board of Directors. Owner of the Hughesville Tobacco Warehouse and Bargain Barn, Bowling is still active on his farm. Bowling was an extension agronomist for the University of Maryland from 1957 to 1962.
He received his B.S. in Agriculture from the University of Maryland, where he also did graduate work in agri-economics.
Bowling has served on the SMECO Board since 1970, and among other duties, served as chairman from 1998 to 2003. He served as Vice Chairman of the Board for nine years. Bowling currently serves on the Policy, Audit, and Budget Committee and the Public Relations Committee. He holds both the Credentialed Cooperative Director designation and the Board Leadership Certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
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SMECO
Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative was founded in 1937. Through the Rural Electrification Administration, the co-op received a loan of $165,000 to construct 175 miles of line to serve 600 customer-members. SMECO operated a generating plant at Popes Creek, Maryland, from 1938 to 1953. SMECO has had five general managers: 1938, Forrest Coakley; 1974, Walter H. Smith; 1989, I. Wayne Swann; 2003, Austin J. Slater, Jr.; and 2020, Sonja Cox. As of January 2020, SMECO served 165,000 customers and is one of the largest electric co-ops in the country. SMECO serves all of Charles and St. Mary's counties, the southern portion of Prince George's County, and all but the northeast portion of Calvert County.