SMECO
Lauren Hawkins is a skilled Customer Service Representative at SMECO since February 2017, demonstrating expertise in payment processing, customer inquiries, and outage management. Previous experience includes roles as an Alarm Dispatcher at Macy's Inc., a Collections Specialist at American Collections Enterprise, and a Retail Operator in the US Navy, where strong customer service and inventory management skills were highlighted. Additionally, Lauren has worked as a Call Center Representative at Andrews Federal Credit Union and a Member Service Representative at the United States Postal Service Federal Credit Union, showcasing a solid background in customer service and financial transactions. Lauren holds an Associate’s Degree in General Studies from the College of Southern Maryland and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Networking & Cybersecurity at the University of Maryland Global Campus.
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.