SMECO
A SMECO Board member representing Calvert County since 1998, Mike Phipps understands the relationship between SMECO and the community. He, like many others on SMECO’s board, is active in community service.
As a past president of the Board of Directors of the Calvert Farmland Trust, Phipps has worked to preserve farmland in the county. Since 1987, Phipps has been active in the Maryland Farm Bureau and for three years served as its statewide president. Phipps has also served as a member of the Calvert County Planning Commission.
Phipps received his Bachelor of Science degree in business and management from the University of Maryland, University College. Phipps was elected Vice Chairman of the Board in September 2018. He currently serves on the Board Risk Oversight Committee and is Chairman of the Policy, Audit and Budget Committee. He holds the Credentialed Cooperative Director designation, the Board Leadership Certificate, and the Director Gold certification 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.