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About Us

Founded in 1939, Jones-Onslow Electric Membership Corporation (JOEMC) is a member-owned electric cooperative serving over 84,000 residential, commercial, and industrial members across six counties in eastern North Carolina. Our mission is to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electric service with uncompromised excellence in customer service, while improving the quality of life for our members through community and civic involvement. As a cooperative, we are guided by seven principles that ensure we remain accountable to our members and committed to the communities we serve.

Jones-Onslow’s mission is to provide safe, reliable and affordable electric service with uncompromised excellence in customer service while committing to improve the quality of life for our members through community and civic involvement.

Electric cooperatives, like Jones-Onslow EMC, are private, independent electric utilities, owned by the members they serve. As democratically governed businesses, electric cooperatives are organized under seven guiding principles, anchoring them firmly in the communities they serve and ensuring they are closely regulated by their consumers. 

The Seven Cooperative Principles

Cooperatives are voluntary organizations open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political, or religious discrimination.

 

Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. The elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary cooperatives, members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote), and cooperatives at other levels are organized in a democratic manner.

Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the cooperative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing the cooperative, possibly setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the cooperative, and supporting other activities approved by the membership.

Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their cooperative autonomy.

Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives. They inform the general public, particularly young people and opinion leaders, about the nature and benefits of cooperation.

Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional, and international structures.

 

While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies accepted by their members.

Most electric co-ops are distribution cooperatives that deliver electricity to the consumer. Some are generation and transmission cooperatives (G&Ts) that both generate and transmit electricity to meet the power needs of distribution cooperatives.

In addition to electric service, many electric co-ops are involved in community development and revitalization projects, e.g., small business development and job creation, improvement of water and sewer systems and assistance in the delivery of health care and educational services.

Like all North Carolina electric cooperatives, Jones-Onslow EMC is based on the principle of democratic member control, meaning that all members served by the co-op have a vote and a voice in setting the co-op’s policies and strategic direction.

This commitment to democratic decision-making extends to the co-op’s efforts to reach out to members of Congress and the North Carolina General Assembly to make them aware of cooperative priorities and issues that affect co-op members and advocate for legislative changes that will positively impact our co-op and the diverse communities we serve.

Co-ops Vote is a non-partisan program designed to boost voter turnout in areas served by electric cooperatives across the country to ensure their member-owners voices are heard, and issues that concern them are prioritized every day, especially on Election Day. The program continues cooperatives’ commitment to raising awareness in rural communities.

In the 2012 national elections, voter turnout in rural communities dropped by 18 percent — twice that of the nation. Co-ops Vote was created to boost voter participation and represent rural Americans’ concerns at a national level. As your local electric

co-op, JOEMC has joined the fight with electric cooperatives across the country to make its members’ voices heard.

The non-partisan campaign does not endorse nor recommend candidates, rather, it educates member-owners on candidates’ stances on important co-op issues.

Jones-Onslow EMC has affiliations with several statewide , regional, and national organizations.

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)

NRECA is the national service organization dedicated to representing the national interests of the electric cooperatives and the consumers they serve. Founded in 1942, NRECA was organized specifically to overcome World War II shortages of electric construction materials, to obtain insurance coverage for newly constructed rural electric cooperatives and to mitigate wholesale power problems. NRECA’s more than 900 member cooperatives serve 42 million people in 47 states.

North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives provide reliable, safe and affordable energy and related services to more than 950,000 households and businesses in 93 of the state’s 100 counties. Each of the 26 cooperatives is member-owned, not-for-profit and overseen by a board of directors elected by the membership.

NCAEC serves as the statewide associate for North Carolina’s 26 electric cooperatives, working to promote training, safety, and education among their consumers and the general public. NCAEC programs include government relations, Carolina Country magazine, training programs, and workshops for cooperative directors and staff, youth scholarships and educational programs, and safety and job training.

TEMA is the material supply organization of the 26 electric cooperatives of North Carolina. TEMA was founded to serve as a combined cooperative effort in purchasing materials, equipment, and supplies at competitive prices. Open for business in January 1976, TEMA’s modern warehouse contains 112,000 square feet of storage space and contains inventory which includes protective equipment, transformers, meters and other materials used by the electric cooperatives.

Group of line men standing in front of trailer with pole on bed

Powering Our Community: The JOEMC Story

A Meeting That Changed Everything

Picture this: It’s 2:00 A.M. on a quiet night in 1939. Five determined men huddle beside their cars on Hargett Street in Richlands, plotting something extraordinary. Albert Venters, E.C. Marshburn, Henry Cavenaugh, Rex Hill, and William Hill weren’t just dreaming—they were planning to bring light to eastern North Carolina.

From Darkness to Light

In an era without local newspapers, radio stations, or even a reliable telephone network, these five visionaries faced a seemingly impossible task: rallying their neighbors to support a bold new idea. Yet somehow, they gathered over 300 people for a meeting in Jacksonville that would transform our region forever.

On June 22, 1939, Jones-Onslow Electric Membership Corporation received its charter, with E.B. Smith serving as the first Board President and Horace Cotton as the cooperative’s first leader. What began with a $284,000 loan from the Rural Electrification Authority built 227 miles of power lines, lighting up homes for 1,288 families who had been living in darkness.

Growing Together

Through visionary leadership spanning generations, JOEMC grew from a bold idea into a cornerstone of our community:

  • Fred Harman guided the cooperative through the post-war boom
  • Alvin Morton oversaw tremendous growth as membership swelled to 6,195 members connected across 1,004 miles
  • Ron McElheny led the cooperative into a new era, expanding our reach with a district office in Sneads Ferry to serve our growing coastal community
  • Jeff Clark continued the tradition of innovation and member service, positioning JOEMC as one of the nation’s most progressive cooperatives
  • Gary Ray maintained the cooperative’s momentum and commitment to excellence
  • Ricky Maready now leads JOEMC, bringing 37 years of dedicated service to the cooperative to his role as CEO. His deep understanding of our operations, combined with his forward-thinking vision, positions JOEMC to meet the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow while staying true to our cooperative values

Your Cooperative Today

Under CEO Ricky Maready’s leadership, Jones-Onslow EMC proudly serves nearly 75,000 member-owners across more than 2,400 miles of line. We’re not just any electric company—we’re your electric cooperative, guided by the same principle that inspired those five men in 1939: neighbors helping neighbors.

We’re recognized as one of the fastest-growing and most innovative electric cooperatives in the nation. But we haven’t forgotten our roots. Every day, we work to honor the vision of those early pioneers and the leaders who followed—while embracing new technologies and opportunities to serve you better.

Because You’re More Than a Customer—You’re an Owner

When you flip a switch, you’re tapping into 85+ years of community commitment and continuous leadership. From Horace Cotton to Ricky Maready, eight CEOs have stewarded this cooperative with one constant mission: serving you, our member-owners.

This is your cooperative, built by your neighbors, powered by your community, and dedicated to your future.

Jones-Onslow Electric Membership Corporation (JOEMC) is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of our members and those who interact with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect information provided through our website, digital services, communications, and other interactions with JOEMC.

Information We Collect

JOEMC may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when using our website, communicating with us, enrolling in programs or services, completing forms, or managing your electric account.

This information may include your name, mailing address, email address, telephone or mobile number, account-related information, communication preferences, and other information necessary to provide services or respond to your requests.

We may also collect certain information automatically when you visit our website, such as browser type, device information, pages visited, and other website usage information.

How We Use Your Information

JOEMC may use information collected to:

  • Provide and manage electric service and member programs.
  • Communicate with members about their accounts, services, outages, programs, events, and other cooperative information.
  • Respond to questions, requests, and member inquiries.
  • Send notifications and communications requested or authorized by members.
  • Improve our website, digital services, member communications, and overall member experience.
  • Meet applicable legal, regulatory, operational, and security requirements.

SMS/Text Messaging Privacy

 JOEMC may provide members with the option to receive text messages related to their electric service, account, outages, cooperative programs, notifications, and other JOEMC communications.

When you provide your mobile number and consent to receive SMS/text messages from JOEMC, your mobile information and SMS opt-in consent will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.

Information may be shared with service providers when necessary to facilitate JOEMC communications and services; however, SMS opt-in information and consent will not be shared or sold for third-party marketing or promotional purposes.

You may opt out of JOEMC text messages at any time by replying STOP to a message. For assistance, reply HELP or contact JOEMC.

Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary.

How We Protect Your Information

JOEMC is committed to protecting the personal information entrusted to us. We use safeguards designed to protect member information and limit access to personal information to those who need it to provide services, support our operations, or meet legal requirements.

We continually work to maintain the privacy and security of the information our members share with us.

Sharing of Information

 JOEMC does not sell personal information.

We may share information with trusted service providers when necessary to operate our business, provide member services, deliver communications, maintain technology systems, or fulfill legal and regulatory obligations.

These providers are expected to use information only for the purposes for which it was provided and in accordance with applicable privacy and security requirements.

Mobile information and SMS opt-in consent will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.

Third-Party Services and Links

The JOEMC website may contain links to third-party websites or utilize third-party services to provide certain functionality. JOEMC is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external websites. We encourage users to review the privacy policies of third-party services they choose to access.

Updates to This Privacy Policy

 JOEMC may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our services, technology, legal requirements, or privacy practices. Updates will be posted on this page with a revised effective date.

Contact Us

 If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how JOEMC handles your information, please contact:

Jones-Onslow Electric Membership Corporation


259 Western Boulevard


Jacksonville, NC 28546


910-353-1940

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