Celebrating the seventh decade of Cooperative Living
August 2026
by Laura Emery, Staff Writer
In celebration of Cooperative Living’s 80th anniversary, each issue this year spotlights one of the eight decades since this publication — first published in October 1946 — began inspiring, informing and connecting electric cooperative members.
During Cooperative Living’s seventh decade — from 2006 through 2016 — smartphones replaced flip phones, social media transformed communication and high-speed internet became an essential part of everyday life. As the world became smarter and more connected, so did the electric industry.
For many cooperative members, this decade marked the beginning of a new relationship with electricity. Smart technology offered greater insight into how energy was used and provided opportunities to manage it more efficiently.
Yet even as innovation reshaped daily life, Cooperative Living remained grounded in the cooperative principles that had guided the publication since its founding.
That balance between progress and tradition was evident from the very start of the decade. In the October 2006 issue, Tangier native Charles “Lennie” Parks was named the winner of Cooperative Living’s oldest-issue contest after sharing his treasured July 1948 edition of Rural Virginia. The story served as a reminder that the magazine’s legacy lived on in readers’ homes and memories, even as the industry and the publication moved into a complex, digital age.
A new chapter began in 2007 when William V. “Bill” Sherrod Jr. became editor of the magazine. Through Inside Story, a regular sidebar, readers came to know him through personal reflections and experiences that helped connect readers more deeply to each issue’s content. In January 2007, he wrote about meeting fellow Appomattox native Watkins Abbitt Jr., who was serving his 22nd year in the Virginia General Assembly.
As Virginia grappled with the future of electric utility deregulation, Cooperative Living helped readers understand the debate. In the February issue, an editorial examined whether the state’s 1999 deregulation law had achieved its goals and explained why many policymakers believed a return to regulation was necessary after competition failed to lower costs or create meaningful benefits.
The magazine continued to balance public policy with people-focused storytelling. In the November-December 2007 issue, readers met Spotsylvania County resident Dale Brown, who brought joy to children each holiday season as Santa Claus. In January 2008, Cooperative Living included a feature story on efforts to revive Virginia’s oyster industry along the Coan River, along with an article on Virginia state legislators Clarke Hogan and Tommy Norment, both key figures in reregulation.
GOING GREEN
Environmental stewardship became an increasingly important topic as electric cooperatives balanced reliability, affordability and emerging environmental concerns.
Throughout 2008, Cooperative Living explored renewable energy, environmental regulations and the evolving conversation surrounding climate change. Readers learned about energy-efficient technologies, conservation efforts and cooperative programs designed to reduce energy use.
In January 2009, the publication marked a historic moment by reporting on the election of the nation’s first African American president. The following month, readers learned how Virginia’s electric cooperatives provided 4,200 compact fluorescent lights to Virginia State Parks. In June, the publication shared that 42 million consumers nationwide were served by electric cooperatives.
The magazine closed 2009 with a Christmas cover story featuring nostalgic toys and warm holiday memories from readers’ childhoods.
In January 2010, readers met Rappahannock Electric Cooperative lineworker Chuck Tippett, who spent his days maintaining power lines as a “wood walker” and his weekends performing as a daring wing walker.
The phrase “smart grid” was beginning to enter everyday conversation, and Cooperative Living introduced readers to the advanced meters, sensors and data systems that promised to improve reliability and efficiency.
SERVICE AND SACRIFICE
While technology transformed the world, Cooperative Living remained rooted in the values that have long defined electric cooperatives: family, faith and community. In the March-April 2010 issue, Cooperative Living profiled Worth Hudson, a longtime Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative board member who helped establish the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives Education Scholarship Foundation. Later that year, the magazine visited Our Lady of the Angels Monastery near Charlottesville and featured retired Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative manager Jerry Groseclose.
Readers met World War II veterans who shared firsthand stories of combat, survival and sacrifice during one of history’s most significant conflicts. Among them were pilot Joe Bernard profiled in the June 2008 issue, who lost a leg and later earned a Silver Star; glider pilot R.S. “Cal” Moore featured in the September 2010 issue, who flew engine-less aircraft into combat zones; and former prisoner-of-war Richard Dawson, showcased in the May 2011 issue, who survived being shot down during the combat.
In the August 2011 issue, Cooperative Living marked 65 years of storytelling, noting that the magazine was still delivered at a remarkably low cost — “a postage stamp plus a nickel.”
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
In 2012, Cooperative Living helped readers understand issues affecting electric cooperatives. One significant issue involved pole-attachment rates charged to cable companies. The Virginia General Assembly referred the matter to the State Corporation Commission for further study. The resulting review acknowledged that attachment rates should fairly reflect the costs of building and maintaining utility infrastructure.
As the magazine covered complex industry issues, it never lost sight of the people at the heart of cooperative-served communities. The Good Neighbors column debuted during 2012, celebrating ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
In June 2013, readers were introduced to Virginia music legend Wayne Henderson. Throughout 2014, the magazine highlighted the Old Dominion Endurance Ride, explored innovations at Wallops Island Flight Facility, took a first-hand look at the daily work of lineworkers and focused on environmental stewardship efforts taking shape in co-op communities.
MOVING FORWARD
In 2015, readers followed stories about the 13th annual Gaff-n-Go Rodeo, Chesapeake Bay oyster restoration, Truckers Against Cancer and longtime Virginia Sen. Charles J. Colgan. The magazine also explored the growing role of natural gas in electric generation, advances in workforce development and international efforts to expand access to electricity.
The cooperative spirit knows no boundaries. In the November-December 2015 issue, readers learned about cooperative lineworkers who traveled to Haiti to help bring electricity to remote communities and the partnerships that made those efforts possible.
In January 2016, Cooperative Living reported on creation of the Power Line Worker Training School near Blackstone, Va., that provided a pathway for young Virginians to enter the utility industry while helping cooperatives develop the skilled workforce needed for the future.
Mihika Dusad, daughter of NOVEC members, was featured on the July 2016 cover for earning top honors in Cooperative Living’s annual Youth Art Contest. Her artwork depicted the traditional Indian dance Kuchipudi.
The magazine’s 2016 readership survey results revealed that readers remained highly engaged with the publication through recipes, photos, contests and local events, and that the magazine continued to be a trusted and useful part of readers’ lives.
As social media feeds multiplied and information moved at the speed of a swipe, readers continued to walk to their mailboxes and open the pages of Cooperative Living — a trusted connection to their communities and the electric cooperatives that serve them.
