COOPERATIVE FOCUS
The Journey to the Top
A CEO’s journey is a testament to her determination, resilience and the power of dreams March 2025 by Laura Emery, Staff Writer “I remember my mother bringing a calculator to the grocery store,” says Sonja Cox, president and CEO of Southern Maryland Electric...
Of Light & Magic
Every Halloween, Noel Dickover turns the front lawn of his Centreville, Va., home into a sprawling showcase of beautifully intricate, hand-carved pumpkins, all softly aglow.
Breeding Success
Whenever Elaine Shirley leads visitors on tours of the agricultural exhibits at the Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster, Md., she always stops to showcase a plywood cut-out of a dairy cow.
It’s not that the museum lacks any living livestock. Shirley, the museum’s curator, is trying to make a point. The exhibit is painted with markings matching a Sheeted Somerset — a breed that went extinct in the 1930s. She says the reason for the board bovine often catches guests by surprise.
Keeping History Alive
“We want to enlighten people and preserve history about local Black education prior to integration,” says Northside High School alumnus Silas Musgrove, a retired educator, school guidance counselor and coach.
Fixated on His Future
Kaleb Jeffries watches only one TV channel — The Weather Channel. The repeated use of drone footage in covering storms and viewing ocean life from above fascinates the 23-year-old.
A Very American Celebration
When it first opened, American Celebration on Parade offered only self-guided tours. Present-day visitors, however, will find themselves treated to a delightful, 45-minute guided tour of the vast warehouse and its colorful contents.
Making The Cut
Mercer’s passion for rocks and gemstones began as a child. He says one of his earliest memories is taking an empty chocolate candy box that his father gave his mother for Valentine’s Day, and filling it instead with colorful rocks found in his Cape Cod, Mass., hometown.
A Museum Piece
In addition to the Elk Run Mining Company, Harrisonburg is also home to The Museum of American Jewelry Design & Manufacturing, operated by Hugo Kohl.
A Nature Oasis
Welcome to Virginia’s new 100-acre National Botanic Garden, powered by Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative.