Celebrating Spring
March 2023
March is a month that officially welcomes spring and starts transitioning away from colder weather. In my younger years, it meant getting ready for outdoor sports like baseball and soccer. Then in my later years, it meant preparing to coach those sports for my children.
In this edition of Cooperative Living, we celebrate Women’s History Month, which is recognized annually in March. Our cover story highlights a group of female firefighters in and around Botetourt County who help hold an annual Girls’ Fire Camp showing young ladies what it is like to be firefighters and paramedics, opening their perspectives about those career paths.
This issue also features the story of Virginia State Police 1st Sgt. Dylan Davenport; the first Black woman to be appointed area commander of the VSP’s Area 44 office serving Caroline and King George counties. As a little girl growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., Davenport says she had no idea that one day she’d be making history in Virginia.
The agriculture industry plays a big role in our cooperative service territories, so we wanted to include a feature on Agriculture Week, which is recognized March 21-27. The article illustrates what it is like to be a Maryland farmer in the 21st century and gives a detailed history of a modern farm and what it takes to run it.
I hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy this springtime weather and all the outdoor activities it brings.
Brian S. Mosier, President & CEO
Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives