Panellist

Plenary 2 – Strengthening the Cooperative Identity

Sylandi is the Marketing and Communications Specialist for Middle Georgia Electric Membership Corporation (Middle Georgia EMC), an electric cooperative in Georgia, USA. She works closely in developing marketing campaigns for the newly launched broadband services the cooperative provides. Recently, she was featured in the ICA’s 25 Voices campaign which recognizes and tells the story of members of the cooperative movement under the age of 25. Sylandi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication, with an emphasis in Organizational Communication. She is currently obtaining her Master’s degree at the University of Georgia’s Industrial-Organizational Psychology Program.

Sylandi has actively cultivated her passion for rural development into six years of experience within organizations that work to positively impact rural Georgia and rural America. Her introduction to cooperatives began when she represented Middle Georgia EMC on the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) Youth Tour in 2016. She was subsequently elected to represent her state for the Youth Leadership Council and was later selected to be the 2017 NRECA Youth National Spokesperson. Her experience at the local, statewide, and national level led to her interest in becoming a cooperative communicator and advocating for issues facing rural America.