Remembered & Revered

Loyal. Dedicated. Devoted. Kind. An avid Fisherman. These words and more describe the life of the late Adell Miles. Miles began working at West Florida Electric Cooperative (WFEC) in 1947, which was known as REA back then, after serving in the Army. During his time with the company, Miles served in virtually every department, including serving as acting manager of the cooperative on several occasions. Miles is credited with starting the Sneads district office to better serve the needs of cooperative members in East Jackson County – even working outages and having his wife help dispatch from their home before construction on the facility was complete. Miles served as Sneads District Office Manager until his retirement in January 1990.

Loyalty and dedication was something Miles demonstrated throughout his long career at the cooperative. “When I’d come to visit Adell on leave from the military, he had a radio and notebook by the phone ready to answer calls for the co-op. If he wasn’t home, his wife would answer and dispatch linemen to the outages using their home phone,” recalls A.C. Miles, Adell’s younger brother.

Longtime friends and co-workers, Shirley McDaniel and Blanche McLane also remember times when he went above and beyond the call of duty, especially when there was a hurricane or bad storm. “When there were outages he would sit there day and night until they were cleared,” said McDaniel.

His dedicated service to the cooperative often lead Miles to do things that were somewhat out of the ordinary. “Adell interviewed me at my home on a cold, wet, rainy day when I’d been cleaning out closets,” recalls McDaniel. “I thought that was really unique,” she continued.

Devotion and kindness were also traits that defined the life of Adell Miles, who was also an avid fisherman. He encouraged a family atmosphere at the office in Sneads and throughout the cooperative – often holding cook-outs for employees and their families, providing fish and cooking them for everyone. “Adell was a well-rounded person who loved his job, loved people and loved the area. He was there because he loved to help people. He was the kind of person anyone would want to be around,” said McDaniel.

Known in the Sneads area as “Mr. REA”, Miles had a way with people that put them at ease and made them feel comfortable with him. Angry members who came into the cooperative’s office to see Miles never left that way. He was a hands-on manager who would visit members in their homes, spend time with them and listen to their questions, problems and concerns. “He knew people and knew how to settle problems,” remembers McLane.

He continued to demonstrate his love and devotion to the cooperative and his community even after his retirement. “I don’t think he missed an annual meeting in thirty-eight years,” said A.C. Miles.

Miles also passed along a love of the cooperative and its mission to his younger brother, A.C. Miles who currently serves on the cooperative’s Board of Trustees. “Riding lines with Adell and talking with him about the cooperative got me interested in being on the co-op’s board. I asked his opinion about running for a seat and he thought I’d make a good trustee,” said Miles. Several years later, A.C. is still serving as a trustee.

Miles continued to play an active role in the community he loved. He was an active member of the Lions Club, the International Organization of Military Police and American Legion Post 241, where he was active in the funeral honor guard. He was also a veteran of World War II.

On November 19, 2009, WFEC employees, trustees and members will gather to pay tribute to Adell Miles, recognizing his 43 years of service to the cooperative by dedicating the Sneads district office building in his honor.