The Tennessee Council of Cooperatives recently awarded a $500 scholarship to Brad Valentine of Cookeville, TN. Brad is a student at Tennessee Technological University and is the son of Jimmy and Patricia Valentine. Brad is a junior at TTU working toward a bachelors degree in agribusiness management. After graduation, Brad is planning to pursue graduate studies in agribusiness management.

(left to right) Jacob Sparkman, representing TCC; Brad Valentine, scholarship recipient; and Dr. Michael Best (TTU)

Brad is a member of the FFA, TTU Ag Business Club and Alpha Gamma Sigma. He is currently employed at Sonic in Cookeville. Brad's agriculture experience includes working on a family farm and raising beef cattle.

The Tennessee Council of Cooperatives is a nonprofit organization established to promote the cooperative form of business through education and promotion of all types of cooperatives. TCC has two types of membership including “parent cooperatives” and “individual cooperatives.”

The council is made up of member representatives from various cooperative organizations in Tennessee. The 2002 total TCC membership is 60 members consisting of eight parent cooperatives and 52 individual cooperatives, including 19 electric cooperatives, 29 Tennessee Farmer Co-ops, five telephone cooperatives, three financial institutions, two milk cooperatives, one tobacco cooperative and the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation. Leadership for TCC is provided by 13 voting board members and six ex-officio members.

The TCC sponsors six college scholarships for agricultural students from each of Tennessee’s four-year agriculture programs: Austin Peay State University; Middle Tennessee State University; Tennessee Technological University; the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; the University of Tennessee, Martin; and Tennessee State University.

The scholarship program, started in 1984, is an effort to acknowledge and aid the young people most likely to return to communities served by rural cooperatives. TCC considers he scholarships an investment in the future of cooperatives and their leadership. Several scholarship recipients from the past currently serve in one of Tennessee’s cooperatives or in one of the state’s agriculture-related agencies which work with, support and help build cooperative businesses.

To be considered for the $500 scholarship, the student must be a citizen of Tennessee; enrolled in a college of agriculture; maintain an overall grade point average of 2.5 out of a possible 4 points; and, if possible, be in his or her junior year of study.

For more information about Tennessee cooperatives, the Tennessee Council of Cooperatives or the TCC scholarship, contact Jerry Kirk, TCC Administrative Secretary, at 615-377-4969 or via e-mail to jjckirk@comcast.net or Joe Jackson, Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association, at 615-367-9284 or via e-mail to jjackson@tnelectric.org.