Never too busy: PEC employee Tim Nance makes service part of his personal, professional lives
Keeping active in a variety of programs on and off the clock is what energizes him
Although PEC Regional Member Services Manager Tim Nance wasn’t born in Central Texas, it was his career at PEC that made it home for him. The community has embraced him, and he’s committed much of his life to giving back — both at work and after hours.
“I think the most important piece of me coming to work here is it allowed me to grow in a really unique way because I’m so engrossed in the Blanco community,” Nance said.
Born and raised in Orangefield, Nance’s journey to Blanco began at Texas State University when he met his wife Lisa, a Blanco native.
After graduation, Nance followed Lisa home to Blanco, where he put his accounting degree to work as an auditor for the Texas Railroad Commission. The couple married soon after and began to talk about starting a family, but Nance wanted a good foundation for his career first. One morning, his mother-in-law slid a newspaper to him across the breakfast table. It included an advertisement for an accountant position at PEC. Nance applied and was hired on. It was 1995.
“I had never heard of PEC until I saw the ad in the paper,” Nance said. “I had lost some friends recently and I wanted to not miss out on anything in life. I wanted a stable career so I could truly enjoy and love on my future family.”
The connections Nance built at work with members and community organizations soon spilled over into his personal life, and he began to get involved in volunteer work. As his role grew at the cooperative over the years, it also grew in his community — sometimes whether or not he was ready. Nance currently serves as director of the Blanco County Fair and Rodeo Association (a role he’s held for the past 10 years), vice president on the church council at St. Ferdinand Catholic Church, and secretary on the Blanco school board, where he also sits on the audit committee.
“I was kind of voted in without my knowing,” he said, laughing. “When you get down to the basics, it’s all about the community, education system, our faith and our kids.”
Last September, Nance worked with PEC Ethics & Compliance Officer Janet Christiansen and others to earn Blanco’s first drug-free grant for the funding of a community-based coalition to prevent youth substance abuse.
Nance isn’t active in his community to earn recognition, however. He’s just a believer in the cooperative difference, which he embodies on and off the clock.
“It’s impossible to not take this work personally because PEC and I are vested in [our members] and they are vested in us,” he said. “This is me; this is who I am.”