Former GVEC general manager Hines remembered

Members of the Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC) are mourning the loss of former general manager Milton Doyle Hines, who passed away Jan. 6, 2024, at the age of 92.

Hines served as GVEC’s third general manager, succeeding O.W. Davis upon his retirement. He held the position from 1972 until 1993, when he was succeeded by Marcus Pridgeon. He served as a mentor to both Pridgeon and to current general manager Darren Schauer, who succeeded Pridgeon in 2003.

As a leader in the electric cooperative field, Hines was known for being a trailblazer and pioneer, making moves that others questioned but later copied. During his stint at GVEC, Hines was able to help GVEC offer one of the lowest electric rates in the state by promoting all-electric homes, increasing the consumption rate, which allowed the cooperative to lower its Kwh rate.

Hines also was known for negotiating a favorable buyout of the cooperative’s Rural Electrification Administration (REA) debt in the late 1980s, making GVEC the first to achieve this step that others would soon follow. He was criticized for the move at the time, but it was later proven to have been the correct thing to do.

A member of the Gonzales Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture, Noon Lions Club and other community service organizations, Hines also had a great interest in the state of healthcare for the community. Working with Dr. Bryan Denman and others, he helped charter the Gonzales Healthcare District, which led to the construction of the current Gonzales Memorial Hospital, which opened in 1978.