Joshua “Pret” Pretlow Jr. has been honored by the Virginia, Maryland and Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives with the 2014 Electric Cooperative Distinguished Service Award.

Pretlow, who for nearly 40 years has served as cooperative attorney for Community Electric Cooperative, accepted his award at VMDAEC’s annual membership meeting July 28 in Williamsburg.

In presenting the award, VMDAEC president and CEO Jack Reasor praised Pretlow for four decades of dedicated and exemplary service to electric cooperatives. In addition to acquiring properties for Cooperative expansions, Pretlow was instrumental in establishing the cooperative’s successful subsidiary, Tidewater Energy Services.

“I’ve known Joshua Pretlow for nearly 30 years and have worked with him on a variety of projects involving legal review and analysis, from the association’s mutual assistance agreement to a variety of bills affecting electric cooperatives before the Virginia General Assembly,” said VMDAEC Executive Vice President Richard Johnstone.

“He has been thorough, careful, deliberative and helpful in all of my dealings with him, and I have never heard anything but the highest praise spoken about him from colleagues and members.”

As part of the small organization of lawyers who serve VMDAEC electric cooperatives in three states, Pretlow also received praise from fellow cooperative attorney Dale Davenport of Harrisonburg.

“A courtly manner that places a high value on listening to the viewpoints of others and treating every person with respect is a distinguishing aspect of Pret’s personality,” Davenport said.

The 2014 Distinguished Service Award resolution cites Pretlow’s years of contributing in numerous ways to the civic and philanthropic life of his community, including serving as president of his local Rotary and Ruritan clubs, as a Master of his local Masonic Lodge, as Board of Trustees chairman and longtime Sunday School teacher at his church, and as a member, leader and supporter of the area’s Boy Scout organization.

“We could all benefit from having in our community more people like Joshua Pretlow Jr.,” said fellow attorney Carl Eason in his award nomination letter.

Pretlow was thrilled to receive the 2014 Electric Cooperative Distinguished Service Award as part of a luncheon celebration that included surprise guests — many of his family members, as well as friends from sister electric cooperatives.

“Of all the cooperative meetings I’ve attended over the years, this was the most poignant and memorable,” he said.

Headquartered in Windsor, Community Electric Cooperative’s service territory serves 11,000 electric consumers, with 1,590 miles of overhead and underground distribution line.

CEC has $24 million in combined annual revenues from both the electric cooperative and its wholly owned subsidiary, Tidewater Energy Services.