February 10, 2006

HOLLAND AND HAWKINS RE-ELECTED TO FKEC BOARD

Incumbents Gretchen Holland and Frank Hawkins were recently re-elected to serve three-year terms on the Florida Keys Cooperative Board of Directors. Holland will continue to represent Key Largo (District One) and Hawkins will
represent Tavernier (District Two).

Both Holland and Hawkins ran unopposed and were elected in accordance with FKEC bylaws, which state, "in the event only one qualified member from a district is so nominated, that member shall be declared elected in which no election need be held for such office."

Holland was appointed to the FKEC Board of Directors in 1999 and elected to office in 2000. In 2005, she was elected Vice President of the Board.

After 32 years in the title insurance business, she recently retired from Coral Reef Title Company as her daughters have now taken over the two offices. A 32-year resident, Holland has also worked extensively in our local community. She is past secretary of FKEC's volunteer board for the Charitable Trust.

Holland is also past Chairperson of the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Board of Directors of TIB Financial Corp. and TIB Bank of the Keys. In addition, she is a charter member of the Rotary Club of Key Largo and a member of the Florida Keys Board of Realtors, Women's Council of Realtors and the Florida Land Title Association.

Hawkins has served three consecutive three-year terms as a member of the Board of Directors and has served as Treasurer since August 2003.

Hawkins is CEO of Hawk Associates, an investor relations firm representing microcap and small cap companies on Wall Street. Before founding Hawk Associates, Hawkins was Vice President of Corporate Relations and Planning and head of the investor relations program at Knight-Ridder in Miami.

At various times during his career, he has been an agent handler for the Defense Intelligence Agency in Germany, a foreign correspondent in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, an international businessman and senior corporate executive and president of the Access Asia Group in Hong Kong.

The author of the adventure novel, Ritter's Gold, Hawkins has lived in eight countries and is a graduate of Cornell University. He is past president of the Upper Keys Rotary Club and is a member of The Islamorada Fishing Club.

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The FKEC Board of Directors has the authority to establish policies and review operational procedures to promote a progressive financially sound utility. The Board has nine seats, and each director must be a member in his or her voting district. Directors must be nominated and elected by their home district's members according to FKEC bylaws. Directors serve three-year terms.