·May 16, 2023·3 min read

SPONSOR HIGHLIGHT: Marcus Harston, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative

MBC sponsor Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative, represented by VP of Marketing & Communications Marcus Harston, pictured above, far right, presenting scholarship checks to Benson Unified School District.

Through our sponsor recognition articles, we are showcasing the many ways professionals cultivate and use creativity to improve their personal lives, their careers, the places they work and their communities. This article features Gloria Spencer, President of Nogales US Customs Brokers Association and General Manager of Livingston International. Read on to learn more.

Marcus Harston is Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC). The Cooperative is a not-for-profit, member-owned distribution cooperative in Southern Arizona. SSVEC provides electricity to more than 60,000 services over some 4,100 miles of energized line.

Marcus explains, “My role at SSVEC is broad. I’m responsible for all marketing communications material, including print, social media, and video across all public outlets. I manage a variety of member-oriented programs such as Surge Protection, energy audits, and solar inspections. And I lead all youth programs including scholarships, the Washington Youth Tour, and the Youth Engineering and Science (YES) Fair.”

In his role, he directly interacts with the Board of Directors, Senior Management, Members, and affiliated organizations such as National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), Grand Canyon State Electric Cooperative Association (GCSECA), and Touchstone Energy.

MBC sponsor Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative, represented by VP of Marketing & Communications Marcus Harston, pictured center above in the blue shirt, with volunteer staff members from SSVEC and Boys & Girls Club during a volleyball clinic to benefit high school and middle school coaches and players in Cochise County.

After serving 24 years in the military, Marcus entered the private sector with an eye toward educating young people. He says, “I started at SSVEC as the Community Relations Manager, where I was responsible for managing all youth programs. In this role, I was able to achieve my goal of educating and improving the future of young people in our service area.”

For Marcus, creativity is an opportunity to express, create, and direct elements of communication to other people and audiences. Utilizing the “tools” of creativity, he conveys messages in unique and invigorating ways with specific and general audiences, depending on the circumstances. The result of creativity has the power to inspire, motivate, and lead to a specific positive change in people.

Marcus says, “I employ creativity every day, personally and professionally, whether I’m developing correspondence, considering a marketing message, or even in contemplating a difficult golf shot on the weekend! Having a creative capacity empowers me to ‘think outside the box.’ Working in a position that invites a variety of messaging to diverse audiences gives me the opportunity to develop creative solutions and ideas to help achieve the Cooperative’s mission.”

The SSVEC golf tournament hosted for large users of electricity to assist with energy efficiency, usage and other programs to benefit companies in the service area.

At SSVEC, creative ideas are often inspired from discussions with fellow team members. Marcus says, “It’s important to ‘eliminate the fear factor,’ so that all ideas can be heard, without consequence, regardless of how radical they may be.”

Reading and researching are also ways that Marcus generates creative ideas. He compares outcomes from the experience of others and contemplates ideas that come to mind while digesting new materials and information. He also uses relaxation techniques, aimed at clearing and focusing the mind, to stimulate new, creative, ideas.

Albert Einstein, perhaps the most famous mathematician in human history, once related that his “genius,” was accomplished through “…99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration.”

For Marcus, the message Einstein delivered reveals one of the true realities of creativity: Hard work is part of the equation. He says, “If you have a sincere desire to achieve a goal, fully commit yourself to ‘…achieving and believing,’ as I like to say.”