Kentucky Electric Cooperatives recognized Tony Brannon as its 2024 Distinguished Rural Kentuckian during the co-op association’s 78th Annual Meeting in Louisville.
Distinguished Rural Kentuckian is the highest honor bestowed by the association, which consists of all 26 electric cooperatives across the commonwealth. It recognizes outstanding individuals who have devoted their lives to Kentucky in a way that matches the co-op mission of enhancing the quality of life here. Kentucky Electric Cooperatives President and CEO Chris Perry presented Brannon the award following a special video tribute. The full video can be viewed on the association’s YouTube channel.
“Having been born and raised on a farm and cutting my teeth on the steering wheel of a Model B Allis Chalmers tractor, I certainly felt rural. Growing up as a teenager working in a dark tobacco patch, I’m not so sure I felt distinguished! However, this rural upbringing and modest farm hard work ethic, combined with my Murray State education and 35 years of employment motivated me to a lifetime of service…for both agriculture and rural Communities,” said 2024 Distinguished Rural Kentuckian Tony Brannon. “It’s not easy to serve Kentucky agriculture statewide from the far west, but with commitment and passion and working with colleagues from all across the state, I did the best I could. To have this ‘best I could’ rural and agricultural service recognized as ‘distinguished’ by this prestigious organization is certainly a capstone career highlight.”
Brannon, the retired Dean of the Hutson School of Agriculture at Murray State University, is the 40th Distinguished Rural Kentuckian. Since 1982, the association has honored recipients from the arts, politics, journalism, business, education, religion, athletics, and agriculture. Two former honorees were in attendance at this year’s banquet, 2018 recipient Warren Beeler and 2021 recipient David Beck.
“Kentucky’s electric cooperatives power the lives of Kentuckians in 117 of 120 counties. Because member-owned co-ops belong to and are led by the people they serve, we believe it is important to recognize those who share our commitment to improving the quality of life in our local communities,” said Kentucky Electric Cooperatives President and CEO Chris Perry.
The Annual Meeting’s banquet featured a keynote address from Anthony Robles. Born with one leg, Robles overcame a number of challenges to become the 2011 NCAA wrestling champion. His inspiring life story will be told in the motion picture, Unstoppable, in theatres later this year. Robles encouraged the co-op audience to never give up, learn from mistakes and obstacles and to “never let your challenge become your excuse to say you can’t do it.”
With a theme of Support, Advocate, Educate, the meeting, held annually in Louisville since 1948, included important updates on safety and communications with a focus on reliability and cost pressures faced by co-ops and their members.
Featured speakers included Youth Leadership Council delegate and Pennyrile Electric representative Mason Lovell of Muhlenberg County, RunSwitch PR Founding Partner and political strategist Scott Jennings, National Renewables Cooperative Organization CEO Michael Keyser and former Navy SEAL and noted sports performance specialist Jason Kuhn.