“This New ERA funding through Rural Utilities Service enables EKPC to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and maintain competitive rates for rural Kentucky,” said Tony Campbell, EKPC’s president and CEO. “These funds will support renewable resources, including the proposed new solar facilities in Fayette and Marion counties, which will advance EKPC’s strategy to cut carbon intensity and diversify its generating portfolio.”
EKPC plans to construct or procure 757 megawatts of renewable energy for rural portions of Kentucky, as well as improve the regional transmission grid to support renewable projects and increase energy efficiency.
“The New ERA funds will play a vital role in EKPC’s thoughtful, common-sense approach to cutting carbon emissions while minimizing the cost impact for 1.1 million Kentucky residents in 89 counties,” said Anderson County resident Jody Hughes, who represents Blue Grass Energy on EKPC’s board. “This funding helps meet the needs of the people and organizations we serve, especially businesses and industries looking to reduce their carbon footprints.”
EKPC is working with Rural Utilities Service to finalize the New ERA underwriting and funding agreement.
“Many of the big economic development projects we’re working on – and we’re working on a bunch of them – have business leaders telling us, ‘You’ve got to provide us this much in renewable energy by this date,’” Beshear said. “And today’s award means East Kentucky Power is going to help us meet this demand and land more projects and more jobs in the coming years.”
“When we transition to clean energy, we lower the toxic pollution in our air and water,” Berke added. “At the same time, this funding will keep costs low and allow rural Kentuckians to save money on their electric bill.”
Lineworkers describe the massive mutual aid effort
Three weeks after Hurricane Helene’s devastation triggered the largest mutual aid response in Kentucky electric cooperative history, more than 100 Kentucky lineworkers continue to restore power to sister co-ops in Georgia and North Carolina, with the deployment for some crews potentially lasting another week.
Crews who have returned home to Kentucky are describing what they experienced among Helene’s flooding, landslides and tragedy.
“This is the worst storm I’ve ever worked,” said Owen Electric Service Technician Bobby VonBokern, who has worked for the co-op since 2007 and has been assisting in Georgia. “At least every other span of wire is down. We’re basically building Satilla REMC’s whole grid from the ground up since its start in 1937. The damage was catastrophic.”
At the height of the mutual aid response, more than 250 personnel from 19 Kentucky co-ops were working in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. In addition, more than 100 Kentucky co-op contractors also responded to the calls for help.
“It is very heart-wrenching to see firsthand how the forces of nature can bring such disruption and devastation to these communities and the people that live here,” said Brandon Keyton, a four-year Jackson Energy Lineman. “It is very humbling to be able to bring a little normality back to those affected by these storms. It weighs heavy on your heart but is worth the sacrifice away from our families back home.”
Helene knocked out electric service to an estimated 1.25 million co-op members in the southeastern U.S, including 100,000 co-op consumer-members in Kentucky. Many of the crews who helped in other states responded first to mutual aid requests within Kentucky, such as Kenergy Corp. which assisted Clark Energy in Winchester.
“We were taken good care of by the cooperative. Clark’s members were very thankful and showed much gratitude for us being there,” recalled Chris Bennett, a Kenergy Construction Crew Foreman who was part of a crew who also assisted Laurens Electric Cooperative in South Carolina.
“We have 40-year co-op veterans who say this is the worst and most widespread destruction they’ve seen in their careers. The damage is catastrophic,” said Jim Donahoo, a Laurens Electric Cooperative spokesperson. “We hate to keep using the word ‘unprecedented,’ but it is. We have never experienced this combination of tropical storm-force winds, rainfall and flooding in the Upstate of South Carolina.”
“Laurens Electric was very thankful for our assistance,” Bennett added. “This was a first of its kind of storm for this cooperative. The members were very thankful and excited to see us. We were cooked lunch by several members whose power had been off for 8 days. That was the best lunch we had eaten! We were also given cold drinks and hand-colored cards from a little girl thanking us for turning on her power.”
Nick Hudnall, a Warren RECC Operations Supervisor, thanked Jefferson Energy Cooperative in Wrens, Georgia for their trust in power restoration, saying it “was truly an honor” to help.
“I’ve never been on storm relief where members were so kind to us and understanding of what we were there to do,” Hudnall said. “I’d be more than happy to go back and help these co-ops any time they need it.”
Nearly 10,000 co-op personnel from 24 states descended upon the areas hardest hit by Helene. To help meet the unprecedented demand, the co-ops canceled the 2024 Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo, scheduled for October 3-4 at East Kentucky Power Cooperative. The annual event is a highlight of the year for Kentucky lineworkers who compete in a variety of events which demonstrate the skills and safety of the trade.
“We are guided by cooperative principles,” said Chris Perry, president and CEO of both Kentucky Electric Cooperatives and United Utility Supply Cooperative which serves co-ops in 20 states. “One of our principles is Cooperation Among Cooperatives, and state borders are no barrier when any member of our co-op family is in crisis.”
In addition to supplying critical materials to co-ops rebuilding after Helene, United Utility Supply donated tens of thousands of bottled water to North Carolina cooperatives whose members faced a water emergency. In daily contact with other statewide co-op associations, Kentucky Electric Cooperatives coordinated the record mutual aid deployment after Helene.
“Many of the co-ops where we are restoring power after Helene have sent mutual aid crews into Kentucky after ice storms, windstorms and tornadoes here,” said Randy Meredith, Director of Safety and Training at Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “Mutual aid deployments provide invaluable training opportunities, so co-op crews everywhere are better prepared to respond to emergencies here at home.”
“There was a lot of damage, wires down and broken poles,” explained Jacob Courtney, a Kenergy line technician based in Marion. “Every consumer-member that we met was very appreciative and thankful for us being there. We worked long hours in some tough territory, but we were happy to help where we could.”
Working to restore power in North Carolina, Licking Valley RECC crews emphasized the similarities of their respective service territories and workforces.
“If Licking Valley ever needs help, we need to call the guys at Blue Ridge Energy,” said Licking Valley RECC Lineman Trenton Reed. “Great guys and experienced hill climbers.”
“Couldn’t ask for a better a group of guys to work with,” added his co-worker, Evan Robertson.
The top priority of each local Kentucky co-op is service to its own consumer-members. Before committing resources to mutual aid requests, each co-op ensures it has ample crews available for all local needs, including routine maintenance and emergencies.
The Kentucky electric co-op mutual aid crews regard the co-op members devasted by Helene as some of their own.
“These are the nicest and most patient members I’ve ever met,” VonBokern said, “given their circumstances.”
“All in all,” added Bennett, “long days and hard work bring joy and the return of some normalcy for people in need.”
Once the huge job of restoring power from Hurricane Helene is done, some electric cooperatives in the Southeast face an even more daunting task: completely rebuilding their systems destroyed by the storm’s ferocious winds and flooding rains.
“This is not just a matter of power outages; it’s about lives turned upside down, homes lost and communities facing weeks—if not months—of recovery,” Thomas Golden, CEO of EnergyUnited in Statesville, North Carolina, said at a news conference hosted by NRECA last week.
“Some of our hardest-hit areas are not dealing with a simple fix. They’re facing a complete rebuild of their electrical infrastructure, their roads and even their daily lives.”
Co-ops have an especially tough task of rebuilding because they serve some of the most remote areas of the country, said Mike Couick, president and CEO of the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina.
One of the state’s co-ops, Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative in Pickens, saw its underground power lines wash down the mountainside, along with trees and power poles, Couick said.
“They’re rebuilding a system of 7,300 miles of line,” he said. “That’s almost the diameter of the planet Earth. And it runs straight up mountainsides.”
Ron Barnes, president and CEO of Coast Electric Power Association in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, knows better than most what it means to rebuild a co-op system after a disaster. He was working at the co-op as vice president of marketing, member services and public relations when Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005.
Coast Electric lost 30,000 power poles and 10,000 transformers. It took a full year and $110 million for the co-op to rebuild its system, with major funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“It’s not as dark as it seems at the moment,” he advises co-ops hit by Hurricane Helene. “You have all these pressures on you, and you say, ‘Oh my gosh, how are we ever going to do this?’ It seems like it will never end when you’re in the middle of it, but it does.”
The co-op restored power in just three weeks to members whose homes and businesses were still standing after Katrina.
With power restored within Kentucky, hundreds of lineworkers and contractors from the commonwealth’s electric cooperatives are now helping sister co-ops in other states ravaged by Hurricane Helene in one of the largest mutual aid deployments in the program’s history.
More than 150 co-op personnel from Kentucky’s electric cooperatives are providing mutual aid in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, joining crews from 18 other states. These co-op employees are in addition to the hundreds of contract crew members released by Kentucky co-ops so they can also respond to the calls for help.
“We are finding more destruction and houses that have been damaged beyond repair,” said Mitch Bearden, Chief Communications Officer at Haywood EMC in Waynesville, North Carolina, one of the co-ops where Kentucky crews are working to rebuild the electric system.
Flooding and landslides have swept away roads, limiting access to infrastructure and isolated communities.
“What we are currently finding is absolutely unprecedented,” Bearden continued. “I am unsure of a number of homes or businesses that may be forever gone due to these storms across our service area. We know that there are many and are hopeful we can play any part in being there for these folks who have lost everything. Some of these people are also our employees.”
The deployment to the southeastern states follows the successful restoration of power within Kentucky where more than 100,000 consumer-members lost power. Central and Eastern Kentucky experienced 40-60 mph winds, snapping tree limbs and toppling whole trees into power lines, breaking hundreds of poles across Kentucky. The region also received 3-5 inches of rainfall during this event.
The 2024 Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo, scheduled for October 3-4 at East Kentucky Power Cooperative, was canceled in deference to the mutual aid needs. The annual event is a highlight of the year for Kentucky lineworkers who compete in a variety of events which demonstrate the skills and safety of the trade.
On daily calls with mutual aid coordinators from statewide associations such as Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, co-op leaders in Georgia and South Carolina are anticipating it could take three more weeks to restore power. North Carolina co-ops indicate it could take up to two months.
“We continue to pray for everyone affected by this natural disaster,” said Chris Perry, President and CEO of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “Our electric cooperative family is hurting. These crews represent Kentucky’s concern for our neighbors, and we pray for their safety and well-being as they face challenging conditions.”
In addition to supplying critical materials to co-ops rebuilding after Helene, Kentucky-based United Utility Supply Cooperative is donating more than 12,000 bottles of water to French Broad Electric Membership Corporation in North Carolina. The donation includes water that UUS had planned to provide to the Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo.
The top priority of each local Kentucky co-op is service to its own consumer-members. Before committing resources to mutual aid requests, each co-op ensures it has ample crews available for all local needs, including routine maintenance and emergencies.
“Cooperation among cooperatives is one of our guiding principles,” said Randy Meredith, Director of Safety and Training at Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “It’s long hours in challenging conditions, but this is what we do. Lineworkers are wired to help people, and mutual aid deployments also provide invaluable training opportunities so these crews will be better prepared to respond to storm damage when it happens here at home.”
“While Tropical Storm Helene brought her worst, the unity and helping spirit that we are seeing in western North Carolina represents our best,” said Nelle Hotchkiss, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. “We are resilient, we are strong, and we are in this together.”
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Jason Todd, Kentucky Electric Cooperatives Boad Chairman, presented the 2024 Beautify the Bluegrass Governor’s Award to the Beattyville Welcome Sign project, a partnership of Jackson Energy Cooperative and community leaders.
For the eighth year in a row, the Governor’s office, Kentucky’s electric cooperatives and their flagship publication, Kentucky Living, partnered on the Beautify the Bluegrass initiative to recognize Kentuckians who complete homegrown projects to improve public spaces.
“When we say ‘Team Kentucky,’ this is what we’re talking about—Kentuckians who care about their communities and take action to help. Thank you to every Kentuckian and co-op who completed Beautify the Bluegrass projects this year,” said Governor Andy Beshear. “I want to say thank you for your cooperative spirit and your willingness to roll up your sleeves to improve Kentucky”
“Like the electric co-ops that belong to and are led by local Kentuckians, these projects are homegrown,” said Jason Todd, Kentucky Electric Cooperatives Board Chair at the announcement in the State Capitol Rotunda. “These efforts were not completed to win an award; they are the result of the people in this room taking it upon themselves to identify how they can make Kentucky a better and more attractive place to live.”
The program recognizes Kentuckians who take an active role in preserving the state’s natural beauty and helping their communities shine. Throughout the years, nominated projects have represented a wide variety of local needs, including rebuilding community assets impacted by natural disasters, breathing new life into downtowns, planting gardens, painting murals, repairing playgrounds, and removing litter from waterways and roads.
“We love the community we live, work and play in, and want to leave it a better place than we found it. Even though we don’t do it for awards and recognition, it’s such an honor to receive the Beautify the Governor’s Award for the second time,” said Lisa Baker of Jackson Energy, recipient of the 2024 Beautify the Bluegrass Governor’s Award. “The work we do for the people of Beattyville doesn’t go unnoticed—not by the consumer members in our region nor the state. Thank you to those who nominated us.”
The Welcome Sign on Beattyville Highway 11 in Lee County was renovated and revitalized by a team of 24 volunteers from Jackson Energy. The co-op funded the project in coordination with Beattyville community partners. Volunteers cleaned, repainted, installed solar lights, added flower planters and mounted new flags—all with locally sourced materials.
“I’m really pleased to see Kentuckians stepping up every year to help make Kentucky shine, and I’m especially proud of our co-ops who go above and beyond to serve their communities,” said Chris Perry, Kentucky Electric Cooperatives President and CEO. “Not only are these men and women working in all sorts of conditions every day to keep the lights on, but they are also giving back in unique ways. Our member co-ops really are proud to partner with the Governor’s office to highlight the individuals and groups who want to give back to our beautiful Commonwealth of Kentucky.”
In August, Kentucky Living and Governor Beshear announced the five 2024 Beautify the Bluegrass finalists. Kentucky Living readers voted online for their choice to receive the 2024 Governor’s Award. Other finalists included:
Big Rivers Electric & Kenergy, Landscaping for Habitat for Humanity Training Center (Daviess County)
Devan Horton, Works of Art That Bloom (Campbell County)
City of Danville’s Downtown Streetscape Project (Boyle County)
Friends of Red River Trah Cleanups (Wolfe County)
Any project completed between August 2024 and July 2025 is eligible for recognition for the 2025 Beautify the Bluegrass. Watch for the nomination form to go live in March 2025 on KentuckyLiving.com to coincide with the Kentucky Living article about the 2024 honorees.
Due to the impact of Hurricane Helene on Kentucky’s electric cooperatives, the 2024 Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo, scheduled for October 3-4, has been canceled.
After making landfall in Florida on Thursday, September 26 at 11:25 pm EDT, the storm moved quickly enough to bring hurricane force winds into the southeast U.S. and tropical storm force winds into the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys, snapping tree limbs and toppling whole trees into power lines, breaking hundreds of poles across Kentucky.
At the height of the storm, more than 100,000 electric cooperative consumer-members lost power. Central Kentucky experienced winds of 40-60 mph winds, with a maximum measured wind of 65 mph at the Lexington Airport in the afternoon of Friday, September 27.
The region also received 3-5 inches of rainfall during this event. The post-tropical low pressure system continued to spin over central Kentucky for a few days before moving out of the region.
The storm significantly impacted both the operations of co-ops across the state and the safety team of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives which coordinates mutual aid efforts. As of Sunday evening, 60 hours after Helene’s remnants slammed into Kentucky, co-ops had restored power to 90% of those who had lost it on Friday.
“Getting the lights back on safely is our number one priority,” said Randy Meredith, Director of Safety and Loss Prevention at Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “Although the decision to cancel the Rodeo is a difficult one, it is the right one for our members. All energies and resources will be focused on the cooperatives’ number one mission.”
For 20 years, the Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo has showcased the skills, agility and safety of electric cooperative lineworkers who compete in a variety of events to promote safety and the development of unique skills, The event offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at their essential work and training while promoting safety, teamwork and cooperation.
At this time, the statewide association does not plan on rescheduling the event which was to be hosted by East Kentucky Power Cooperative in Winchester.
“We appreciate your understanding and support during this challenging time,” Meredith added. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the hurricane and those working to restore power.”
LEITCHFIELD, Ky. (Sept. 18, 2024) – Inspired by lessons learned during a leadership experience sponsored by Warren RECC, Grayson County High School senior Zola Nunn is encouraging her fellow students to register to vote.
“Voting is our opportunity to shape the future,” Nunn said while hosting a registration drive outside the high school cafeteria on National Voter Registration Day September 17 as part of the Co-ops Vote program.
With support from Warren RECC, Kentucky Electric Cooperatives and her high school counselor, Nunn aims to educate and encourage eligible voters to register and participate in the upcoming elections.
“We are incredibly proud of Zola for taking the initiative to lead this important event” said Aggie Manion, Grayson County High School counselor. “It’s important that our students recognize the power they have to impact their community and the world around them.”
Nunn learned about the Co-ops Vote initiative during trips to Frankfort and Washington, D.C. as part of the annual Youth Tour program coordinated by Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, the statewide association of all 26 co-ops in the commonwealth. Warren RECC sponsored six students on the Washington Youth Tour this summer where delegates met Kentucky’s top political leaders and congressional staff, attended leadership seminars and toured national memorials.
“We are extremely proud of Zola and her initiative to make sure students her age are engaged in the political process” says Patty Kantosky, Warren RECC Vice President of Member Services and Information Technology. “The Frankfort and Washington Youth Tours are great opportunities for our students to learn more about how their government works and we are proud to be a part of them. We can’t wait to see what Zola and her fellow classmates accomplish as they go out into the world.”
The experience sparked a desire for Nunn to educate her friends, family and classmates about the importance of voting and raising voter turnout.
“I want to make sure that everyone knows how easy it is to register and that their voices can make a difference,” she said.
Since 2016, Kentucky’s electric cooperatives have partnered with the Kentucky Secretary of State on the Co-ops Vote program, a nonpartisan initiative with the goal of reversing a downward trend in rural voting.
A review of State Board of Elections data in the last ten presidential elections shows Kentucky voter turnout has yet to rebound since a steep decline in voter participation 28 years ago. In 1992, Kentucky reported 73.2% of registered voters cast a ballot in the general election. Just four years later, voter turnout dropped to 59.3%. Despite modest increases in subsequent presidential election cycles, voter turnout dipped even lower, to 59.1% in 2016, then clawed back to 60.3% in 2020.
According to the National Voter Registration Day annual report, 130,000 people across the country registered to vote or updated their registration on National Voter Registration Day in 2023. Alumni from the Youth Tour program, such as Zola Nunn, have also responded to the challenge by hosting voter registration drives.
“At the heart of every electric cooperative is the co-op principle of Concern for Community,” said Joe Arnold, Vice President of Strategic Communications. “Another co-op principle is Democratic Member Control. We are so proud of Zola for picking up the torch and embracing cooperative principles. By registering to vote as soon as they are eligible, then showing up at the ballot box in November, students like Zola are making voting a habit and strengthening our democracy.”
Those who are not registered to vote have until October 7, 2024, to register and be eligible to vote in the general election on November 5, 2024. Stop by your local county clerk’s office to register in person or click here to learn how to register online or by mail.
Due to the impact of Hurricane Helene on our Kentucky cooperatives, the 2024 Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo is canceled.
The information below is provided for reference.
These are the details and original schedule for the planned event.
Event Details:
Host: East Kentucky Power
Dates: Thursday and Friday, October 3-4th, 2024
Location: East Kentucky Power Cooperative-4775 Lexington Rd., Winchester, KY 40391
Event Schedule: *Please note all times are eastern.
Wednesday, October 2 10 a.m. – KRUS golf scramble, Boone’s Trace National Golf Club 4-7 p.m. – Registration, individual division ONLY 6:30 p.m. – Head judges meeting
Thursday, October 3 7 a.m. – Mandatory judges and clerk meeting 7:30 a.m. – Welcome, national anthem, prayer and Lineman Memorial 8 a.m. – Registration, individual division 8:30 a.m. – Individual events start 12-4 p.m. – Registration, team division
30 minutes after conclusion of events – individual awards presentation and dinner sponsored by United Utility Supply (on-site)
Friday, October 4 7 a.m. – Mandatory judges and clerk meeting 7:30 a.m. – Welcome and prayer 8 a.m. – Team events start
30 minutes after conclusion of events – team awards presentation (on-site)
Five community projects are in the running for the 2024 Beautify the Bluegrass Governor’s Award, an annual initiative of Kentucky Living, Kentucky Electric Cooperatives and the Kentucky Governor’s Office.
Started in 2017, Beautify the Bluegrass recognizes community members across the commonwealth for their efforts to improve public spaces. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear joined Kentucky Living’s Best in Kentucky Awards show on August 14 to congratulate the 2024 winners and announce the finalists for Beautify the Bluegrass.
“Thanks to Kentucky Living and Kentucky’s electric cooperatives for supporting homegrown beautification efforts across the commonwealth. We were so pleased to honor the Beautify the Bluegrass finalists at the capitol last fall and look forward to doing it again,” said Governor Beshear. “Congratulations to these finalists and thank you to all the volunteers who work to improve their communities. Looking forward to seeing all the beautification projects that happen around our great Commonwealth this year!”
This year’s Beautify the Bluegrass finalists, which hail from Lee, Daviess, Campbell, Boyle and Wolfe counties, were selected from among dozens of noteworthy projects across the state.
Big Rivers Electric and Kenergy
Landscaping for Habitat for Humanity Training Center, Daviess County Over 20 volunteers from Big Rivers Electric, Kenergy, and contractors planted a landscaping barrier at the Habitat for Humanity Owensboro-Daviess County Training Center, which offers hands-on homeowner training.
Danville Downtown Streetscape Project, Boyle County
The $6 million, two-year project transformed downtown Danville’s Main Street with wider sidewalks, buried utilities, new trees, upgraded the Weisiger Park fountain, and added outdoor dining, creating a safer and more inviting pedestrian-friendly area.
Devan Horton
Works of Art That Bloom, Campbell County
With a grant from the Kentucky Foundation for Women’s Art as Activism, Devan Horton created plantable art materials from natural items, organized a community event to create art with them, and planted the artworks in a blighted lot, transforming it into a blooming native pollinator meadow called “Perennial.”
Jackson Energy and various Beattyville entities
Beattyville Highway 11 Welcome Sign, Lee County
Beattyville’s newly renovated welcome sign, funded by Jackson Energy, was revitalized by 24 volunteers who cleaned, repainted, installed solar lights, added flower planters, and mounted new flags, all with locally sourced materials.
Friends of Red River Trash Cleanups, Wolfe County
The Friends of Red River (FORR) hosts monthly cleanups of Kentucky’s only Wild and Scenic River, removing tons of trash and thousands of tires, and in 2024 released a documentary, *River Cowboys: Keeping it Wild*, highlighting these efforts, which premiered at the annual Wild & Scenic Red RiverFest.
Now through August 28, readers can visit KentuckyLiving.com to learn more about each project and vote for their favorite of the five finalists. Click here to learn more and vote.
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.