Co-op leaders gather for education and celebration in Branson
From inspiring speakers to well-deserved honors, the Missouri Electric Cooperatives Annual Meeting in Branson brought together co-op leaders from across the state to reflect on teamwork, leadership and the values that keep Missouri’s lights on.
Leaders from the state’s electric cooperatives heard from Brian Smith, head wrestling coach for the University of Missouri, who shared how he created a culture to help his Tiger athletes compete on and off the mat. Political commentators John Hancock and Michael Kelley offered perspective on the political landscape and Associated Electric Cooperative’s David Tudor shared the latest on new natural gas generation projects in Missouri and Oklahoma.
Attendees also gained insight into the mindset of today’s rural youth from Youth Tour delegate Gavin Howerton, who represented Osage Valley Electric Cooperative on the 2025 Youth Tour to Washington, D.C.
From rising young leaders to longtime cooperative veterans, the emphasis on working together ran throughout the meeting. “Our focus on teamwork is why Missouri has such a great reputation among the nation’s electric cooperatives,” says Loren Haines, outgoing Missouri Electric Cooperatives president and CEO of North Central Missouri Electric Cooperative.
In honor of their devotion to the progress of rural electrification, four leaders were presented with the Distinguished Service Award. Recipients included Joel Bullard, director for Boone Electric Cooperative; Emery “Buster” Geisendorfer, director for Lewis County REC; Tom Howard, CEO/general manager of Callaway Electric Cooperative; and Dan Singletary, CEO/manager of Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative.
For their legislative work on behalf of Missouri’s electric cooperatives, Aaron Bradshaw, CEO of Co-Mo Connect, and Jim Bagley, CEO of United Electric Cooperative, received the Franklin R. Stork Democracy Award. Ray McCarty, CEO of Associated Industries of Missouri, and Garrett Hawkins, president of Missouri Farm Bureau, received the Cooperative Neighbor Award. Eleven longtime employees and directors were honored with the A.C. Burrows Award for their outstanding dedication to their cooperative, community and service areas.
Missouri Electric Cooperatives is the statewide service organization for Missouri’s 47 electric cooperatives.