Co-ops Power the Next Generation
Behind every restored power line and every light that flickers back on after a storm, there’s a skilled team making it happen. Across Missouri, electric cooperatives are investing in that future — training the next generation of lineworkers to serve their neighbors, local businesses and communities.
That commitment recently earned Missouri Electric Cooperatives (MEC) the Provider of the Year award at the 2026 Apprenticeship Missouri Summit at State Fair Community College. Presented by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, the award recognizes MEC’s leadership in building and supporting apprenticeship opportunities across the state.
Through its U.S. Department of Labor–affiliated apprenticeship program, MEC works alongside electric cooperatives to provide hands-on training and career pathways. Today, 140 apprentices are gaining the skills needed to safely power Missouri’s homes, farms and businesses.
“This award reflects the work our team has put in, along with the commitment and effort of our cooperatives who implement the apprenticeship program,” says Johnie Hendrix, MEC’s vice president of risk management and training. “We’re grateful to play a part in developing the next generation of the cooperative workforce.”
Co-Op Time Capsule
In the early days of rural electrification, communicating with linemen in the field was a challenge. Some cooperatives relied on members hanging sheets on their porches to signal crews to call the office. But at Macon Electric Cooperative, Manager W.E. Adams came up with a more innovative solution.
An electrical genius who loved tinkering with radios, Adams developed the “REA Telephone” in 1945. Using the co-op’s power lines as carriers, the system allowed trucks in the field to communicate with the office — and even with each other through three-way communication. Linemen attached cables from their trucks to nearby power lines or even fences running parallel to them.
Built from reworked car radios, Adams’ invention drew national attention and earned him the Hertz Award for outstanding achievement in rural electric design and maintenance. Many of his ideas were later incorporated into rural communication technology. Though portable radios soon made the system obsolete, the REA Telephone improved reliability and safety and helped bridge an important technology gap for rural Missouri.
Cooperatives Honor Veterans Through Service
Missouri’s electric cooperatives recently joined together in acts of service to honor veterans. In April, employees from Osage Valley Electric Cooperative in Butler helped assemble The Wall That Heals in Butler. The traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial has visited 800 communities since 1996, bringing the memorial to veterans, families and residents who may not be able to visit Washington, D.C.
In May, volunteers from Macon Electric Cooperative in Macon and Chariton Valley Electric Cooperative headquartered in Albia, Iowa, teamed up to clean headstones at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Jacksonville. The Missouri National Guard also joined the effort, which honored the men and women who served our country while helping preserve their memory for future generations.
These efforts reflect the cooperative spirit of being good neighbors and active partners in the places they call home.
In Focus
Diane Neely, a member of Crawford Electric Cooperative, used the May issue of Rural Missouri to create the perfect day trip. She visited Joel, Tanya, Emma and Susan at Countryside Farm + Market in Cuba and bought some stunning plants. At the Scenic Regional Library in St. Clair, she met Alicia and Karen to donate Brenna Morey’s three inspirational books to inspire some young minds. Then she finished the trip with a great meal at Brown Jerry’s Brews, Blues and Barbecue in Pacific — where she met Jerry and his wife, Teresa (above). Once home, Diane read Caleb Jones’ article of gratitude for his wife to her husband, who is recovering from a stroke. “He said he used to be able to write letters like that to me, and Mr. Jones did it for him this year,” Diane shares. “Thanks Rural Missouri, for delivering such a special magazine.”
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