Rooted in Service: Meet Missouri Electric Cooperatives’ New Officers
Missouri Electric Cooperatives, the statewide service organization representing the state’s electric cooperatives, has elected a new slate of executive officers to guide the organization over the next two years. Together, the leadership team brings decades of experience in cooperative governance, operations and community development across Missouri.
President: Kim Ponder
Kim Ponder, board president of Boone Electric Cooperative in Columbia, is serving as president of Missouri Electric Cooperatives.
A lifelong Boone County resident, Kim is executive vice president and regional retail manager for First State Community Bank, a position held since 2018. Prior to this role, she was assistant vice president at Commerce Bank for 14 years. She was elected to Boone Electric’s board of directors in July 2013. Kim holds Credentialed Cooperative Director and Board Leadership certifications through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
Vice President: Mike Scheib
Mike Scheib, CEO of North Central Missouri Electric Cooperative in Milan, is serving as vice president. He assumed his role at North Central in January 2026 after serving as CEO of Tri-County Electric Cooperative since 2020.
Mike’s career in the electric cooperative program began in operations, with experience as a lineman, line superintendent and operations manager at Tri-County Electric, as well as work with Trenton Municipal Utilities. During his tenure at Tri-County, he focused on improving housing availability in the cooperative’s service area north of Kirksville.
Secretary-Treasurer: Sammy Auxier
Sammy Auxier, vice president of the board for Intercounty Electric Cooperative in Licking, is serving as secretary-treasurer. He has served on Intercounty Electric’s board of directors since 2015.
With deep roots in the St. James area, Sammy worked alongside his father at Auxier Drywall for 18 years. In 2003, he formed Alexander Construction, a general contracting and metal building company. Sammy also owns and operates a farm near St. James and serves on several local boards. He holds Credentialed Cooperative Director and Board Leadership certifications through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
Women in Power
Electric cooperatives are powered by people committed to serving their communities, and women play an essential role. Today, women serve electric cooperatives in every imaginable role — as lineworkers, engineers, financial managers, communicators, directors and CEOs. In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, we’re celebrating the many women whose leadership, expertise and dedication are strengthening electric cooperatives. Their work reflects the cooperative commitment to opportunity, innovation and community — and the growing influence of women guiding electric cooperatives into the future.
Want to join the dynamic energy industry? Visit www.moelectriccoops.com/cooperative-careers/ to see electric cooperative job openings.
Safety Tip (Podcast)
When storms knock out the power, portable generators can keep your home running — but one wrong move can turn them into a serious danger. In this episode of the Show Me Today Podcast, Andy Kleindienst of Callaway Electric Cooperative in Fulton shares essential tips to help Missouri homeowners use generators safely and protect their families and utility workers.
Missouri Co-ops Answer the Call in Wake of Winter Storm Fern
When Winter Storm Fern swept across the southern and northeastern U.S. in late January, it left ice, snow and freezing temperatures in its wake. Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses lost power as heavy ice snapped trees and power lines.
Missouri electric cooperatives experienced snow and cold from the storm but saw relatively few outages and no issues meeting electricity demand. That stability allowed Missouri’s co-op crews to respond quickly when fellow co-ops in Mississippi — one of the hardest-hit states — requested storm restoration help.
Initial Missouri crews assisted Natchez Trace Electric Power Association in Houston, Mississippi, and Pontotoc Electric Power Association in Pontotoc, Mississippi. As work progressed, additional Missouri crews were sent to North East Mississippi Electric Power Association in Oxford, Mississippi, and Tippah Electric Power Association in Ripley, Mississippi.
Missouri electric cooperatives providing mutual aid included Black River Electric Cooperative in Fredericktown, Crawford Electric Cooperative in Bourbon, Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative in West Plains, Pemiscot-Dunklin Electric Cooperative in Kennett, SEMO Electric Cooperative in Sikeston, Ozark Border Electric Cooperative in Poplar Bluff, Laclede Electric Cooperative in Lebanon and Intercounty Electric Cooperative in Licking.
The response to Winter Storm Fern reflects the cooperative principle of cooperation among cooperatives. Missouri crews have a long history of assisting with out-of-state restoration efforts, including deployments to Georgia following Hurricane Helene in 2024. Through each storm and disaster, the commitment remains the same: when one cooperative needs help, others are ready to respond.