Welcome to the New Rural Missouri
You’re holding in your hands a new chapter of Rural Missouri. We’re excited to share this refreshed and redesigned issue with you — and even more excited for what it represents. Over the past year, our team has taken a deep look at how we can best serve you, our dedicated readers. This redesign is the result of that work and, more importantly, an investment in the magazine you’ve welcomed into your homes for nearly 80 years.
You’ll still find the stories, photos and voices that celebrate the people and places that make rural Missouri such a special place to live. Those aren’t changing. What has changed is the way we present them. We focused on improving readability, creating a cleaner layout and making it easier to move through each section. The new design gives our photography more room to breathe and helps our stories shine the way they deserve.
We see this as an investment in your reading experience — one that keeps the heart of Rural Missouri intact while making it even more enjoyable to explore. We hope it feels both fresh and familiar, and we hope you love it as much as we’ve loved creating it.
What do you think? I’d love to hear from you at sschafer@ruralmissouri.coop.
Hamon and Singletary Named to Hall of Fame
Electric cooperative CEOs Chris Hamon and Dan Singletary have been inducted into the prestigious Missouri Institute of Cooperatives Hall of Fame.
Chris Hamon has spent four decades serving the members of White River Valley Electric Cooperative in Branson. Throughout his career, he has championed technological upgrades and strengthened the cooperative’s commitment to reliability and innovation. His efforts helped bring high-speed internet to rural communities through White River Connect and expanded support for youth programs and Operation Round Up grants, directly impacting thousands of members across the region.
Chris’ influence extends well beyond the southwest Missouri cooperative. He is a registered professional engineer in three states and has served the broader cooperative network in numerous leadership roles. Since 2015, he has represented Missouri as a director on the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association board and has held key positions with Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative and the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corp.
Dan Singletary began his career with Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative in West Plains in 1985 as a computer programmer. His leadership potential quickly became evident, and in 1994 he was named CEO. During his tenure, Dan steered Howell-Oregon through challenging natural disasters, including the 1999 and 2009 ice storms, the 2017 flood and the 2025 tornadoes. Under his guidance, the cooperative remained steadfast in its mission and emerged stronger, more resilient and better equipped to serve members.
Dan also has been instrumental in ensuring electric cooperative employees return home safely at the end of the workday. He has served on the Missouri Electric Cooperative Insurance Program Board since 1997 and as its chairman since 2005. In this position, he has helped promote safe working practices while saving co-ops millions in workman’s compensation premiums.
Both Chris and Dan exemplify the spirit of cooperative leadership: integrity, resilience, innovation and a deep-rooted dedication to serving others. Their impact will be felt for generations.
The Missouri Institute of Cooperatives is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to education and the advancement of the cooperative business model.
Co-op Careers
There’s more behind the power lines than you think. In this episode of the Show Me Today Podcast, Missouri Electric Cooperatives’ Chris Massman shares how careers at electric cooperatives offer competitive pay, ongoing training and the chance to make a difference in communities across the state. Tune in to find out if this is the career path that sparks your interest.
In Focus
Nothing beats a good read on a beautiful afternoon. Just ask Emersyn Boeving, age 6, from Poplar Bluff. She’s a proud member of Ozark Border Electric Cooperative.
Co-Op Time Capsule
Electric co-ops are no strangers to winter storms. In January 1949, freezing rain fell for three days across Missouri, knocking out power to thousands of co-op members. In those early days members mailed postcards and letters to let their co-op know the power was out. One southwest Missouri man rode his horse 12 miles to tell the co-op a tree had fallen through the lines.
That storm marked the first time the state’s electric cooperatives put into action their newly developed mutual aid plan. Under the plan, any system could ask for help restoring power from electric co-ops out of harm’s way.
Ironically, Boone Electric Cooperative Manager R.J. Martin, credited for the idea, was the first to call for help. His call was answered by Farmers’ Electric Cooperative in Chillicothe, which sent one truck and three men. Realizing the damage was more severe, Martin asked for more assistance. This time his SOS was relayed by the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s radios because the phone lines were down. Black River, Intercounty and SEMO electric cooperatives sent assistance to Boone Electric, while Howell-Oregon and Three Rivers electric cooperatives offered help to Callaway Electric.
Over the years, the plan has been finely honed so one call to Missouri Electric Cooperatives in Jefferson City can send an armada of assistance to speed storm recovery. No matter what caused the damage, one common denominator can be found: electric cooperative employees will do whatever it takes to get power restored.