On the first Tuesday in August, district meetings are held across the service area during which KEC member-owners meet to vote and elect eligible residents to serve on the co-op’s Board of Trustees. District meetings are held during even-numbered years (2020, 2022, etc.) for the purpose of nominating and electing Trustees to serve in Districts 2, 4 and 6. District meeting are held during odd numbered years in Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7. In accordance with the bylaws, KEC member-owners are notified by mail of the time and place of their district meeting.
Kiamichi Electric has 7 board members who act as trustees for the cooperative corporation. Trustees are required to be KEC members receiving electric utility service from the cooperative within the district they are elected to represent. The trustees meet monthly to oversee the operations of the cooperative utility and set goals, policies and procedures to ensure that the cooperative is operated using sound business practices for the benefit of it’s consumers/owners. The operating and capital budgets of the cooperative are approved annually by the board of trustees. The general manager (CEO) is responsible for operating the cooperative within the guidelines and budget authorizations set by the board of trustees. KEC Board of Directors meet the fourth Friday of every month at 9:30 AM.
Qualifications
Must be a member of the Cooperative and in good standing, actually receiving service and a resident of the Districts served by the Cooperative.
Directors cannot be employed by or have financial interest in a competing enterprise or a business selling electric energy or supplies to the Cooperative or a business engaged in selling electrical or plumbing appliance fixtures or supplies to the members of the Cooperative.
Directors cannot be an incumbent or candidate of an elected public office in connection with a salary or compensation in excess of $1,000 annually.
Has not been employed by the Cooperative or an employee of an entity controlled by the Cooperative or in which the employee, or agent of a union or other entity representing, or seeking to represent Cooperative employees regarding the terms and condition of employment with the Cooperative; during the three (3) years immediately before becoming a Director.
Cannot do business with the Cooperative or have family that has done business with the Cooperative for goods or services or in which the Cooperative owns a majority interest (Cooperative Subsidiary) during the preceding three (3) years.
Have any conflict of interest.
Able to pass a background and credit check.
Not in violation of the Cooperative’s Nepotism Policy.
Hold a high school diploma or equivalent certification.
Has the capacity to enter legally binding contract.
Must be a citizen of the United States of America.
Russell, "Rusty", Shaw has lived in the Buffalo Valley community all his life. He and his wife, Joanna, have been married for 34 years and are the parents of eight children and have six grandchildren. They operate a cow-calf business and enjoy family time and the great outdoors. Rusty and his family are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Rusty graduated from Buffalo Valley High School and received his Bachelor of Science degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. He has been an educator for 22 years and currently teaches math courses at Clayton High School. Rusty has served as a school board member at Buffalo Valley Public School for many years.
Since 1984 Rusty has been a member of Kiamichi Electric and has been serving as a trustee in District 1 for four years. He has earned his Credentialed Cooperative Director and Board Leadership Certificate from NRECA.
Rusty Shaw
Treasurer, District 1
Amy Miller – lives in Hodgen and has been a member of KEC for over 20 years and has lived in SE Oklahoma for 50 years. She is the proud mother of three children.
Miller works for Verisk as an ISO field representative. Previous work experience includes teaching general industry safety at Kiamichi Technology Center. Her volunteer work includes 19 years as assistant chief, secretary treasurer and Emergency Medical Response (EMR) at Post Mountain Volunteer Fire Department; secretary-treasurer and director for the Volunteer Firefighters Association of Oklahoma; president of the Hodgen Fire department board of directors; secretary-treasurer of the Leflore County Firefighters Association, and member of the Public Education Committee of the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association.
Amy Miller
District 2
Ron Pelanconi – Ron and his wife Brenda have been members of Kiamichi Electric Cooperative (KEC) for 42 years. Ron Lives in the Lovings community southeast of Heavener in Leflore County. He is a graduate of of Waldron High School, Waldron Arkansas. He and Brenda have been married for 46 years and have one daughter Nicole. Ron is proud of his 3 grandchildren Cooper, Harper and Parker.
Ron has been a business owner for 15 years and a poultry producer for 25 years. He also owns a cow/calf operation. Ron was a rural water board member from 1993 until 2013. He served as a Poteau Valley Improvement Authority (PVIA) Trustee from 1998 to 2013 and currently serves on the PVIA executive board. Ron and Brenda are members of First Baptist Church Heavener.
Ron has been a member of the KEC Board of Trustees since 2014 and is currently the board as Secretary/Treasurer. Prior to serving on the KEC Board, he served on the KEC Foundation (Operation Round Up) Board from 1999 to 2014. Ron has been awarded the Credentialed Cooperative Director Certificate by NRECA. Ron also serves KEC on the board of the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives (OAEC).
Ron enjoys playing golf and woodworking. Having served on many community boards, Ron lives by the adage, “It’s all right to disagree but not all right to be disagreeable.”
Ron Pelanconi
Vice President, District 3
David Ray – David and Glenda Ray have been a member of Kiamichi Electric Cooperative (KEC) since 1985. David and Glenda live in the Longtown area around Lake Eufaula. David graduated from Heavener High School. After high school David continued his education and graduated from OU with a bachelor’s Degree in business administration. He and Glenda have been married for 45 years and are proud of their three children and four grandchildren. David is the Owner and President of a small independent oil and gas exploration company and has been in the oil and gas industry for over 40 years.
David has served on the KEC Board of Trustees for 19 years. David has also served on the board of KEC’s power provider Western Farmers Electric Cooperative since 2007. He served as president of WFEC from 2012 to 2016. Additionally David has served KEC and WFEC on several other state and national boards.
David also serves on the board of the Hale Family Charitable Foundation and is a member of First Baptist Church in Eufaula. David enjoys hunting, fishing, golf and most importantly spending time with his grandchildren.
David Ray
District 4
Don Parr – Donald “Don” Parr and his wife Wanda have been members of Kiamichi Electric Cooperative (KEC) for 55 years. Don can remember that as an 11-year-old boy KEC ran lines to his district. Don graduated from Indianola High School and attended Eastern Oklahoma State College and received a bachelor’s degree from Southeastern in Durant. He later returned to Southeastern and earned his master’s degree in education. He and Wanda have raised 3 children. They also have lots of love for their 5 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.
Don taught school for 29 years he began his career at Healton school and then came back and taught wood working, drafting and drivers ed. at Indianola for 15 years. He then taught wood shop for 13 years at Puterbaugh Middle School for 15 years. When Don was Junior at Southeastern he surrendered to preach. He spent 40 years pastoring churches in the Baptist Missionary Association of Southeast Oklahoma as a bi-vocational Pastor and then 15 years as a full time Pastor. He also runs a cow calf operation.
Don has served on the KEC board for 18 years and became a member of the board just in time for the 2000 ice storm. Don currently serves as the KEC board President. He has been awarded the Credentialed Cooperative Director Certificate from NRECA.
Don enjoys building in his spare time. He has the opportunity to build everything from cabinets to houses and churches. Don has a great love for family. Don’s family includes his family, church family and co-op family and he loves serving all three.
Don Parr
District 5
Mark Ichord has been a member of Kiamichi Electric Cooperative (KEC) for 28 years. Mark resides in the High Hill community in Pittsburg county. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Southeastern University in Durant as well as a Master’s Degree in School Administration from East Central University in Ada, and also has a Post Master’s Degree in Superintendence from OSU Stillwater.
Mark recently retired as Superintendent of Hartshorne Schools after a 37-year career in education. He is also a full time rancher with a cow/calf operation. Mark’s prior experience as an Administrator and Small Business Owner enhance his abilities to serve as a board member, and to be a part of the decision-making process in order to better the operation and future of the KEC, benefiting all current members.
Mark is very proud of his two children. His daughter Marla is a recent graduate of OSU with a Bachelor’s Degree in Cell and Molecular Biology. His son Neal is a soon-to-be graduate of OSU with a Bachelor’s Degree in Pre-Veterinary/ Animal Bio-technology.
Mark has served on the KEC board for 6 years and is currently Vice President. He has completed the National Rural Electric Association (NRECA) Credentialed Cooperative Director Program. Mark is a 32nd degree Mason and serves on Scottish Rite College Scholarship Committee for McAlester Valley Scottish Rite. Mark served on numerous committees, foundations, and boards within the school and education system while High School Principal and Superintendent.
Mark enjoys hunting, fishing and spending time with friends and family. He also enjoys his church family at High Hill Baptist Church.
Mark Ichord
President, District 6
Larry Culwell, from Bokoshe, has been married to his high school sweetheart, Lou, for 47 years. They have a son and daughter, who have blessed them with three grandsons and a granddaughter, ranging in age from four to twenty one! Larry stays busy running his cow/calf operation, riding the motorcycle with Lou, and enjoying life with his grandkids, family, and friends. His Christianity and belief in God, have proven to always be what's made his life what it is today.
He is a graduate of Bokoshe High School and received his Bachelor of Science degree, in Mathematics and Physics, from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Larry received his Master's Degree, in Counseling/Administration, from Northeastern Oklahoma State University, and his Oklahoma Superintendent's Certification, from Tulsa University.Larry has been retired for fourteen years, after working for thirty years, in education, as a teacher, administrator and superintendent of schools. Also, he has served on the Kiamichi Technology Center School Board of Education, for nine years.
Larry Culwell, proudly serves our Kiamichi Electric Cooperative, as District 7 board member, since 1998, and has been a member of our cooperative since 1977. In order to serve and represent the members of our cooperative, he believes education and training have proven to be vital, in making well informed decisions. Larry has a Director Gold Cooperative Certification from the National Rural Electric Cooperative, signifying he has earned all possible director accreditation. He, also, represents Kiamichi Electric Cooperative, by serving on the KAMO Power Board, which is one of our power suppliers.
Larry's ultimate goal, as a director for the Kiamichi Electric Cooperative, is to assist in providing our members with safe, affordable, and reliable electricity
Larry Culwell
District 7