2026 Director Election

Each year, members elect three fellow members to guide the cooperative. To make it easy and convenient for our members to participate, there are several options for casting a ballot. An early voting period runs from 8 a.m. Aug. 14 through 11:59 p.m. Sept. 14, during which members can vote online, with SmartHub or by mail. There will also be an opportunity to vote in person at the annual meeting from 8 to 10 a.m. on Sept. 16.

Early voters who cast their ballot by Sept. 14 will be entered into a drawing for electric credit prizes. There are more than 50 chances to win a credit ranging from $10 to $500.

Members may vote for three directors, one from each of the co-op's geographic districts.

When the candidate nomination period closed on Wednesday, July 15, the following members had submitted petitions to secure a place on the ballot:

District 1

Janet Morrow

Richard L. "Rick" Adams

District 2
unopposed

Michael Blankenship

District 3
unopposed incumbent

Joe Cason

Proposal to amend the bylaws of Crawford Electric Cooperative

This Proposition A was approved to be placed on the ballot by vote of the members present at the 2025 Annual Meeting of Crawford Electric Cooperative. The Board of Directors supports Proposition A.

Proposition A

Online voting will open at 8 a.m. Aug. 14 and close at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 14.

You must have a valid email address on file with the
co-op to use the online voting portal.

Contact us if you need to update your email address.

Voting opens Aug. 14

Log in to your SmartHub account and look for the VOTE NOW button beginning 8 a.m. Aug. 14.

Need to register your account with SmartHub? Your account number and email address are needed to complete the registration.

SmartHub

Call 888-401-0169

Mail-in ballots may be requested through Sept. 2. Ballot packets will be mailed beginning Aug. 14 and then every Friday through Sept. 4.

Return your completed ballot using the enclosed envelope addressed to the third-party election contractor, Survey & Ballot Systems. Ballots must be received by Sept. 14 to be counted.

Do not mail your ballot to the co-op.

DISTRICT 1 CANDIDATES

I have had the privilege of working with the Sullivan, Bourbon and Leasburg Fire Departments, primarily in a financial capacity, serving as secretary/treasurer for two districts. My governance background includes positions on the First State Community Bank Board, a local public water board and a past school board seat. Dedicated to my community service, I have served on the Meramec Community Mission Board and was my church’s pianist. Additionally, my husband and I spent years as foster parents in Franklin and Crawford counties, leading to the rewarding adoption of our daughter. We also supported youth development through the Boy Scouts of America, where my husband held leadership roles and I served as a merit badge counselor and instructor for the annual St. Louis University Merit Badge University. This diverse combination of financial oversight, community governance and civic dedication prepares me to serve effectively.

We must ensure Crawford Electric continues to deliver safe, reliable power at the most affordable rates while planning for long-term stability. Achieving this balance requires a thorough understanding of our assets and regularly evaluating their condition and performance. Responsible stewardship means prioritizing the most effective use of resources, maintaining appropriate reserves and investing in infrastructure that supports reliability for future generations. At times, this includes making difficult decisions that may not yield immediate benefits but are essential to preserving the strength of our system and service across our entire territory. Staying informed about advancements in technology and energy generation and conservation helps identify opportunities that enhance operations. When available, leveraging federal lending programs and grants can reduce financial burden on members while enabling necessary improvements. My approach centers on thoughtful evaluation, responsible investment and a commitment to long-term reliability and affordability.

Maintaining awareness of industry trends, regulatory changes and member concerns requires continued engagement and on-going education. Crawford Electric strongly emphasizes director development and training, which aligns perfectly with my own commitment to continuous learning. As a CPA, I complete more than the required 40 hours of continuing education each year, strengthening my ability to navigate complex regulatory and financial matters. As a Crawford Electric director, I stayed informed by analyzing industry publications and participating in online and in-person trainings, meetings and conferences. This commitment led me to earn the Director Gold Certification, the highest level available in the industry.

A director’s role is executing fiduciary responsibility at a strategic level. Member concerns are equally vital; I regularly engage with members through my work, professional affiliations and community involvement. I actively listen to understand members’ concerns, then follow through, ensuring that these needs and concerns are clearly heard and effectively addressed.

I currently serve as your District 1 representative on the Crawford Electric Board of Directors and am seeking another 3 year term. I was first elected in 2023. I am a lifelong resident of Sullivan having been a member of the Cooperative for more than 40 years. My wife Vicki and I have been married for 52 years. I previously served 3 terms as an alderman for the City of Sullivan. I retired from Crawford Electric Cooperative in 2022 having served in the Cooperatives engineering department for 36 years performing power line design and layout.

As a member, former employee and now a Board member I understand the tremendous responsibility the Board has in ensuring the Cooperative is providing reliable, affordable electrical energy to all Members. I talk to so many of our Members who are finding it more and more difficult to pay their ever increasing energy bills. My focus as a director has been on service reliability and keeping rates affordable. With the cost of wholesale power increasing every year it has become vitally important that your Board keep all the expenses that they do have control over to a minimum.

We have an incredible dedicated group of employees serving our Members. Always willing to the extra mile to ensure our Members are taken care of. I will continue to make sure that our employee group receive competitive salary levels and receive the proper training, equipment and tools to safely continue providing top-notch service to our members.

I am fiscally conservative (some say “tight”) and have brought that financially conservative attitude to the Board table. That has at times not been a favorable position for some of my fellow Board members but I was elected to keep rates as affordable as possible while not sacrificing sound business practices. I have attended Cooperative Board training meetings on electric utility issues to help me make informed decisions at the board table but have chosen to not attend Cooperative meetings for board members that are held at out of state locations due to the extreme travel cost paid by our members. I chose not to participate in the Cooperative health insurance programs when I was elected. Over my past 3 year term those 2 items have saved our Members nearly $100,000. Spending less means less rate dollars needed.

I appreciate and thank you for your vote to allow me to serve our Cooperative for another 3 year term. I pledge to continue to find ways to save more of our Members rate dollars.

DISTRICT 2 CANDIDATE

As a lifelong resident of Franklin County, I’ve always been passionate about contributing to our local community. My career at Bayer has spanned over 30 years in the engineering group, with the last 15 years spent leading the design group—a role that’s allowed me to develop strong leadership skills. Also for more than 30 years, my wife and I have successfully owned and managed a local small business together. Beyond my professional background, I’ve dedicated 16 years to coaching youth football, which has been incredibly rewarding.

DISTRICT 3 CANDIDATE

I have tried to be civic minded and involved all my life with youth organizations such as all sports, 4H, etc. I served 13 years on the Cuba School Board and over half as president. I served on the Chamber of Commerce regular and executive board and served on the Crawford County Betterment Board. I’m currently president of the Kinder Cemetery Board and treasurer of Crawford Electric Co-op. I worked in utilities as a water superintendent for 35 years and this gave me the opportunity to be involved in multiple community betterment projects.

I believe to provide affordability and reliability to our members is non-negotiable. It can’t be compromised. When decisions like this come up it all comes back to the membership. Through education, investigation and listening to all sides, you make the decision to the best of your ability to serve the membership. After all, we are all members!

I feel it is very important to be educated on the subjects and keep up with the changing horizon. I feel to do this you must attend meetings and conferences with Sho-Me, AECI and AMEC plus our meetings to get the full picture. I currently serve on the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives (AMEC) and the District 5 boards. I am credentialed in the three levels of education for the co-op: Credentialed Director, Board Leadership Certificate and Director Gold Certification. I feel all of this helps tremendously in making decisions for our Crawford Electric membership.

This Proposition A was approved to be placed on the ballot by vote of the members present at the 2025 Annual Meeting of Crawford Electric Cooperative. The Board of Directors supports Proposition A. Note: Any change in benefits can only be made during open enrollment and will be effective January 1, 2027, if Proposition A is approved. A “Yes” vote approves the change.

Shall the bylaws of Crawford Electric Cooperative be amended to restrict Board of Director participation in Cooperative group insurance benefits to only the director and not his/her dependents, except that dependent coverage may be permitted at the expense of the individual director?

Proposed bylaw change:

Article IV - Directors Section 8: Compensation
Additions underlined and deletions stricken through

Directors as such shall not receive any salary for their services, but by resolution of the Board of Directors a fixed sum and expenses of attendance, if any, may be allowed for attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors, or for attendance at other meetings concerning affairs of the Cooperative, providing attendance has been authorized by the Board of Directors prior to such meeting, and by resolution of the Board of Directors, ~~premiums for~~ the directors participation in Cooperative group insurance programs may be allowed. Participation in Cooperative group insurance benefits shall be limited to only the director and not his/her dependents, except that dependent coverage may be permitted at the expense of the individual director. Except in emergencies, no director shall receive compensation for serving the Cooperative in any other capacity, nor shall any close relative of a director receive compensation for serving the Cooperative, unless such compensation shall be specifically authorized by a vote of the members.

Wednesday, Sept. 16

Crawford Electric Cooperative, 10301 N. Service Rd., Bourbon

Annual Meeting Agenda

8:00 a.m.	Registration and director election polls open
	Breakfast service begins
	Music by Wolf Creek Bluegrass
10:00 a.m.	Director election polls close, breakfast service ends
	Opening ceremonies
10:30 a.m.	Business session
	Board President’s welcome
	Secretary’s report (2026 Official Notice and 2025 minutes* to be approved)
	Treasurer’s report (2025 report to be approved)
	Director election and bylaw proposition results
	Guest speaker: Joe Wilkinson, Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc.
	CEO/General Manager’s remarks
	Member Q&A
11:30 a.m.	Meeting adjourns and final prize is drawn
Attendance prize drawings throughout the meeting!

The official notice of annual meeting is published in Your Co-op Connection in the September edition of Rural Missouri.

DISTRICT 1 CANDIDATES

Janet Morrow

Briefly summarize your experience in community service and leadership roles with other organizations:

Directors often must balance affordability and reliability with the strategic investments necessary to safeguard the co-op’s future. How would you approach this balance?

How would you stay informed about industry trends, regulatory changes and member concerns?

Richard L. "Rick" Adams

Briefly summarize your experience in community service and leadership roles with other organizations:

Directors often must balance affordability and reliability with the strategic investments necessary to safeguard the co-op’s future. How would you approach this balance?

How would you stay informed about industry trends, regulatory changes and member concerns?

DISTRICT 2 CANDIDATE

Michael Blankenship

Briefly summarize your experience in community service and leadership roles with other organizations:

Directors often must balance affordability and reliability with the strategic investments necessary to safeguard the co-op’s future. How would you approach this balance?

How would you stay informed about industry trends, regulatory changes and member concerns?

DISTRICT 3 CANDIDATE

Joe Cason

Briefly summarize your experience in community service and leadership roles with other organizations:

Directors often must balance affordability and reliability with the strategic investments necessary to safeguard the co-op’s future. How would you approach this balance?

How would you stay informed about industry trends, regulatory changes and member concerns?

Shall the bylaws of Crawford Electric Cooperative be amended to restrict Board of Director participation in Cooperative group insurance benefits to only the director and not his/her dependents, except that dependent coverage may be permitted at the expense of the individual director?

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