The following article appeared in the April issue of Rural Missouri

The Sweetest Song
2006 NRECA Annual Meeting reflects
on the past and looks toward the future

Stork wins coveted Clyde T. Ellis Award
Member Services claims Community Service prize

by Jarrett Medlin

Dressed in a bright red sweater, Valerie Melton clutched the Missouri state flag tightly and marched through a room filled with more than 10,000 electric cooperative leaders during the opening ceremony of the 64th National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla. The 18-year-old Youth Leadership Council representative, sponsored by Ozark Electric Cooperative, smiled widely and held the flag alongside 49 other delegates from around the nation.

“I really got this exhilaration from the Parade of States,” she says. “It was just an amazing experience.”

Former AMEC Executive Vice President Frank Stork addresses the 2006 NRECA Annual Meeting after accepting the Clyde T. Ellis Award for lifetime dedication to rural electrification.

It was fitting that the 2006 conference, held Feb. 20-22, began with a procession of young faces. “Investing in the Future” was this year’s theme, and that message was carried through every session. Missouri, in particular, represented that spirit by receiving a host of awards, from the recognition of a retired cooperative legend to the achievements of an innovative youth leadership program.

In his opening remarks, NRECA Executive Vice President and CEO Glenn English said, “Over the past 70 years, we've seen a select few people who have spelled the difference between success and failure in the electric cooperative program. Now it is time for us to call forth a new generation of leaders who will carry this program into the future.”

Frank Stork, former Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives vice president and CEO, was among those select few. During the conference, he accepted the distinguished Clyde T. Ellis Award, the association’s lifetime achievement award named after the first executive officer of NRECA. Stork reflected on his 37 years with the rural electric cooperative program as photos of his career flashed on a giant screen behind him.

“At first, I thought I should say something profound and memorable that would last beyond today,” he said, during his acceptance speech. “But then, I decided to spend most of my time thanking the people who helped me get here.”

After acknowledging the accomplishments of the award’s namesake, he expressed his appreciation to past leaders, co-workers and family. He ended by saying, “I thank all of you who allowed me and my family to be a part of your programs.”

Missouri was also recognized for work the state’s electric cooperatives are doing to ensure the leadership of future generations. Mike Marsch, AMEC’s manager of youth programs, accepted the prestigious 2006 National Electric Cooperative Community Service Award for the state-focused youth leadership conference known as Cooperative Youth Conference and Leadership Experience, or CYCLE. For three days per year, young leaders gather in Jefferson City for activities and discussion sessions focused on electric cooperative history, state government and leadership development.

“What we do at CYCLE is invest in the future,” said Marsch, who was joined onstage by fellow AMEC member service employees Linda Bolten and Nikki Calvert. “And both the kids and ourselves come out enriched by the experience.”

In addition to the honors bestowed on the cooperative’s staff, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson received NRECA’s Distinguished Service Award, the highest award bestowed on an individual outside the electric cooperative family. Past recipients have included Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Harry Truman, Franklin Roosevelt and Rep. Bill Emerson, Jo Ann’s late husband.

AMEC Member Services staff, Mike Marsch, Linda Bolten and Nikki Calvert, lift their NRECA Community Service Award high in celebration. The department was honored for its CYCLE youth leadership program.

During the conference, attendees heard from a host of business leaders, politicians and celebrities. Legendary third baseman Cal Ripken, Jr. spoke about his “keys to success.”

Whistle-blower Sherron Watkins, a former Enron employee who alerted then-CEO Ken Lay about accounting irregularities, spoke about the importance of accountability in the workplace. And Michael Sheehan, a communications specialist who has advised presidents and top business leaders, outlined several key messages that cooperatives should pass on to members.

Among the main issues addressed during the conference were the importance of honest communication about rising costs, alternative energy resources and developing situations. Time and again, speakers underscored the significance of looking toward the future.

“We live in a world with a very short attention span. It was not this type of focus that made the co-op what it is today,” said Cooperative Finance Corporation Governor Sheldon Peterson. “Will our legacy be one of short-term gain or long-term value? Only we can answer that.”

In summing up the conference’s aim, English said, “The poet Walt Whitman once wrote, ‘The strongest and the sweetest song remains to be sung.’ Folks, this is the time that we need for you to sing your strongest and sweetest song.”

March 8, 2006
For more information, contact:
Jim McCarty, (573) 659-3402
jmccarty@amec.coop