POWERING UP FOR ANNUAL MEETING
Central Rural Electric Cooperative’s 86th annual meeting is returning to a community near you in the drivethru format!
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 7, at one of these convenient locations:
• Lincoln County Fairgrounds 15th & Rozell Ave., Chandler
• Logan County Fairgrounds
215 Fairgrounds Rd., Guthrie
• Noble County Fairgrounds
1 Ivanhoe St., Perry
• Payne County Expo Center
4518 Expo Circle E, Stillwater
You will have the opportunity to drive-thru the annual meeting, visit with Central employees and board members, and be entered for prize drawings. There are no bylaw
amendments to vote on this year. Drive-thru anytime between 3 and 7 p.m. at one of the four locations.
Attendees will receive a $10 bill credit on their December bill and a $20 restaurant gift card to be used by Oct. 31. This year’s attendance gift will be a Central and Centranetbranded 2-gallon bucket! Prize winners will be announced on Central’s website and social media on Wednesday, October 8.
Only one registration per membership is allowed. If you have multiple memberships, such as a residence and a business, a separate registered delegate for each membership must be present. Learn more at mycentral.coop/ annualmeeting.
central rural electric cooperative
86th annual meeting drive - thru
ANNUAL MEETING FAQS
I have two meters, do I get to register twice?
No. It’s one registration per membership.
What if I have a membership for myself and my business has a membership?
One person cannot register for two memberships. You will need a separate registered delegate and a completed Business Delegate Form.
Do I need to bring anything?
Your official notice will make registration quicker! Make sure the person who registers is included on the account.
Attendees receive a bucket, $20 meal card and $10 bill credit
Tuesday, Oct. 7 3 - 7 p.m.
This October, Central is celebrating National Co-op Month along with cooperatives from across the nation! Co-op Month is an opportunity to raise awareness of cooperatives and how we differ from other business structures.
OCTOBER 2025
Central Board of Trustees:
James Wells, President (District 6)
Sid Sperry, Vice President (District 4)
Greg Tytenicz, Secretary/Treasurer (District 2)
Randy Wedel (District 1)
Melanie McGuire (District 3)
Ken Starks (District 5)
Randy Ethridge (District 7)
Executive Team:
Shane Burgess - Chief Executive Officer
Sondra White - Chief Financial Officer
Mark Prather - President of Fiber and Technology
Jillianne Tebow - Vice President of Brand Strategy and Engagement
Empowered Editors:
Larry Mattox - Director of Marketing & Communications
Kory Bowman - Marketing and Communications Specialist
Ivy Swan - Marketing and Communications Specialist
Contact Us: editor@mycentral.coop 405-372-2884 | 800-375-2884
3305 S. Boomer Rd. | P.O. Box 1809 Stillwater, OK 74076 mycentral.coop facebook.com/MyCentralCoop instagram.com/MyCentralCoop
LEARN ABOUT YOUR COOPERATIVE
Central Rural Electric Cooperative is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Central will promote Co-op Month along with programs that have been created for members through email, at mycentral. coop and on our social media accounts. If you don’t already, follow Central on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram @MyCentralCoop
CO-OP MONTH
Central was organized in 1938 when 10 local men came together to create Central State Rural Electric Cooperative and borrowed $85,000 from the newly created Rural Electrification Administration to construct a distribution system that would provide electricity to 141 farms and homes.
EST. 1938
Today, Central provides electricity to more than 25,000 meters with a service area covering 2,000 square miles in Noble, Garfield, Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma, Pawnee and Payne counties.
HISTORY CORNER
Before the Rural Electrification Administration in 1935, one out of every 10 rural residents had electricity.
Electric cooperatives maintain 56% of the nation’s electric distribution lines, while serving about 13% of the population.
BENEFITS OF BEING A MEMBER
YOU’RE AN OWNER, NOT JUST A CUSTOMER
Members own the co-op, which means they have a voice in decisions and elect the board of directors.
AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE SERVICE
Because Central is not-for-profit, its priority is keeping rates fair while investing in reliability and system improvements.
GUIDED BY COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLES
All cooperatives, no matter their size or industry, are guided by the same seven cooperative principles that put people, not profit, first.
CAPITAL CREDITS
Instead of profits going to shareholders, margins are reinvested into the system or returned to members as capital credits.
CENTRAL TRUSTEES RETAIN SEATS
Two positions on Central’s board of trustees were up for election this year, and both incumbents will continue serving their districts.
In District 5, members re-elected Ken Starks to the District 5 Trustee position. He has served as District 5 Trustee since 2023.
Starks is a Stillwater native and worked in banking for more than 40 years before retiring from BancFirst in 2022. Starks has multiple degrees from Oklahoma State University and has been an active member of the community, serving on various boards and civic organizations. He is a member of the Stillwater Bible Church. He and his wife Kathy have three grown children.
The drive-thru district five election was held August 26 at Central’s headquarters parking lot in Stillwater. James Boggs and Jeremy Brooks also filed for the District 5 Trustee
position. More than 10% of the district’s membership participated in the election; 5% participation was needed to meet quorum.
In District 6, James Wells will continue serving as District 6 trustee for Central as he did not draw an opponent in the recent trustee election cycle. According to the cooperative’s bylaws, a district election is not necessary, and Wells will retain his board seat for another three-year term.
Wells is the president of A&B EcoSafe Pest Control, Diversified Resources Group, and the owner and manager of Alpine Investment Properties. He has been a member of Central since 1997 and has served on the board since 2020. Wells is also a board member of the Bandit Football Association, Stillwater Chamber of Commerce and has been a local youth sports coach since 1993.
LOCAL PUMPKIN PATCHES
Enjoy the magic of fall within Central’s service area. These local pumpkin patches offer everything from corn mazes to fields full of pumpkins ready to take home. These pumpkin patches within Central’s service area are worth the visit!
Cross Timbers Pumpkin Patch
2161 Harrison Ave., Harrah
Grider Farm Pumpkin Patch
14500 S. Country Rd., Perkins
Jones Garden Center
423 N. Grand, Crescent
McRay Farms
19800 E. Simmons Rd., Luther
Noon Lion’s Annual Pumpkin Patch
Highland Park United Methodist Church, 524 N. Stallard St., Stillwater
Oh My Gourd pumpkin Patch
9212 E. Glencoe Rd., Glencoe
Parkhurst Pumpkin Patch
720 S. Henney Rd., Arcadia
The Twelves Pumpkin Patch
112 W. 68th St., Stillwater
Walnut Woods
5217 W. Simmons Rd., Edmond
James Wells, District 6 Trustee
Ken Starks, District 5 Trustee
YOUTH TOUR ALUMNA WINS SCHOLARSHIP
Central is proud to announce that Abbi Avers, a senior at the University of Central Oklahoma, has been awarded a Glenn English National Cooperative Leadership Foundation Scholarship.
This prestigious scholarship is presented each year to students across the nation who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement, leadership and commitment to the cooperative principles.
Avers, Carney High School graduate, was selected as one of Central’s 2021 Youth Tour delegates. Youth Tour is an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., where students
from across Oklahoma explore our nation’s capital. During the pandemic, Youth Tour was canceled and winners received a scholarship.
“Receiving the Glenn English Scholarship is a huge honor,” Avers said. “Being awarded this scholarship proves that dedication to community and leadership is recognized and celebrated.”
Central’s 2026 Youth Tour contest is currently open to high school juniors within Central’s service area. Applications are due on Friday, December 19. Learn more or apply at mycentral.coop/youthtour
THANKYOU FOR ATTENDING
CENTRAL’SFourth KILOWATTSANDBRATS
Abbi Avers, Glen English Scholarship Recipient