David Coons was recently hand selected to serve on the Director Advisory Group (DAG) for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). Coons was honored to be asked to fulfill this role. He is one of 14 DAG members representing over 7,000 NRECA Directors nationwide. The 832 NRECA cooperatives serve 42 million people in the U.S., including 92% of persistent poverty counties. During the two-year term, this group will provide critical feedback to the NRECA.
Coons has a keen interest in current electric generation and distribution challenges. Since he resides in Darke County in an area served by Darke Rural Electric Cooperative (DREC), he was eligible to run in 2018 to become a DREC Trustee for District 2. The cooperative members voted, and Coons won the election for a three-year term. He is currently serving his second term.
As a DREC Trustee, Coons has dedicated significant hours toward Director Education. He has earned three credentials: Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD), Board Leadership Certificate (BLC) and the Director Gold Credential (DGC). The DGC recognizes Directors committed to continuing their education beyond the CCD and BLC and who desire a tangible credential that demonstrates their ongoing commitment to advancing their knowledge and performing their fiduciary duty to the best of their ability. This training has provided Coons with the ability to better serve DREC during monthly Board meetings, community events and at state and national meetings. He also finds joy in sharing his electric industry expertise with students at Edison State Community College and Wright State University Lake Campus.
Coons is active among Ohio Electric Cooperatives (OEC), and he aspires to be more involved on a national level. Doug Miller, Vice President of Statewide Services for OEC, submitted Coons as the Ohio DAG nomination to the NRECA. The NRECA reviewed the nationwide nominations and selected the final candidates to ensure diversity in the group: geographic, demographic, length of board service, system size and profession to name a few. As the Agribusiness Account Executive at Phelan Insurance, Coons has responsibilities to agriculturalists in multiple states with endeavors that encompass a broad spectrum of entities, ranging from small farms to large operations. This allows Coons to better understand cooperative membership on a professional level and provides the opportunity to routinely discuss pertinent topics with members of both DREC and other electric cooperatives.
DAG meets four times per year with the goal to serve NRECA as a sounding board to provide regional insight and recommendations. Discussion focuses on cooperative and community concerns from the director perspective and emerging issues. DAG also provides feedback on NRECA’s efforts with members, pilots test ideas and suggests improvements to existing products, programs and services. Coons will serve on DAG for the 2023-2024 term.
Coons resides in Yorkshire with his wife, Elizabeth, and their five children: George, John, Elyse, Robert and Joseph.
Scott Langston – Versailles Policy
