Following the departure of Jeremiah Sloan, Mel Coleman has been appointed as Interim CEO of Craighead Electric Cooperative, and of empower, Delivered by Craighead Electric.
The following statement was released by the CECC board of directors on July 25:
“The Board of Directors would like to extend their gratitude for the leadership Mr. Sloan provided as CEO of CECC and empower. The positive impact he made during his time here has positioned both companies and their employees to continue to provide world-class service to members and their communities. The Board wishes Mr. Sloan the best of luck as he departs to pursue the next chapter of his professional career.”
Through a reciprocal shared management agreement with North Arkansas Electric Cooperative, NAEC CEO Mel Coleman has assumed the duties as Interim CEO of CECC, and of empower.
Coleman has been CEO of NAEC since 2001, and CEO of NEXT, Powered by NAEC (fiber delivered internet service provider) since its inception in 2017. He is the former President of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and its current Arkansas director. He is currently serving on the boards of Arkansas’ Electric Cooperatives, ERMCO Transformers, Today’s Power Inc., and a former board member of the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation. He and wife Debbie reside in Salem, and they have 2 children and 4 grandchildren.
“Cooperation among Cooperatives is one of our seven principles. I’m happy to be of service to CECC and empower, serving an outstanding membership with one of the greatest teams in the cooperative world. Craighead Electric is one of the leading cooperatives in the nation, and our exceptional member service will continue through this seamless management transition”, Coleman said.
NAEC and CECC have had this agreement in place since 2012. The unaffected cooperative CEO serves as the interim CEO for the affected cooperative until a new CEO is named. This is a standard agreement between like cooperatives, developed by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. During this interim period, CECC will begin the search for a new CEO.
