About the Board

Crawford Electric Cooperative is guided by a nine-member board of directors composed of co-op members. The board meets monthly to set policy and develop long-range goals, always safeguarding the interests of co-op members. Board members are expected to become knowledgeable about the electric cooperative industry. Attendance at committee meetings or other events to benefit the cooperative may be required.

Three three-year terms on the board need to be filled at each year's annual meeting. One director from each of the co-op's three geographical districts is elected each year. This is typically held in mid-September.

All candidates for the board must be nominated by petitions signed by at least 15 co-op members. The candidate petitions must be delivered to the co-op office during the petition period, as defined by the cooperative's bylaws and announced in the member newsletter in advance of each annual meeting. The petition period typically starts in May and ends in July.

Contact the board of directors at directors@crawfordelec.com.

Board of Directors

* Denotes three-year term up for election in September 2026

District 1 Directors

Justin "Bink" Blankenship

President
Hawthorn Lane, Sullivan

Bink was first elected to the Crawford Electric board of directors during a three-candidate race in 2014 to fill a vacant one-year position. He was elected to his first three-year term in 2015 and has won re-election since then. He has completed the Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Bink is a businessman from Sullivan.

Paul Gross

Director
Chapel Hill Road, Sullivan

Elected to the board in 2025. Bio coming soon.

Richard L. "Rick" Adams*

Director
Adams Lane, Sullivan

Rick is a lifelong resident of Sullivan and has been a Crawford Electric member for more than 40 years. In 2022, Rick retired from Crawford Electric with almost 36 years of service in the co-op’s engineering department. Members elected Rick to a three-year term in 2023.

District 2 Directors

Doug Murphy

Director
Highway J, Bourbon

Doug was first elected to the board in 2003, and he has completed the courses required to earn the Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. In 2020, Doug retired from a 42-year career with the U.S. Postal Service, where he had served as postmaster of Bourbon, Cuba and Sullivan. The Murphy family homesteaded in the area in 1840, and Doug continues to raise Angus cattle.

Jim Biermann

Secretary
Highway 185, Sullivan

Jim is a local business owner and lifelong resident of Franklin County. He was first elected to a three-year term in 2019. He has completed the coursework required to receive the Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate, which is sponsored by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Debbie Willette*

Vice President
Highway H, Sullivan

Debbie is the board vice president and has served as a director since 2005. For many years, she and her husband owned and operated Willette Truck Service in Sullivan. Debbie has attended training to achieve the Director Gold credential, the Board Leadership certificate and the Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. From 2008-2021, Debbie served as Crawford Electric’s representative to the board of directors of the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, the Jefferson City-based service organization for the state’s electric co-ops. She currently also serves on the Franklin County Planning and Zoning Commission and previously served as president of the Strain-Japan R16 school board.

District 3 Directors

Jim Cottrell

Director
Cherryville Road, Cherryville

Jim, a self-employed businessman and a lifelong resident of Crawford County, was appointed in 1985 to fill a vacancy on the board. He was elected to his first three-year term in 1988 and has won re-election ever since. Fellow board members have chosen Jim to serve as their president for more than 25 years. He holds the Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Kenny Staples

Director
Old Springfield Road, Cuba

Elected to the board in 2025. Bio coming soon.

Joe Cason*

Treasurer
Highway DD, Cuba

Joe was first elected to the board in 2016 to fill a vacant one-year position. He then won his first three-year term the following year. Joe has earned Director Gold status from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. He also holds NRECA’s Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate and the Board Leadership certificate. Since 2022, Joe has served as Crawford Electric’s representative to the board of directors of the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, the Jefferson City-based service organization for the state’s electric co-ops. Joe retired after a 35-year career with the city of Cuba. He currently holds an active real estate license.