Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:07] Speaker B: Welcome to the Buzz, a podcast by Boone Electra Cooperative. The Buzz is a monthly message to our community celebrating what it means to be a member owner of your local electric cooperative, Boone Electric Cooperative, your co op, our community.
[00:00:26] Speaker C: Welcome back to the Buzz. I'm Zach Smith, communications specialist here at Boone Electric Cooper.
We are once again going beyond the pages of our plugged in publication to speak with some of Boone Electric Cooperative's directors. And here with us today on the show, Michelle Motley. Michelle, welcome to the program.
[00:00:43] Speaker A: Hi. Good morning, Zach.
[00:00:45] Speaker C: You are entering your seventh year here with Boone Electric Cooperative as a director and you also serve as one of the officers on the board.
[00:00:53] Speaker A: Yes, that's correct. I serve as secretary.
[00:00:55] Speaker C: But you were familiar with cooperatives well before you were elected to represent Boone. And part of that goes back to your career, right?
[00:01:03] Speaker A: Well, it started a long time ago, actually, when I was in college. They offered a course on the cooperative style, the cooperative model. And I had that class. And I think that would be the first introduction I had to the cooperative model. Dr. Mike Cook taught the class and it just talked about how effective the cooperative model was, especially in agriculture. My major study was agriculture and agronomy. So I learned a lot of things. I am a city girl from St. Louis, and so when I went to college and decided to pursue a degree in the field of agriculture, I had a lot to learn. So that was my first introduction years and years ago.
[00:01:41] Speaker C: Well, that begs the question, what makes a city girl from St. Louis interested in pursuing agriculture for a career?
[00:01:47] Speaker A: It was serendipity and just how life works.
I was really good in science in high school. I enjoyed science, so I knew I wanted to head in that direction. My first year in college, I went to UMSL, which was a commuter school in St. Louis, trying to figure out which path I wanted to take.
Then I had an opportunity to work at Monsanto on the research farm in the summer. I loved it. I thought, this is for me, came to the University of Missouri and enrolled in the Ag school.
And it was probably the best decision of my life. And part of that, honestly was that I know people like food. I know food is important. So I felt like I would always have security in my profession and career. So it's turned out really well.
[00:02:29] Speaker C: So from St. Louis to Mizzou to where did you go after that?
[00:02:35] Speaker A: After I graduated, I went to work for a company called W.R. grace, and they were a conglomerate out of New York City, but they had a fertilizer division. So I sold fertilizer for the first Couple of years out of college. From there I went to work for the Missouri Department of Conservation in their wildlife division. They have farms that they manage. So I was worked on their farms and helped with maintenance on the farms. And then from there I went to work for usda. I was looking for a career change, even considering going back to school and following a different path. In Lamar, Missouri, they had an opening for a program technician in the office and I applied for it and they hired me. And I loved it. I loved it because I got to work with the landowners and farmers. I was back in the field of agriculture and I stayed there and was able to have a full time career and, and moved all over the state, worked in several different areas and ended up in Columbia, Missouri in 1994.
And it turned out to be a fabulous career.
[00:03:37] Speaker C: So when you moved to Lamar for work, that was actually your first introduction to the world of electric cooperatives, right?
[00:03:44] Speaker A: It was. It was because of the Barton County Electric Co Op down there. And so I feel like even though I grew up in the city, I've always been involved and enjoyed being part of rural Missouri and working with landowners and farmers.
[00:03:59] Speaker C: When you moved to Lamar, I mean, pretty much the opposite side of the state from St. Louis, and you become a co op member, did that distinction stand out to you at all or did it take a little while to sink in that, oh, I'm not just paying an electric company, I actually own part of this electric cooperative?
[00:04:17] Speaker A: Yes, because you had. I could stop and pay the bill on my way home. That's back, you know, that's back when you mailed in your check, you know, knew the faces there.
It was a totally different experience. So it was more personal, I think is the best word to describe it. And because the transmission hub was nearby too, I saw every day where the electric came from. I knew what was going on. And understanding the cooperative model, I knew what was behind it.
I'd studied the Tennessee Valley Authority in college, dust bowls. All the history behind what got us from way back then to where we are now.
And basically it was just the cooperation among people with a vision and ideas to take care of their neighbors. And it's just moved forward and forward over the years, but that's still. Those still basic principles are still in effect today, I feel like.
[00:05:08] Speaker C: Was there something about that early experience as a co op member in Lamar that made you want to be more involved as a board member when you moved up here to mid Missouri and became a Boone electric member?
[00:05:20] Speaker A: Well, because of my experience and association with the landowners and the farmers. I was aware of who was on the board and I knew that these were people that had a lot of experience.
They were successful business people, accountable, honest.
And I just wanted to be part of that. That was my interest in being on the electric board. When I was approached and asked to submit my name, I was totally on board and honored to be asked to be part of this organization.
The first time I was approached, I was getting near the end of my career and I submitted my name and ran for election against Franklin.
And when I realized I was running against Frank, I called him. Like Frank, I didn't realize I would be running against you. I'm going to withdraw my name. And he was so gracious and so polite and he said, shell, no believe your name on there. We need people to run and I'm. I'd like you to keep your name on there. And I did run and Frank was reelected. And that's what I totally expected. But it was an opportunity to get my name out there and I appreciated that. I appreciated Frank's support. And that's the way these folks are. They're very gracious, they're very honest, they're supportive. And I think the most important thing, they want the best for the membership and the co op. And that's just evident all the time.
[00:06:39] Speaker C: You're involved in a lot of other organizations. So I'm curious, was there any hesitation when you thought about running for election the first time? Like I might have enough on my plate without doing this.
[00:06:50] Speaker A: I've always been involved. So no matter what, whether. When my son was young, you know, I was a cub scout leader, baseball mom.
I've always believed that it's important to be a part of whatever you're interested in or wherever your role is in life. I did the master gardener training and became a master gardener. So really that was only my. My only commitment for, for when I was getting ready to retire. There wasn't any hesitation at all. And I've always found time to be involved in my community, Whether I am serving on the extension council or on the Boone county fire protection board.
There's time. If you make time and prioritize, you have to organize well and set priorities. Because when I am on board, I want to be effective and I want to contribute.
So it does take some extra work, but it makes me happy. It's worth the effort.
[00:07:43] Speaker C: You do all of those things. Every time we have a boon electric event, I always see you with the grandkids there. So I know that you're very involved at home, too.
[00:07:52] Speaker A: I am. I am. I'm fortunate. I have three beautiful grandchildren that I love to spend time with. That's a lot of action, but it makes me happy too. So I enjoy the time and I balance it all. And my husband and we have a small cattle operation and we train some horses. He is the brains behind the organization. I am the support team. And I'm glad to take direction from him because he's a good boss.
[00:08:19] Speaker C: So what is his name?
[00:08:20] Speaker A: Bill.
[00:08:20] Speaker C: Bill.
[00:08:21] Speaker A: Bill Motley. Yeah. He's a retired veterinarian.
[00:08:25] Speaker C: When Boone Electric board members are first elected and then continuing through your time serving the membership, you all go through a lot of different training regarding different aspects of what you discuss around the table every month and the kinds of decisions that you eventually make. Was there anything that you learned either during that educational process or those early meetings that was a new world for you, or it gave you some different ideas about how the cooperative business model works? When you're talking about running an electric.
[00:08:53] Speaker A: Utility, really just the engineering side of it, the science side of it, or the technical side of it. That part I spent extra time on because I'm not an engineer, I'm not an electrical engineer, but those are the basis of the decisions that we make. We all know how important electric is in power generation, and so that's where I had to do some extra work. You'd be amazed at how many free classes are offered by Harvard or MIT or all these universities. In addition to what the support that Boone Electric and NRECA and our Missouri association provides, there's also some college classes online. And again, I appreciate the support that they do give us to educate us, to make sure that we are so well informed that we can make sound business decisions when we're in the meeting. Without that, I don't know that we'd be as effective as a board without the support and the education that they allow us to get.
[00:09:51] Speaker C: Serving on the board of Intellectual Cooperative because it's a utility providing a service that that's a little bit of a different experience than serving on perhaps other types of boards. Is that fair to say?
[00:10:02] Speaker A: You know, they say a co op. You've been in one co op, you've been in one co op, and it's probably the same as a board. I know from personal experience that this board operates different than the fire protection board.
But what I think the thing I found most astounding in my first year is how it isn't just electricity. It's finance and it's engineering. And it's construction. And then our biggest thought is safety, always, which is obvious, but it is the core of every decision is safety. So there's so many facets to the business that I just didn't realize until I became a member on the board.
It is just a very diverse industry. I walk away from every meeting just, just amazed at how well everyone does around here and what they do. And it is, it's a phenomenal experience. When I was first elected, Joe Bullard told me, he goes, michelle, this is probably going to be one of the best, if not the best experiences of your life. And if you know Joel, you know how he said it and he was right, it is true. It has been the best experience. And I love my career. I worked with fabulous people at USDA and I love Boom Electric. These are amazing folks. I hope my impact is helpful and I know that the people in the future are going to be doing the same thing. And it just continues on. It's like a legacy of doing well. I don't take that for granted. It's a lot of people working hard.
[00:11:33] Speaker C: You all deal with a lot of different topics and trends when you come to that table every month. And like you just mentioned, you have to be at least somewhat well versed in a variety of different backgrounds. But what are some of the things that the co op board is talking about right now? Some of the things that you all are focused on for the future?
[00:11:51] Speaker A: For the future.
The big one is continued power supply. We need a lot of it. Where is that electricity going to come from? We want to protect our members first before we take on any big new projects. So those are the big ones. Cybersecurity is always at the forefront, but I feel like we've made some gains there, some big gains.
Three or four years ago, when we were in training, that was the huge topic, cybersecurity. Now we're moving on to data centers. When I first came on board, the big decision was. And actually most of the decisions had been made, but I was part of the vote. Do we build a new facility? That was a big decision. So in six short years, the whole electric business and what we think about has changed tremendously. So looking forward, I still think it's going to be supply or building new peaker plants in anticipation of moving down the road. There's small discussions about nuclear, you know, down the road five or 10 years.
That's what's impressive about this organization as well. We're always looking ahead. They're always thinking about the members. The Membership has grown in the last six years. How do we stay connected to those new members? How, you know, generationally, we're changing. How do we keep our new members just as committed and involved and as knowledgeable as our or, you know, our senior members, the people that have been with us 20, 30 years. Annual meetings. How are we going to do our annual meeting? How do we keep busy people engaged in the annual meeting?
There's all kinds of things.
[00:13:19] Speaker C: You mentioned it's been six short years, but you also mentioned how much the cooperative has changed in that time. What are some of the things that the cooperative and the board have accomplished in your tenure on the board that you're really proud of, that the board was able to come together and do, or that the cooperative as a whole was able to accomplish a couple of.
[00:13:37] Speaker A: Big ones right now?
Well, the building is obvious. It was turned out really well. A lot of thought went into the project. A lot of hard work.
I think, well, construction did a phenomenal job on keeping us moving forward and keeping us on budget and on target. Right now, looking toward the future, you know, we've got i70 expanding. So how is that going to affect this property?
And because this is a member's asset and we want to make sure that it's good. So taking care of this property here and looking for new sources of energy for the future with the two new peaker plants at Kearney and Terney and what's next? What's down the road? So those are the things we're looking at, I think, considering right now as we move into the future. And honest to goodness, I feel like I can say, gosh, what's it going to be next year?
So, yeah, things move fast. It does. It really has. Or it has, in my opinion.
[00:14:35] Speaker C: You spoke about assets earlier and going back to learning the technical side of the business, what's important for members to understand about that aspect of ownership of their electric grid? And how does that help describe for you the cooperative difference?
[00:14:52] Speaker A: One of the best ways is the members are owners and we want our new members to understand that they own this as well.
One of the tools we use is the capital credit we give back. And we have historically given back some of the members investment money each year at the end of the year, we take a look at the finances as if we can afford it. We give it back to the membership to let them know we've used your money. You let us borrow it to take care of your asset. And here's a little bit back. We don't need it. If the margin's big enough. So that's a tool we can use to keep the members understanding that they have ownership in this. So it's important that we take care of the assets.
We use other tools, just reaching out in the community, whether it's through the youth tour or night at the theater or when we had, you know, different events where we encourage the membership to come so we. They can see their asset. They can use the community room. They can see that this is their building, and we're doing our best job to take good care of it because it's theirs and theirs for the future.
So I think that's what's so unique about the cooperative method or the cooperative model is that the owners really do own this.
That's pretty significant. And that's a big responsibility for the people who work here to take care of that asset. But it's a wonderful way to get electricity and services out into rural America, I think. So it's a great model.
[00:16:23] Speaker C: There's a local aspect to that cooperative difference, isn't there? I mean, you just gave several examples of the cooperatives being involved in the community. And of course, we use that phrase all the time. Your co, op, our community. But that's one of the things, along with capital credits, that I feel like really separates an electric cooperative from just any other kind of electric utility.
[00:16:45] Speaker A: Well, and the longevity of the people, people who work in the cooperatives, whether it's Boone Electric or any of them around us, people can walk in the door. It's a lot of times the same people there. They know your name, they're friendly. You can call in and get a person in in less than 30 seconds.
[00:17:02] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:17:02] Speaker A: So we feel very strongly about keeping that contact close. And people get convenient for people, and they feel like they get the service and the. The attention that they need for their concerns. So, yeah, you're right. The local is. It's important.
We've managed to keep it personal here, and I think that's great.
[00:17:23] Speaker C: What does it mean to you to be a cooperative member?
And why should identifying as a member matter to people?
[00:17:31] Speaker A: I think to me, the most important part of being a cooperative member is because it not only helps me and provides service to me and myself and my family, and it helps my neighbors. And I love that. I love driving down the highway and seeing the lights on in other people's house. I love seeing that when there's snow on the ground or there's ice on the ground, it's that everybody's taken care of and Everybody's safe. To me, that's, that's the most unique thing about the cooperative method and especially the electric cooperative. Everybody gets taken care of. Neighbors help neighbors. We know that with our shared help program, when another somebody in southeast Missouri needs help due to a bad ice storm or a flood, we're there helping each other. That's, that's important. It's helpful and it's impactful.
[00:18:18] Speaker C: I couldn't say it any better than that. Michelle, thank you very much for taking the time to come by and speak with us today. It's been a pleasure learning more about you and also hearing your perspective on what it is that the board does here at Boone Electric Cooperative. So thanks for your time. Thanks, Zach, and thank you for tuning into the Buzz. Be sure to come back and join us again next month. And until then, we'll see you somewhere down the line.
[00:18:41] Speaker B: Thank you for tuning in to the Buzz, a podcast by Boon Electric Cooperative. To subscribe or for more information, you can find us on Facebook, Instagram X and LinkedIn. And of course, you can always visit us 247 at Boonelectric Co Op. Boom Electric Cooperative, your co, op, our community.
