Co-Op Heroes: Stories from Electric Utility Operators

About Co-Op Heroes: Stories from Electric Utility Operators

Real stories of co-op electric utility operators overcoming challenges and serving their communities. Co-hosted by James Tanneberger (CEO of SCI-REMC) and Pablo Fuentes (CEO of Bloom Spatial).

Publisher

Bloom Spatial

Category

business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Jun 2025

Latest episode

27 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

39 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   27 Oct 2026

   038: Necessary Pain: Mentorship, Hiring for Character, and Succession Planning at the Co-op (with Chris Scott)

   In this episode, Pablo Fuentes talks about succession planning with Chris Scott, Superintendent of Operations at Monroe County Electric Cooperative, recorded live at the co-op's headquarters in Waterloo, Illinois. Chris brings more than three decades of utility experience, including time with a line contractor, 18 years at an investor-owned utility, and 16 years at Monroe County Electric. He describes walking into his role with no handoff after his predecessor left unexpectedly, and estimates that about 75% of the pain of that transition could have been avoided with documented processes and real mentorship. He contrasts it with his start at Central Illinois Public Service Company, where he spent two years job shadowing seasoned engineers before taking over a retiring engineer's territory, and a summer working alongside linemen during a work stoppage that taught him lessons he couldn't have learned any other way. The conversation turns to how Chris is preparing the co-op for his own retirement, about five years away. He explains why he puts new hires like a staking engineer on a line crew from day one, why he hires for character and work ethic over skills, and how he brings potential successors into difficult decisions, including the political ones, so they know exactly what the job involves. Chris also shares how Monroe County stacks its talent pipeline, hiring summer brush crews, moving promising workers through a two-year forestry program and into line apprenticeships, and preparing replacements for its longtime forestry lead well before he retires. Featured topics: Necessary versus unnecessary pain when stepping into a new leadership role Why every engineer should spend time working on a line crew Hiring for character, work ethic, and initiative, and using personality profiling to spot bad fits Mentoring a successor by stretching them with projects slightly above their ability Being honest about the politics and gray areas of co-op leadership Building a pipeline from summer brush crews to forestry to line apprenticeships Why you can't wait until someone leaves to find their replacement Separating good process from lucky outcomes The role technology can play in turning oral tradition into institutional knowledge Pablo and Chris close by discussing the opportunity to use technology to stop reinventing the wheel with every generation, and Chris reflects on the mentors who invested in him and his responsibility to do the same. As his father taught him, the goal is to leave things in better shape than you found them, so the next person in the role can be even better. This is a conversation about mentorship, foresight, and planting trees you'll never sit under, so co-ops and their members are ready for the next generation of leaders.

2. 

   13 Oct 2026

   037: Lineman to Lineman: From the Hoosiers' Trenches to the Power Lines (with Carter Smith and Kevin Bay)

   In this episode Pablo Fuentes and co-host James Tanneberger of South Central Indiana REMC sit down with two very different kinds of linemen for a special lineman to lineman conversation. Carter Smith, a starting offensive lineman for the national champion Indiana Hoosiers, joins Kevin Bay, a lineman at Johnson County REMC, to explore what playing on the line in football and working on the line at an electric cooperative have in common. Carter shares his path from Columbus, Ohio, to Bloomington, his decision to stay through the coaching change, and how Coach Cignetti's culture helped turn one of college football's most overlooked programs into a champion. Kevin describes his work with Project Indiana, the Indiana Electric Cooperatives initiative that sends co-op linemen to Guatemala to bring power to homes that have never had it. The conversation turns to the shared values that define both jobs, including what Carter calls "the dirty hard work in the dark," the camaraderie that comes from looking out for each other, and the planning, repetition, and training it takes to get the job done right. Kevin reflects on the life-changing experience of electrifying rural Guatemala, the gratitude of the families who receive power, and the cooperative principle of helping one another that sends linemen across state lines after storms and hurricanes. Featured topics: Project Indiana and how Indiana co-op linemen are bringing electricity to rural Guatemala Carter's journey from the Tom Allen era to a national championship under Coach Cignetti Building camaraderie in roles that rarely get the spotlight Planning, safety, and repetition as the foundation of doing the job right The years of training behind becoming a lineman, and why it never stops Long nights, hard storms, and the co-op principle of cooperation among cooperatives Blocking out expectations and staying focused on the next season Pablo, James, Carter, and Kevin close by reflecting on the hope the Hoosiers' championship run has given fans across the country, and on the unheralded work that keeps offenses moving and the lights on in rural communities. This is a conversation about teamwork, sacrifice, and the people who put their bodies on the line so others can succeed, whether on the field or in the middle of a storm.

3. 

   29 Sept 2026

   036: Lighting Up Main Street: A Family Legacy in Rural Electrification (with Don Bowman)

   In this episode, recorded live at the NRECA Regional Meeting in Columbus, Ohio, Pablo sits down with Don Bowman, Senior Vice President and Assistant General Manager at Wake Electric, to trace a family legacy that runs back to the very beginnings of rural electrification. Don shares the remarkable story of his grandfather, who left home at 14 with a fourth-grade education to wire federal buildings in Washington, D.C., and at 17 brought electricity to a small West Virginia town where the postmaster was sorting mail by candlelight. That path led to Vermont, a friendship with future governor George Aiken, and a $40 sale of his entire system to the board of the newly formed Vermont Electric Cooperative, where he became its founding superintendent. Don also traces how that legacy carried through his father and uncle, both co-op general managers, and how he found his own way back to the industry after studying aerospace engineering "just to get out." The conversation turns to technology adoption at cooperatives, including why co-ops invest in innovation for survival rather than rate base, how AMI created new career paths instead of eliminating jobs, and Don's approach of pitching new technology to his board as a small pilot with a clear exit ramp. He also shares how his long-running podcast evolved into a new short-form video series built to connect more directly with Wake Electric's members. Featured topics: Don's grandfather's journey from teenage apprentice electrician to founding general manager of Vermont Electric Cooperative Three generations of co-op leadership across Vermont, Virginia, and North Carolina Leaving aerospace engineering to help a meter shop transition to digital meters Eleven years at NRTC matching co-ops with new technologies Leading through rapid growth as Wake Electric doubles to nearly 60,000 meters Moving technology from "nice to have" to "mission critical" The shift from the Changing Energy podcast to The Co-op Current Don and Pablo close by reflecting on the next generation, including a nephew now exploring a career in co-op fleet management, and why the cooperative story is one worth telling to every new member who walks through the door. This is a conversation about family legacy, the courage it took to light up rural America, and the spirit of service that still drives electric cooperatives today. Thanks for listening to The Co-op Heroes Podcast. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to hear more stories from leaders across the electric cooperative industry.

Who has been a guest on Co-Op Heroes: Stories from Electric Utility Operators

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• James Tanneberger
• Jennifer Brogdon
• Dale Kaufman
• Jamie Conn
• Walt Stephens

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 41 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

69

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Co-Op Heroes: Stories from Electric Utility Operators

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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