Phil Carson, Tri-County Electric Cooperative director, will serve a two-year term as board president of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). NRECA is the national service organization that represents the nation’s more than 900 not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, which provide service to 42 million people in 47 states.
“It’s a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to serve as NRECA president,” Carson said. “We’re fortunate to have a wealth of knowledge and experience around the NRECA board table. That team is what sets us apart, and I will continue looking to my fellow directors for their input over the next two years. The electric cooperative future is full of opportunity. I’m excited to see where that future takes us as we continue advocating for the consumers we serve and working to empower our local communities.”
Carson was elected NRECA president by the association’s board of directors. He is the immediate past vice president and served as secretary-treasurer prior to that. He has been an NRECA board director since 2006. Carson has served as director of Tri-County Electric in Mount Vernon since 1999 and sits on a number of boards, including the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives in Springfield and Egyptian Telephone Cooperative in Steeleville.
Carson holds a B.A. in Agriculture from Southern Illinois University (Carbondale) and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Convent Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Mo. Carson, a native of Illinois, is a dairy farmer and pastor.
