On a rainy day in April, Central Rural Electric Cooperative district five members elected Ken Starks to serve as trustee. Starks is filling a vacancy following the resignation of Mark Pittman who served as trustee for the district since 2012.
“I have always admired the Central organization,” Starks said. “I hope to do my part to continue the success the cooperative has experienced for many years. There is no doubt that there will be more demand for electricity in the coming years.”
Starks is a Stillwater native and worked in banking for more than 40 years before retiring from BancFirst in 2022. Starks has multiple degrees from Oklahoma State University and has been an active member of the community serving on various boards and civic organizations. He is a member of the Stillwater Bible Church. He and his wife Kathy have three grown children.
The drive-thru district five election was held April 25 at Central’s headquarters in Stillwater. Jeremy Brooks, Ryan Reuter, Mike Schrammel and Jeff White also filed for the trustee position. More than 9% of the district’s membership participated in the election; 5% participation was needed to meet quorum.
Central is an electric distribution cooperative that serves more than 20,000 meters in seven central Oklahoma counties. The cooperative is governed by a seven-member board of trustees.
5 things to know about your new trustee
- Starks’ favorite pastime is attending Oklahoma State University athletic events.
- The Hallett Race track during High-Speed Touring days is where you’ll find Starks with his high-performance track car.
- After attending his first board meeting, Starks was surprised to learn how different Central’s board operates compared to other boards on which he has served. He said the board reviews much more technical information than he expected.
- His favorite meal is steak.
- Starks hopes his life experiences and work history will contribute to the diverse group that is Central’s board of trustees.