Amidst energy regulation and national reliability concerns, East Central Electric Cooperative secures industry veteran Dwayne Elam as its new CEO. 

Elam brings 18 years of experience in utility management and implementation as both the Wagoner City Administrator and Director of Utilities/Public Works for the Wagoner Public Works Authority. His previous experience also includes work in environmental health and safety.

Living in Oktaha, Elam is a third-generation Cooperative member and rancher. 

“That family legacy had a big influence on me deciding to apply for this position,” Elam said. “I have witnessed the benefits of what East Central Electric membership has provided to my family over the years. Knowing how well this co-op operates, how efficient it is, and how responsive they are in dealing with ice storms and outages made me want to be a part of this co-op.”

Elam has held positions of authority on the boards of the Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma (MESO) and the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) as well as board service for the Oklahoma Municipal League, Oklahoma Homeland Security Regional Advisory Council, and the City Managers Association of Oklahoma. 

Elam holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Industrial Safety Technology from Northeastern State University.

The ECE Board conducted a nationwide search with the help of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Board President Lowell Hobbs stated that Elam quickly rose to the top from a large group of outstanding candidates. 

“Elam has proven his ability to direct complex, multi-million-dollar projects, and has led large teams with a hands-on, ‘lead by example,’ mentality,” Hobbs said. “I truly believe Dwayne will continue to lead our co-op on the high level we have already achieved.”

Elam will begin a two-week transition period with the outgoing CEO starting December 16 and will assume full duties and responsibilities on January 1, 2025.

Outgoing CEO Tim Smith retired in January after 30 years in the electric cooperative industry. “We’ve built an amazing team and have incredible positive momentum, and I think Mr. Elam is the right person to build on that momentum,” Smith said. 

With an extensive utility history, Elam is prepared for the challenges the industry will face in the coming decades. 

“The energy demand on the electric grid continues to grow at a rapid pace with entities such as data centers, A.I. coming onboard, along with electric vehicle applications. The industry is moving more towards distributed generation, solar, wind, and alternate sources to help meet those demands in the future.  The federal regulations and environmental challenges are forcing coal generation to continue to be put into retirement across the United States unfortunately,” Elam said. “There’s lots of challenges looking into the future and there’s a lot of opportunities. The more energy efficient applications that we are able to provide our members, the more effective we are going to be able to serve them.” 

“I’m eager to get into the co-op world and get back to my roots in the rural communities,” Elam said. “I will be following in the footsteps of some industry giants who led this great co-op before me, and I look forward to working with a very well-informed, inspiring, and interactive board of directors here at ECE that are truly here to serve its members.”