Congratulations to the winners of our 2022 #WhoPowersYouOhio contest! This contest recognizes and honors cooperative members who are making a difference in their communities and displaying the qualities of a servant leader. Ohio's electric cooperatives value those who elevate and energize our communities.
Lisa Studenmund – URE (Union Rural Electric Cooperative)
For nearly 20 years, Lisa served her Milford Center community as the school counselor at Fairbanks Local Schools. During her long career, Lisa embodied the values of the electric cooperative network – integrity, accountability, innovation, and commitment to community – in her everyday work by putting her students first and always keeping their best interest in mind.
School counselors like Lisa are the unsung heroes of our youth. Prior to retiring from her role at the end of the 2022 school year, Lisa worked tirelessly behind the scenes as an encourager for her students and their chosen future paths and proved herself to be adaptable during the most challenging of times to ensure the needs of her students were being met. Creating a positive and encouraging environment for her students was one of Lisa's greatest gifts and she considered it her honor and privilege to serve the community and families she loved for almost two decades.
Marie Waite – Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative
Marie has been heavily involved in Lorain County’s agriculture community for more than 20 years and her contributions are immeasurable. With a passion for agriculture and a love of supporting local youth, Marie has been an avid volunteer of Lorain County’s 4-H program, serving as an advisor for 25 years, a contributor during educational clinics, and a resource for families beginning their journey with the organization. In addition, Marie has served as the Lorain County Fair Board Director since 2004 and volunteers her time before, during, and after the fair to ensure animal barns are maintained and shows run smoothly.
Most recently, Marie has worked with the Lorain County Agricultural Society to help secure funding for the construction of a new building at the fairgrounds. This facility will provide a space where 4-Hers can sell their animals’ milk and ice cream during the fair and offer them real-world experience selling the foods they’ve worked hard to produce. There is no denying Marie’s passion for agriculture education and supporting the next generation in her local community.
Judith Gary – South Central Power Company
Judy has made immeasurable contributions to her community through her involvement with local organizations. At the Brown Chapel Church, where she has been a life-long member, Judy helps with organizing weekly programs, teaching Sunday School, planning luncheons, coordinating bereavement lunches, and ensuring the success of other church activities. Judy has also spent the great majority of her life as a 4-H volunteer, including as a club advisor and mentor to local youth for 50+ years. Through her work with 4-H, Judy was honored as Ross County’s Friend of 4-H in 2007.
Judy’s involvement doesn’t stop there: She is also a member of the Clarksburg Grange, where she serves as treasurer and is a member of Pomona Grange. She has served the Grange at statewide, national, and local levels, and, in 2018, she was voted as Ohio Granger of the Year. She is a member of the Ross County Fair Ladies Auxiliary and volunteers many hours organizing and preparing the fair baked goods area for displays and judging. Judy is well-known in the community for her delicious baked goods and has been called on numerous times to prepare her famous pies for charity auctions.
Luke Kuhn – North Western Electric Cooperative
At only 29 years old, Luke has stepped up to make an impact for the small-town community of Sherwood, Ohio, with a clear vision of what the town has the potential to become. As President of Sherwood Area Economic Development, Luke uses his self-taught videography skills to help promote small businesses and capture the town's history for future generations. From Fairview High School musical DVDs to local events like the Apache Dairy Bar Opening Day, Luke is committed to helping promote the town’s activities, without expecting payment.
Luke has also worked to renovate the historic Sherwood Spiritualist Camp into a new Crystal Fountain Event Center and wedding venue, with the intent of drawing more people to the area and building partnerships with other local venues. In addition, Luke and his brother opened an automotive and mechanic shop called Kuhn Brothers Service Center, which they operate along with Kuhn Truck and RV, their family-owned RV dealership since 1976. Luke’s dream is to give his neighbors something to be proud of by restoring Sherwood to its former glory.
Linda Lake – Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative
Linda is the founder and director of Breaking Free Therapeutic Riding Center, an equine therapy center located in southeastern Ohio that has a mission to empower individuals with diverse challenges through unique, equine-assisted therapeutic experiences. At the riding center, Linda offers therapeutic riding lessons to help improve individuals’ physical, psychological, and cognitive abilities, and a Horses for Heroes program, which is offered to all eligible U.S. Veterans.
Linda works tirelessly year-round to host fundraisers and recruit volunteers with a goal of ensuring the programs she offers at Breaking Free Therapeutic Riding Center can be offered free-of-charge. Every year, the demand increases for Linda’s programs and she does whatever it takes to ensure the experiences her riders have are meaningful and worth-while.
Erin Dailey – Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative
For 20 years, Erin has served as a 4-H Educator for The Ohio State University, the last 18 of which have been with Jackson County, although she is in the process of transferring to Gallia County. Erin is passionate about enriching the lives of local youth through 4-H programs and gives her full attention to ensuring her 4-Hers have the greatest experience possible. As a past 4-Her herself, Erin personally recognizes the importance of youth development programs like those offered through 4-H and is committed to giving other youth the same level of enrichment she experienced through the program.
For years, the Jackson County Extension Office raised money to fund its office and Erin took it upon herself to host fundraisers, leveraging the connections she’s made through 4-H, to raise money for their county programs. These efforts paved the way for commissioners to provide funding in 2022 that will enable Jackson County to have a 4-H educator as well as an ag educator.
John and Celia Kruggel - Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative
John and Celia have been married for 54 years and proud members of Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative (LMRE) for just as long. Together, they are faithful and selfless members of their local community of Litchfield, Ohio, where they’ve lived their entire lives and operate Kruggel Farms, a sixth-generation, 600+ acre farm and homestead.
The couple has tirelessly served the Litchfield community through numerous roles and organizations. Of these, John and Celia have played pivotal roles with the Litchfield Baptist Church, the Litchfield Fire & Rescue Department, the Litchfield Historical Society, Litchfield 4-H Clubs, the Medina County Farm Bureau Board, and the Medina County Soil and Water Conservation District. Additionally, Celia served on LMRE’s Board of Trustees for 12 years, during which time she earned multiple leadership certificates. John and Celia have committed their lives to enriching those of their neighbors and bettering the community they call home and embody the meaning of servant leadership with everything they do.
Jody Newton-McAllister – South Central Power Company
As the president of the Friends of Scioto Brush Creek non-profit organization, Jody has worked tirelessly for many years to clean up and preserve the Scioto Brush Creek waterway. She has devoted her life to environmental education and is a leader in improving the quality of life in her community. Jody has organized numerous clean sweeps of the Scioto Brush Creek to remove tires and other debris, making the creek a desired destination for kayakers and canoeists. Her efforts help showcase the scenic beauty of southeastern Ohio in South Central Power’s service territory.
Additionally, Jody has tagged Monarch butterflies and shared her own fascination with native plants and animals with countless children. Jody illustrates how one person can be a catalyst for making a community a better place through her own determination and persistence. Jody has used her talents as an environmental educator to make an impact on the lives of countless individuals.
