Scott Copeland to retire after 33 years of service at NFEC
Long time Northfork Electric Cooperative General Manager, Scott Copeland, officially retires this month, closing out a successful career that has spanned more than three decades at the co-op. While Copeland will certainly be missed by many, co-workers and friends celebrate his success and have united to joyfully wish him well in his golden years.
In appreciation for Copeland’s 33 years of service to the cooperative, NFEC will host a come and go reception on February 25, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Urban House in Sayre. All are welcome to attend the celebration.
Copeland began his storied history at NFEC, at the age of 29, in 1988 as staff assistant after working as a materials manager and assistant administrator at a small rural hospital. At the time, Scott, his wife, Vickie and their three sons, Christopher, Kyle and Kevan were residing in Cordell. “The local co-op manager was aware of the open position at Northfork and recommended me to Troy Reeves, who was NFEC’s general manager at that time,” explained Copeland.
Rapidly gaining an extensive knowledge of the cooperative’s operations, Copeland was asked to serve as interim general manager in May of 1992. Having quickly proven himself an excellent leader, Copeland accepted the job permanently just a few months later in August. Copeland’s goal became three-fold: to maintain an organization made up of good quality individuals, providing them with the best training, tools, and equipment, to make sure NFEC members have adequate power in the locations they need, and that it is as reliable and affordable as is practical.
Throughout his years at NFEC Copeland accomplished that goal with honesty, integrity, and genuine concern for those served by NFEC. “I believe that integrity means doing the right thing even (or maybe especially) when no one is watching. My parents raised me to believe that and to always try to follow the golden rule,” said Copeland. “My ambition has been to maintain a culture where our employees don’t dread coming to work each day. In this business, we spend more time at work than we do with our families. Treating others as you would like to be treated is imperative. That applies to not only those we work for but those that we work alongside each day.”
Copeland sustained his pledge to create a good environment to work in every single day that he managed the co-op. NFEC employees heartily concur and appreciate their leader’s efforts to cultivate such a place to work.
“For the last 20 years I have had the privilege to work for Scott at Northfork Electric. One thing I have learned about Scott, especially in the later years of friendship, is that he is an extremely caring individual. He is far from a micro-manager and tends to stir the direction of his supervisors with words and ideas instead of a hardline direction,” said NFEC Operations Manager Richard Bowdre.
“Working for Scott the past eight years has truly been a pleasure. He has been a wonderful mentor. He entrusts his employees to do their job to the best of their abilities. He has always been present in the background to provide the support, resources and training needed for employees to excel,” said Lisa Dailey, Chief Operating Officer at NFEC. “His leadership style has created an environment where leaders flourish. I know I am a living example of how much a person can grow under his leadership style. I will miss his support and encouragement as well as his knowledge and commitment to the cooperative program.”
“Because I’m not originally from the area, when I came to work at NFEC I had no relatives, and no association with schools or churches in the area. Scott made me feel like part of a family my first day and has continued so for the last 20 years,” said Bowdre. “That’s just who Scott is, a firm believer that family is first and someone who is always willing to work with employees when a family crisis arises. And here at NFEC we’ve have had our share of those, especially during 2020.”
Copeland’s contributions to the co-op community go beyond NFEC as he has served on the board of the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives for nearly 30 years, on the officer team, as President of the Board, and as President of the Manager’s Association. Always willing to lend a helpful hand, he has also chaired the Steering Committee, Safety & Loss Control Committee, and served on various other committees through the years.
“Scott rode for the brand. Whether the job was large or small, he accomplished each task with the best interest of Northfork in mind,” says Jimmy Taylor, President of the NFEC Board of Trustees. “Many times, he would arrive early and stay late, sacrificing personal and family time, to make sure our cooperative had what it needed to be successful.”
Proud of the employees of the organization, Copeland is always quick to credit any NFEC success. “We have always had great employees in this organization, but at the time I announced my decision to retire, I believe we had assembled one of the best teams I could have ever imagined,” said Copeland. “They are so innovative and have kept NFEC at the forefront in using the newest technology to provide the best possible service to our membership. From our communications and customer service apps to automated metering, outage management, and SCADA capabilities, we are much more advanced than most systems our size.”
With retirement now on the horizon, Copeland is feeling a little sentimental when asked about what he will miss the most. A simple reply, but full of so much emotion. “The people,” he said.
“I will miss working for the membership. I will definitely miss working with the finest, most-talented employees in the country. It has been such an honor to work alongside so many of them, past and present, during my tenure here. They are more than my co-workers. They have become family and I am so thankful for them.”
Copeland will also miss the camaraderie in the board room, counting the board members among his closest friends. “The same goes for the Board members I have worked for. Not many people understand how hard these individuals work to bring reliable electric service to their friends and neighbors in such a sparsely populated area. They have the pressure of overseeing a multi-million dollar business and trying to meet the expectations of a very diverse membership, balancing reliability and affordability. It’s one of the toughest jobs in the world and it can sometimes be a thankless job. They are dedicated to what they do,” said Copeland.
“Scott and I were rookies together, and used to travel extensively together,” quipped Charles Hickey, who has served on the NFEC Board of Trustees since 1983. “The manager at Kiwash was a very well experienced manager, by the name of Paul Lenaburg. Scott was famous for stopping by Cordell and absorbing the wisdom of Paul, which he was always glad to share with us. When we would leave Paul, Scott would always say, ‘That’s about all we can absorb today’.”
Of course, there are others Copeland has met along the way who have left an impression on him that he won’t soon forget. “I have also been blessed to make many friends with peers and others serving co-ops across the state and nation,” he added.
“Scott is a great friend of mine,” said Chris Meyers, General Manager of the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives. “I had the pleasure of working with Scott very closely, especially so during the time he served as OAEC Board President and his many years on the Steering Committee. Scott is thoughtful, he is fair, and he is compassionate. Working with and learning from Scott has been a true blessing to me. He embodies the cooperative spirit.”
“Over the years, it has always been a pleasure to work with Scott,” said Gary Roulet, CEO of Western Farmers Electric Cooperative. “He has represented Northfork very well, and I wish him all the best in retirement. His leadership will be missed.”
While imagining what comes next, Copeland is not quite sure. “In my job, I have felt responsible to be available 24/7 and 365 days a year for my board and employees, but especially for the members we serve,” he said. “Vickie (Copeland’s wife) and I have held jobs working for others since we were teenagers. We are trying to imagine what life will be like when our time is our own. It sounds great, but we may be lost for a while.” Traveling and seeing more of God’s creation make the list but the couple’s number one objective in retirement is to enjoy more time with their family. “God blessed us richly there and we can hardly wait to be able to focus more on them.”
“Scott is one of those rare individuals that have that unique ability to bring out the best in people,” said Taylor. “This was true both in the workplace and in our personal lives. He brought that family atmosphere to Northfork, not only to the employees, but to the board as well, making it a very special place to be a part of. He will be missed.”
Recalling his decision to come to the co-op in 1988, Copeland says he was just looking for a good job to provide for his family. “But what I found at NFEC was so much more than that,” he said.