Wim Smith presented Hall of Fame Award by OAEC

Tim Smith, general manager of East Central Electric Cooperative, has been honored with the Hall of Fame Award by the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives (OAEC).

The Oklahoma Rural Electric Hall of Fame Award is the highest honor bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication and service to the Rural Electrification program. The award was presented during the 2024 OAEC Annual Meeting, marking Smith’s contributions to rural electrification in Oklahoma and nationwide.

Smith has served as general manager of East Central Electric Cooperative (ECE) for 19 years and served on the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) board for 12 years, culminating his term earlier this year. Throughout his tenure, Smith played a pivotal role in shaping policies and initiatives that advanced the cooperative movement and brought broadband internet to rural Oklahoma. His time on the NRECA board included service on the Insur- ance and Financial Services committee advocating for co-op employees and as a founding member of the Glenn English scholarship committee for Youth Tour alumni.

Within OAEC, Smith has held numerous office positions and served on the steering committee to help guide projects for the statewide association.

Outside of these organizations, Smith has also been involved in the Cooperative Broadband Coalition, the Okmulgee Area Development Corporation Board, and has served as an alternate trustee for ECE’s Generation and Transmission Cooperative partners, KAMO Power and Western Farmers Electric Cooperative.

“He serves the cooperative program with unwavering dedication and continues to make contributions that positively impact the co-op network on a local, regional and national level,” OAEC General Manager Chris Meyers said of Smith. “His steadfast commitment to ensure our co-ops work to enhance quality of life for those they serve is admirable and inspiring. We are privileged to have Tim as a devoted and effective leader in our Oklahoma co-op family. We are grateful for his exceptional contributions.”

Prior to accepting the role of general manager at ECE, Smith worked for 14 years as a human resources manager and then nine years as the assistant general manager of Ouachita Electric Cooperative in Arkansas.

“The Hall of Fame award confirms the commitment it takes to advance the cooperative principles and serve our communities with integrity and excellence. I am deeply honored to receive this award and be included with past winners who also contributed so much dedication and hard work serving our members.”

— East Central Oklahoma Electric Cooperative (ECE) is a not-for-profit utility distributing electricity to nearly 37,000 meters across its nine-county service area in east-central Oklahoma. Headquartered in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, the cooperative employs 105 people. ECE is the parent company of ecoLINK Fiber.