About Us

Not-for-profit, Member-owned, locally led. And community-driven.

Electric cooperatives are unique because we’re owned by our customers and driven to make a difference, not a profit. At the end of the year, remaining funds, or capital credits, go back to you. Here’s more information on how we work for you.

Who We Are

By the Numbers

Total Assets Year-End 2024:
$2.3 billion
Miles of Transmission Lines: 1,902
Miles of Distribution Lines: 58,746
Service area: 55 of Mississippi’s 82 counties (over half of the state’s land mass)
Approximate number of members: 456,000 homes and businesses
2024 Sales to Members: 10,227, 219 MWh
Employees: 497 FTE

A Little More About Us

Member-owned
Not-for-profit
Rates reflect only the cost of supplying wholesale energy
Headquartered in Hattiesburg

Learn more about the Power of 12, our network of electric cooperatives

A Message from our CEO

Welcome to Cooperative Energy! We proudly provide affordable, reliable power to more than 1 million Mississippians through our 11 Member distribution systems, from the Delta to the Gulf Coast.

Every milestone Cooperative Energy reaches is driven by one clear purpose: reliably serving our Members and improving the quality of life for Mississippians. Since our founding in 1941, when seven small electric power associations came together to meet their wholesale power needs, our mission has remained constant, even as the scope of our work has grown significantly.

The energy landscape is changing fast, but our priorities remain clear: safety and reliability come first. In 2024, our more than 500 employees reached a significant milestone—2 million work hours without a lost-time accident—underscoring the accountability and professionalism that define our workforce.

We also continued strengthening our system through targeted investments across our 1,902-mile transmission network, modernizing lines, poles, substations, and relays to deliver safe, dependable power across Mississippi.

Despite persistent inflationary pressures on fuel, materials, and operations, disciplined management, strong generation performance, and prudent Board oversight allowed us to moderate rate impacts and return value to our Members through bill credits and patronage capital. These are ways the cooperative business model shares success with the people we serve.

Grounded in cooperative principles and guided by a commitment to excellence, Cooperative Energy will continue turning challenges into opportunities, working together, as The Power of 12, to grow Mississippi and serve our Members well into the future.

We invite you to explore our website. Should you have questions or want to learn more, we welcome the opportunity to connect.

Truly yours,
Jeff C. Bowman
President/CEO

Meet Our Executives

Our President/CEO and executive staff carry out Cooperative Energy’s daily operations in six main divisions – General Operations, Administration, Finance, Power Delivery, Compliance, and Communications.

Jeff Bowman
President/CEO

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Jeff C. Bowman serves as president and chief executive officer of Cooperative Energy.

Bowman joined Cooperative Energy full-time in 2012 as senior vice president and chief administrative officer and assumed his current role as president and CEO in 2019. Prior to joining the organization, he was a partner in the Hattiesburg-based law firm of Jackson, Bowman & Arrington, where he also served as Board attorney for Cooperative Energy.

He began his professional career as a captain in the United States Army, serving as a military prosecutor and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. Bowman earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from The University of Southern Mississippi, a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law, and a Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Florida.

Christa Bishop
Executive Vice President
Chief Communications Officer

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Christa Bishop serves as executive vice president and chief communications officer for Cooperative Energy. In this role, she manages responsibilities related to the Cooperative Energy Board of Directors and oversees corporate communications, economic development, human resources, government relations, wholesale services programs, facility services, and physical security. She also represents Cooperative Energy publicly at the local, state, regional, and national levels.

Bishop joined Cooperative Energy in July 2008 as a staff attorney in the legal department and later advanced to director of legal affairs before assuming her current executive role. Prior to joining Cooperative Energy, she practiced law in Atlanta, Georgia.

A native of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Bishop is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and Mississippi College School of Law.

Gary Hutson
Senior Vice President
Chief Operating Officer

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Gary Hutson serves as senior vice president and chief operating officer for Cooperative Energy. He is responsible for system operations; transmission and generation planning; computer systems and network security; control systems; business information systems; communication systems planning and maintenance; power marketing; and fuels.

Hutson joined Cooperative Energy in 2002 as an operations planning engineer and progressed through roles including system operations manager, director of operations and planning, and vice president of power supply before assuming his current position.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Mississippi State University and a master’s degree in business administration from William Carey University. Hutson is a licensed Professional Engineer.

Kevin Grace
Senior Vice President
Chief Financial Officer

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Kevin Grace serves as senior vice president and chief financial officer for Cooperative Energy. He is responsible for the development of the Cooperative’s financial plans and for managing relationships with financial institutions, credit partners, and commercial and investment banks. His responsibilities also include oversight of accounting, budgeting, insurance, and finance functions, as well as ensuring compliance. Grace regularly communicates the Cooperative’s financial performance and status to the Board of Directors.

Grace joined Cooperative Energy in March 2010 as director of treasury services and was named controller in June 2016 before assuming his current role in August 2022. Prior to joining Cooperative Energy, he worked in the banking, insurance, and public accounting industries.

He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Millsaps College and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Don Hinton
Senior Vice President — General Counsel
Chief Compliance Officer

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Don Hinton serves as senior vice president, general counsel, and chief compliance officer for Cooperative Energy. He oversees the environmental, safety, and reliability compliance functions, as well as supply chain, contract administration, and legal affairs.

Hinton joined Cooperative Energy in 2016 following a 20-year career in private law practice, most recently with the Hattiesburg-based firm of Pittman, Howdeshell and Hinton, PLLC.

A Hattiesburg native, Hinton earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi.

Mark Smith
Senior Vice President
Power Generation

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Mark Smith serves as senior vice president-power generation for Cooperative Energy, where he is responsible for directing all aspects of the Cooperative’s owned generation resources, including the development and construction of new generation projects.

Smith joined Cooperative Energy in 1998 as an engineer at the R. D. Morrow, Sr. Generating Station. During his tenure at Plant Morrow, he advanced through a series of engineering, supervisory, and management roles, including mechanical maintenance superintendent, operations superintendent, and plant superintendent. He assumed his current role in 2019.

Smith earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Mississippi State University.

James Evans
Senior Vice President
Power Delivery

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James Evans serves as senior vice president-power delivery for Cooperative Energy. He oversees the operation, maintenance, design, and construction of the Cooperative’s transmission system, including geographic information systems, surveying, system protection, metering, substation and line maintenance, substation and line design, and right-of-way maintenance. He also oversees fleet maintenance and serves as facility manager at the Field Operations Center.

A 38-year employee, Evans joined Cooperative Energy in 1987 as a lineman. He later served as a system operator before progressing through the transmission maintenance department in roles including line foreman, transmission supervisor, transmission maintenance manager, director of transmission maintenance, and vice president of transmission maintenance prior to assuming his current position.

View a Timeline of Our History

Learn More

About Us

Not-for-profit, Member-owned, locally led. And community-driven.

Who We Are

By the Numbers

A Little More About Us

Learn more about the Power of 12, our network of electric cooperatives

A Message from our CEO

Meet Our Executives

Read Bio

Read Bio

Read Bio

Read Bio

Read Bio

Read Bio

Read Bio

View a Timeline of Our History

Careers

About Us

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