People You Should Know: Todd Culley
JOB DESCRIPTION: Oversee operations of our member-owned, not-for-profit electric utility and subsidiary.
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in marketing from Indiana University, master’s degree in management from Oakland City University.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Director, Columbia Chamber of Commerce Board and Executive Committee member; director, Regional Economic Development Inc. and chair of High-Speed Internet Task Force; director, Central Electric Power Cooperative of Jefferson City; delegate, Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives of Jefferson City; member, Metro Rotary Club of Columbia.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: Served as deputy county assessor in Boone County, Ind., and sold motorcycles in Indianapolis, all prior to beginning utility work in 1992 for Cinergy, an investor-owned utility in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Served as district manager in Bedford, Mitchell and French Lick (Indiana) until 2000, when I jumped at an opportunity to work for a local electric cooperative in Bloomfield, Ind. In 2002, I became executive vice president and general manager of Chariton Valley Electric Cooperative in Albia, Iowa. In 2007, I accepted the position of CEO and general manager of Boone Electric Cooperative in Columbia.
A COLUMBIA BUSINESSPERSON I ADMIRE AND WHY: Al Lynch, assistant general manager of Boone Electric Cooperative, who is retiring June 1. Al was instrumental in my transition here and has continually demonstrated an exceptionally high sense of integrity, commitment and a bias to action in his dealings with our members. He has carried many burdens (in a positive way) even though he hasn’t always been in the spotlight.
WHY I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT MY JOB: I see how the service our employees and organization provides directly improves the quality of lives of the members we serve. Providing electricity allows teachers to teach, hospitals to save lives, traffic to flow smoothly — basically, allowing the world to operate more safely and efficiently.
IF I WEREN’T DOING THIS FOR A LIVING, I WOULD: Serve the public as a physician.
BIGGEST CAREER OBSTACLE I’VE OVERCOME AND HOW: Tackling the job of district manager for Cinergy. The district was served by one of the company’s largest switchyards/substations in the state, as it served a large military base, a General Motors foundry, a Ford/Visteon manufacturing facility, U.S. Gypsum Co., National Gypsum Co. and Paoli Inc. (furniture), among other industrial consumers and cities. I visited with other managers to see what worked (and what didn’t), acquired all the on-the-job training I could get and went back to school for a master’s degree. It took a full year to get my feet under me — and another to get real traction. I wasn’t long on patience; it’s definitely a virtue.
FAMILY: Tonya is from Lexington, Ky. We’ve been married nearly 14 years. We have two boys: Zachary, 12; and Nicholas, 9. Tonya is a licensed mental health counselor with a master’s in counseling; she’s finishing a master’s in education at Stephen’s College this summer, with hopes to work in the educational arena.
A FAVORITE RECENT PROJECT: Building a fort in the woods for our two boys. The fort now doubles as a hunting blind — and a second home for me, should I forget to ask my wife how her day went.
WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PROFESSION: The complexities involved in balancing affordable and reliable power with environmental sensitivity are many and varied; it is difficult to elaborate in writing or within a few-minute conversation. This industry is full of environmentally conscious employees, and that gives me comfort over the long run.
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: Visit friends and family, travel and help our two boys with preparation for sports activities.
FAVORITE PLACE IN COLUMBIA: We like to walk downtown during summer evenings and on weekend mornings (with coffee!).
ACCOMPLISHMENT I’M MOST PROUD OF: My family; I feel fortunate to have a great wife and two boys.
MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT I… took a year off between high school and college and lived in a truck camper for seven months during a record-setting cold Colorado winter without electricity. I worked at a marble shop and beat unused cultured hardened marble out of five-gallon buckets with a hammer so the buckets could be re-used — all at minimum wage. This provided me the opportunity to earn and save money to go to college (using a friend’s address to establish residency and qualify for in-state tuition).