Salyer
Submitted story
PIQUA – Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative’s President and CEO, Ron Salyer, has announced his plans to retire on Sept. 16, 2024, after 27 years of dedicated service at Pioneer, including 23 years as President and CEO.
During Salyer’s tenure, he has improved the cooperative’s overall performance by enhancing safety protocols, boosting electric reliability and responsiveness, all while expanding the membership base. Pioneer members expressed their satisfaction of Salyer’s leadership in the co-ops recent American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey – receiving a rating of 88 – higher than any investor-owned utility company in Ohio utilizing the survey.
“I have greatly enjoyed my time at Pioneer. I want to thank the employees of Pioneer, our board of trustees, and the entire membership for all their support throughout the past 27 years,” said Salyer. “I am fortunate to leave a very dedicated team of employees to lead the co-op into the future.”
Salyer has also been an active participant in the broader cooperative community. He has served on multiple committees at Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives statewide office in Columbus and held positions on various national boards, including the National Information Solutions Cooperative and National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation board of directors.
“Ron’s long tenure with Pioneer has been marked by steady improvement to excellence that is valued by our members and well regarded within both the state and national cooperative networks,” said Mark Bailey, Chair of the Pioneer Board of Trustees. “The Board of Trustees greatly appreciates his many valuable contributions and wishes him and Jeannie the very best in retirement. He will be greatly missed.”
A familiar face for Pioneer Electric Cooperative has been selected as the new CEO.
The cooperative’s board of trustees announced Tom Musick as the co-op’s new president and CEO.
Musick rejoins Pioneer with more than 30 years of experience in the electric utility industry. Most recently, he served as vice president of engineering and broadband at South Central Power Company, a member-owned electric cooperative based in Lancaster, Ohio. His previous tenure at Pioneer Electric included roles as director of engineering and operations, manager of engineering, and system engineer, during his 15 years with the cooperative.
“I am honored to rejoin Pioneer Electric Cooperative as its CEO,” said Musick. “The cooperative has a proud tradition of delivering safe, high-quality, and responsive service at fair prices to its members, and I am dedicated to building on that legacy.”
Musick holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Wright State University and an MBA from Purdue University. He is also a registered professional engineer and has completed the Management Internship Program through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
“Tom’s experience and understanding of Pioneer make him the ideal individual to guide us into the future,” said Bailey. “We are confident that under his leadership, the cooperative will continue to thrive and serve our members with excellence.”
Info from Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative
