ATTICA—After more than 20 years of dedicated service, North Central Electric Cooperative’s (NCE) Board of Trustees President Duane Frankart has announced his intention to not run for another term once his seat is back up for election next year.  As part of the transition, District 4 Trustee Rodney Snavely has been duly elected to succeed Frankart as president of the board.

Frankart joined the board in 2001 as the member elected representative of District 7 in NCE territory.  This area consists of Washington Township in Hancock County; Scott Township in Sandusky County; Big Spring, Jackson, and Loudon townships in Seneca County; and Montgomery and Perry townships in Wood County.

Over his 20 years of selfless service, Frankart held several positions, including Treasurer and President of the board.  In 2005, he earned his Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, his Board Leadership Certificate in 2007, and Director Gold Credential in 2016.

Frankart regularly advocated for the members of the not-for-profit NCE through participation in ACRE, the Action Committee for Rural Electrification. ACRE is a federal Political Action Committee of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association open to all members of electric cooperatives across the United States, including NCE members.  He also regularly promoted the co-ops self-funded philanthropic program, the People Fund, via Operation Round-Up.

At his last annual meeting of the members in June 2021, he said, “One of the things I continue to be most proud of, not only as a board trustee but also as a North Central member, is the continued success of the North Central Electric People Fund. It remains dedicated to giving our members and communities the extra helping hand we all may need sometimes. Thanks to the important work of our nine volunteer People Fund board members, 22 grants totaling $52,662 went to deserving organizations and individuals in our area in 2020.”

Ed VanHoose, general manager of NCE, says “I have nothing but the greatest respect for Duane. His leadership on the board has been invaluable, not only to North Central but to me personally. I can only wish him the best in his retirement, but he will certainly be missed. I look forward to many years of success with Rodney.”

North Central Electric Cooperative, founded in 1936, is a local, not-for-profit electric utility serving 9,920 consumers in Crawford, Hancock, Huron, Richland, Seneca, Wood, and Wyandot counties.