Remembering Paul Thompson
Co-op leader dies months after retirement
Mere months after his retirement from Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation, Paul Thompson, the co-op’s longest serving CEO, died on July 4. He was 68 years old.
“Paul was a wonderful friend and coworker,” says Glenn Hale, who succeeded Thompson as the co-op’s CEO. “His dedication to serving the members of Tri-County Electric will pay dividends to the membership for many years to come.”
“Paul was a great boss, mentor and friend,” adds Tammy Dixon, the co-op’s vice president of external relations and human resources. “He had many accomplishments during his time as our CEO, and I was proud to be part of his team.”
Thompson joined the co-op in 1998 as director of marketing and was elevated to CEO in 2001.
Jim Beecham, vice president of engineering and operations, worked alongside Thompson for his entire career and says he was exactly the leader the co-op needed, describing him as a “smart, confident, conservative leader with local ties and great communication skills.”
“Paul will probably be best remembered as a champion for rural broadband and the electric cooperatives’ role in bringing it to areas left behind,” Beecham adds.
Thompson stepped down as CEO in September but stayed on as an executive consultant until retiring in March.
Kelby Graves, a member of Tri-County Electric’s Board of Directors, says he learned a lot from Thompson.
“One of the things that stands out in my mind is something Paul said to me when I first became a director. He said, ‘Kelby, anyone can say yes; the most difficult thing you will have to do is say no.’ I use this analogy a lot in my life, as a director, as a farmer and as a dad. Paul certainly left a mark on my life, as I’m sure he did on many others.”
