|
|
L. Earl Watkins, Jr., was selected to be Sunflower’s president and CEO in June 2004. He is the fourth person to hold this position since the cooperative was formed in 1957. For more than 24 years, he served as general counsel for Sunflower. This provided him with invaluable experience in a wide range of legal services, including union negotiations and elections, electric and gas utility regulation, utility financing, and human resources administration.
Earl was admitted to practice law in Kansas in 1973 after earning his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Kansas in 1973. Earl began his civilian career following his four-year service in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate Corps in 1973-1977. He was in private practice from the time he left the Air Force until November 2001 when he became Sunflower’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel. Earl is keenly focused on continuing the development of Sunflower’s culture, which is based on its TRAITS of trustworthiness, respect and dignity, accountability, integrity, technical competence, and servant leadership.
He believes the consistent application of these values enables Sunflower to always reach the “best answer” in each decision as Sunflower continues to live its mission statement of providing reliable, long-term power supply and transmission services to its Member-Owners.
|