O.D. Cope, a director for Ozark Electric Cooperative, was honored with the A.C. Burrows Award by Missouri Electric Cooperatives at the organization's annual meeting Sept. 30 in Branson.

The purpose of the award is to recognize directors and employees of electric cooperatives for outstanding service to their cooperative, community and service areas. Those who received the award were selected because of their leadership above and beyond the call of duty to strengthen and improve the economic and social conditions in their areas.

Cope was appointed to the Ozark Electric Cooperative Board in 1980 and has shown unwavering commitment to serving for the past 46 years. During nearly five decades on the board, he served as president for two years and worked alongside four general managers and countless board members. Cope has been the center of his family farm since age 15, when his father died. Over more than 60 years, he built a successful farming operation near Crane and continues to work alongside two of his three sons, managing several hundred head of cattle and extensive farmland. He served as president of the Missouri Young Farmers Association and on several other boards, including MFA, local and state Cattlemen’s Association boards, Stone County National Bank and Mars Hill Cemetery Board. His lifelong love of agriculture has been matched by a commitment to giving back to the industry that has supported him.

The award is named for the late A.C. Burrows of Van Buren, Mo., who rose through the ranks to become general manager of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, the statewide service organization for Missouri’s electric cooperatives. Burrows served in this position from 1968 to 1976. He was recognized as an outstanding leader in rural electrification and as a distinguished individual who dedicated his life to helping others.

Missouri Electric Cooperatives is the Jefferson City-based statewide service organization for Missouri’s electric cooperatives.

CLICK HERE to read O.D.'s article from the August 2026 issue of Rural Missouri magazine.