HAYS — The Sunflower Electric Power Corp. Board of Directors selected Steve Epperson as the company’s president and CEO, effective immediately. Headquartered in Hays, Sunflower has 413 employees serving a generation and transmission system extending across central and western Kansas.

Epperson acted as the interim president and CEO since July and was chosen for the permanent position after a nationwide search beginning last fall. Prior to the interim position, he served as the CEO of Pioneer Electric Cooperative and Southern Pioneer Electric Company—two of Sunflower’s seven distribution member-owners—since 2011. 

“We had a pool of strong candidates for this position,” said Wes Campbell, Sunflower’s board chairman, “and the final nod went to Steve. He has effectively guided Sunflower since last July, and we believe his business knowledge, industry experience and expertise, servant leadership, and desire for excellence make Steve the person to lead Sunflower into the future.”

Epperson is the seventh president and CEO to serve in this position since Sunflower was formed by six distribution cooperatives in 1957 to provide wholesale generation and transmission services.

“The Sunflower board has high expectations and criteria for this position, and I am both honored and humbled by their confidence in me to accomplish their vision for Sunflower’s future,” Epperson said. “Sunflower was founded on the seven cooperative principles, and those principles are still our North Star. We will keep learning from leaders and staff who have paved the way, capitalizing on new opportunities so we can continue providing our member-owners with reliable energy at the lowest possible cost.”