Vernon and Dr. Lowery discuss his involvement in the cooperative movement; the cooperatives’ contribution to developing renewables and increasing energy efficiency; and NRECA’s process of electrification of communities within the United States and throughout the World. Dr. Martin Lowery, Executive Vice President of Member and Association Relations, at National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). Vernon and Dr. Lowery will discuss his involvement in the cooperative movement, and the cooperatives’ contribution to developing renewables and increasing energy efficiency. For more than three decades, Dr. Martin Lowery has been a forceful advocate for the cooperative business model. He began with the NRECA in 1982, and since then has taken a lead role on many projects, including forming and promoting new cooperatives. NRECA is the national service organization for more than 900 not-for-profit rural electric cooperatives and public power districts providing retail electric service to more than 42 million consumers in 47 states, and whose retail sales account for approximately 12 percent of total electricity sales in the United States. Dr. Lowery is an inductee to the U.S. Cooperative Hall of Fame, the highest honor bestowed on individuals who have made heroic contributions to the cooperative community. He serves on the boards of the Ralph K. Morris Foundation, the National Cooperative Business Association and the National Cooperative Bank and is the U.S. representative to the board of the International Cooperative Alliance headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. Dr. Lowery is a graduate of DePaul University and holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Duke University.
