2025 Election Results

During Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s annual meeting April 24, members approved the 2024 annual meeting minutes and the 2026 nominating committee members. The nominating committee will choose candidates for next year’s board of trustees election. 

Over 1,000 members vote in board of trustees election 
All cooperative elections are conducted by an independent third-party company. This year’s election was completed and certified by Survey and Ballot Systems. Using a third party maintains the integrity of our elections. Cooperative employees and board members do not have contact with ballots or voting results before they are announced. Our attorney received the election results once the election closed and announced the results at our annual meeting. 

All members were mailed a ballot along with biographies for each of the four candidates running for the board this year. 1,091 out of 10,436 members voted — that’s over 10% of our members! 572 voted by mail and 525 voted through our election website or through SmartHub. 

Members could vote for one candidate in each district. Board members represent all members, not just the members in their township or district. Members also approved the code of regulations changes. 

Thomas McQuiston was elected in District 3, which includes Somers Township in Preble County. 871 votes were cast in this district. Tom ran unopposed. The cooperative’s code of regulations allows candidates to run unopposed for the board of trustees. 

Tom has been a board member since 1980 and was president of the board for 34 years. Tom is a self-employed farmer, has served as president on the Preble County Farm Bureau’s board, was a board member of the Landmark/Harvest Land cooperative, and was a twoterm Preble County Commissioner. Tom is a member of the Farm Bureau Advisory Council. He served on NRECA’s Board of Directors for 14 years and currently serves on Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives’ Board of Directors. He and his wife, Karen, have three children and seven grandchildren. His hobbies include watching movies, playing cards, and collecting farm toys. 

Jay Hasbrook was elected in District 4, which includes Gratis Township in Preble County and German Township in Montgomery County. 855 votes were cast in this district. Jay ran unopposed. 

Jay lives in Gratis Township and has been a board member for five years. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Wright State University with a major in finance and a minor in accounting. He graduated magna cum laude with a Juris Doctor degree from Salmon P. Chase College of Law and was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1993. He is retired after 30 years at General Motors and retired from the U.S. government as a civil service employee in the Department of Defense for over 10 years, which included 19 months in Iraq and six months in Afghanistan. He also retired from the military with four years of service in the Army and 22 years in the Navy and Navy Reserve. 

Jay is an active life member in the Veterans of Foreign Wars and AM Vets and is also a member of the American Legion. In his free time, he enjoys restoring tractors and older pickup trucks. 

Members chose Scott Lessing in District 9, which includes Colerain and Crosby townships in Hamilton County and Fairfield and Ross townships in Butler County. 1,011 votes were cast in this district. Member James O’Brien also ran for election in District 9. 

Scott lives in Ross Township in Butler County. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in applied science from Miami University. He graduated with honors cum laude and was the Most Outstanding Engineering Technology Student. Scott retired after 20 years as the electric utility system manager at Miami University, where he oversaw transmission, distribution, and generation. He also worked at the City of Hamilton in utility engineering and General Motors in electrical/ mechanical skilled trades. 

Scott has credit for 166 blood and platelet donations, which is 20-plus gallon equivalence over 30 years, at Community Blood Center and Hoxworth Blood Center. He is a member of the elder council, music and missions, at the Hamilton Christian Center and is a Miami University engineering technology industry advisory council member. Scott and his wife, Marilyn, have three children and ten grandchildren. He enjoys watching his grandkids’ sports, doing projects and repairs for family and friends, and watching movies. 

Thank you for being involved in your cooperative! 
Thank you to the four members who ran in this year’s election and thank you to the members who voted. Your vote is your voice. By participating, you are part of the process to make the cooperative the best it can be.