2026 Board of Trustees Election Results

During Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s annual meeting April 30, members approved the 2025 annual meeting minutes and the 2027 nominating committee members. The nominating committee will choose candidates for next year’s board of trustees election.

Over 1,300 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 candidates running for the board this year. 1,386 out of 10,563 members voted — that’s over 13% of our members! 722 voted by mail, 455 voted through our election website, and 217 voted 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.

Steve Grote was elected in District 6, which includes Morgan Township in Butler County. 1,302 votes were cast in this district. Members Mike Lampe and Darryl D. Huff also ran for election in District 6.

Steve is a business development manager at Solenis, a specialty chemical company. He has a bachelor of science degree from Miami University in paper science and engineering and an associate degree in mechanical engineering technology. Steve is a past member of the Ross and Morgan Township Volunteer Fire Department, with over 20 years of service between both, and is an active member of the Morgan Township Board of Zoning Appeals. Steve is married to his wife, Amy, and has five children and three grandchildren. Steve enjoys spending his free time on the lake, exploring the mountains of West Virginia on his side-by-side, and attending cattle and hog shows at the county fairs.

Michael Tilton was elected in District 7, which includes Hanover and St. Clair townships in Butler County. 1,222 votes were cast in this district. Member Melissa Hays also ran for election in District 7.

Mike has been a member of Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s Board of Trustees for 23 years and has received the Credentialed Cooperative Director, Board Leadership, and Director Gold credentials through NRECA. He retired as the Chief Deputy Auditor for the Butler County Auditor’s Office. He has served on the Butler County Sheriff’s Mounted Patrol since 1994 and is an instructor for Butler County Sharpshooters 4-H Club. In the past, Mike has served on the Butler County Farm Bureau board, the Butler County Law Library Board, and the Hanover Township Park Committee. Mike and his wife, Teresa, have three children. In his free time, Mike enjoys woodworking, beekeeping, and muzzleloading.

John Broering Sr. was elected in District 8, which includes Colerain, Crosby, and Harrison townships in Hamilton County. 1,180 votes were cast in this district. Member Victoria Corder also ran for election in District 8.

John has over 40 years in the manufacturing sector. He receive a chemical engineering degree from the University of Cincinnati and a mechanical engineering degree from Miami University. John has been a Butler Rural Electric Cooperative member for over 40 years and is a member of the Harrison High School STEM program advisory board. He is also a regular blood donor and assists with youth sports activities. John has six adult children and nine grandchildren. During his free time, John enjoys taking care of his home, spending time with family, and traveling.

Thank you for being involved in your cooperative!
Thank you to the seven 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.

Board member compensation
We are focused on the cooperative’s governance and remain transparent when reporting board member compensation each year. Our board members receive a per diem for attending meetings and training but do not get paid a salary or receive benefits like health insurance. The average annual compensation is $12,900 per board member, which varies based on office and certification.

The chart below is based on data from NRECA’s 2024 director’s survey with 3% escalation. Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s values are actual and are based on the 12 months ending April 30, 2026. The chart compares our board member compensation to the compensation received by electric cooperative board members nationally, regionally, and from co-ops of the same size.