John Bill Greer

Webster Electric Cooperative and Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative - Inducted in 2018

John Bill Greer is a role model of the best practices for a director. In the boardroom, he asks the uncomfortable questions, something that is necessary for a healthy cooperative. He cares deeply about the outcome of board decisions for cooperative members and employees. His board leadership helped guide Webster Electric Cooperative and Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative to a respected position of earned trust and top-tier performance.

As a member of Webster Electric's Board, John Bill has served as secretary/treasurer during his 18 years on the board. He draws on financial knowledge gained from his experiences as a dairyman, small business owner and president of his local bank. As Webster Electric's representative on the Sho-Me Electric Power Cooperative Board, John Bill has served in a number of roles, including a term as President of the Board. John Bill tackled controversial issues calmly, often suggesting that the board take time to reflect before making decisions. This guidance, however obvious it might seem, has proven to take the edge off of some fairly heated exchanges and after allowing time for opinions to mellow, usually results in a unanimous decision.

John Bill has a deep commitment to working for the betterment of his community, through the cooperative, his church, Lions Club, Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce and others. He steadfastly seeks to improve the quality of life of his fellow cooperative members by ensuring that they have access to affordable and reliable electricity. He has been involved in pursuing changing technology and growth championing AMI, fiber technologies and additions to plants and facilities. He is willing to lead from the front, always with a keen sense of whether the decision was financially sound and worked for betterment of all members.

John Bill is a strong proponent of political action on behalf of cooperatives and improving the quality of life in his region. According to a colleague, anytime former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon attended the annual meeting of the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, the first thing he did was search for Mr. Greer. Many other important political leaders were just a phone call away.

John Bill Greer personifies the principles cooperatives stand for. His vision, character and reputation have helped shaped cooperatives for the good of rural Missouri.

Model board director, respected community leader, effective advocate for cooperatives, consensus builder