Board of Directors

Brian Kirksey was elected to the Board of Directors in 2001.  He has received his Credentialed Cooperative Director and Board Leadership certifications, as well as Director Gold status with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. He has served on the Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation statewide board three terms. Brian is owner of the Spring Creek Nursery in Alpine, a wholesale ornamental operation that he built in 1985.  He also manages and operators the Alpine Water Association.  Brian is active in his community, currently serving as President of the Amity Alumni Scholarship Board. He also serves on the Caddo River Consortium Board, a non-profit organization that oversees the farming and timber operations of the Centerpoint FFA Farm.  Brian serves on the Farm Credit Advisory Committee and is a member of the Clark County Cattlemen’s Association.  In 1980, he received a BSE from Henderson State University with a major in marketing.  Brian, wife Nan, and family live in the Alpine-Fendley community of Clark County and attend the United Methodist Church of Amity where Brian teaches junior and senior high Sunday school.  In 2007, the Kirksey family received the honor of being named the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year.  Brian received the Southeastern Farmer of the Year award in 2008 in Moultrie, Georgia, and has also represented the Southeastern Farmer of the Year program, serving a 3-year term as a national judge for a 10-state region.  Brian and Nan are the proud parents of Kathryn Kirksey Speights and John Brian Kirksey. Kathryn will complete her master’s degree and John, his bachelor’s degree, in May of 2017.

Ronnie Penney has served on the South Central Arkansas Electric Cooperative Board of Directors since 2008, and currently serves on the Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation Board of Directors.   He has received his Credentialed Cooperative Director certification with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, as well as Board Leadership certification. Ronnie has lived and worked in the cooperative area for most of his life, graduating from Arkadelphia High School and attending Henderson State University.  He has been employed at the Clark County Country Water Facilities for twenty-four years as the System Manager.  Ronnie is a licensed contractor for the state of Arkansas, where he owns and operates Ron Penney Construction Incorporated, specializing in water and sewer installation for southwest Arkansas. He is a member of Clark County Farm Bureau, Clark County Home Builders Association, Clark County Cattleman’s Association, and Arkansas Water Manager’s Association.  He is also a cattle farmer and a premium buyer for the 4-H Livestock sale.  He and his wife, Betsy, live outside Arkadelphia in Clark County and attend Cedar Grove Baptist Church and have three adult children.

Karen Kirkpatrick has served on the South Central Arkansas Electric Cooperative Board of Directors since her election in 2008.  She has completed all necessary National Rural Electric Cooperative Association courses, making her a Cooperative Credentialed Director.  She has completed the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Board Leadership Program. Over the years, she has served on the Boards of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives. Karen owns and operates Karen’s Cakes & Catering in Arkadelphia. She and husband, Dwight, co-own/manage 300 acres of pine timber in Pike County. After 46 years, the Kirkpatricks retired from their locally owned/operated business, Williams Saw Company in Arkadelphia.  A native of Glenwood, and the daughter of John and Ruth Plyler, Karen graduated from Glenwood Public Schools and attended Free Will Bible College in Nashville, Tennessee.  She is a Charter member of Grace Fellowship Free Will Baptist Church and has served as a pianist, Sunday school teacher, treasurer, and is currently involved in her church’s Plaza Nursing Home Ministry. Karen is active in her community. She is a member of the Clark County Cattlemen’s Association, and a member of the Clark County Farm Bureau where she serves as co-chairman on the Clark County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee. She also served on the Arkansas State Farm Bureau Women’s Committee from 2005-2007. She is a member of the Clark County Extension Homemakers, and is presently serving as county president. Karen has also served her community as a Clark County 4H leader. She currently serves on the Clark County Fair Board and has served as secretary/treasurer of the board.

Danny Buck has served on the Board of Directors at South Central Electric since 1984, where he currently holds the office of President.  He is a certified, credentialed director of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Danny has completed the NRECA Board Leadership Program and has reached Director Gold status. He has served on both the Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation and Arkansas Electric Cooperative Incorporated Board of Directors fourteen years throughout his tenure. Danny also served as Chairman of the Board for the Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation in 2003. He owns and operates United Auto Sales and Salvage, one of the largest salvage operations in Arkansas, for the past 40 years. He is an active member of First Baptist Church of Arkadelphia where he is a choir member and serves on the physical plant committee. Danny served his country six years in the United States Marine Corps Reserve as an MP and serves his community as board vice president for the Hollywood Rural Volunteer Fire Department.  He and wife, Pat, live in the Hollywood community of Clark County. 

Shelley Loe has served on the Board of Directors of South Central Arkansas Electric Cooperative since 2013, and currently serves as Vice President. She has completed all National Rural Electric Cooperative Association courses, making her a Credentialed Cooperative Director. She is the Executive Vice President for the Arkadelphia Alliance and Area Chamber of Commerce. Shelley is a graduate of Henderson State University and is very active in community and regional economic development. She has worked with the Clark County Strategic Plan for over eight years and currently works with regional partners to strengthen businesses and increase job opportunities. Previous employment includes her work as a loan officer for Farm Credit Services of Western Arkansas, and a commercial lender and community development officer for Southern Bancorp. Shelley currently serves as a board member for the Diamond Lakes Travel Association, Rotary Club of Arkadelphia, and Downtown Arkadelphia Organization. She wishes to utilize South Central Arkansas Electric Cooperative’s resources to assist with creating jobs in southwest Arkansas, which in turn will benefit cooperative members. Shelley is married to Phillip Loe and they have two children; Jesse (19) and Leslie (16).  She and her family live in Arkadelphia in Clark County.

Ricky Francis has served on the South-Central Arkansas Electric Cooperative Board of Directors since 2011. He is a certified Credentialed Cooperative Director with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and has served on the Arkansas Electric Cooperative, Inc. Board of Directors. He has also earned his NRECA Board Leadership certification. Ricky is a timber buyer for Antoine Hardwood and has over 39 years of experience in the timber and equipment industry.  Ricky is a graduate of Arkadelphia High School and an active member of First Baptist Church of Social Hill.  He is a board member for Clark County Farm Bureau, and a nine-year committee member for Log-A-Load for Kids benefiting Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Ricky and wife, Kathy, are residents of Arkadelphia in Clark County where they enjoy their children; daughter, Brittany Rogers (Jackson), and two grandchildren, Malorie and Jack.

Scott Clark has served on the Board of Directors of South Central Electric since 2021.  He is a lifelong resident of Gurdon in Clark County.  He is a 1987 graduate of Gurdon High School and a 1993 graduate of Southern Arkansas University with a Bachelor of Science degree in History.  He served Clark County as the Deputy Sheriff for 2 years, continuing his law enforcement career as a Trooper with the Arkansas State Police.  Most years with the A.S.P. was served as a Special Agent assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division throughout southwest Arkansas.  One of his greatest honors was receiving Trooper of the Year in 2008.  After serving 24 years, he retired from the Arkansas State Police in 2019, and went on to work as a Human Resources Specialist with the Arkansas Department of Transportation until February of 2021.  He is currently a full-time farmer/rancher living in the Centerpoint Community.  Scott and wife Lanna have five children, Katie, Whit, Mason, Dillan, and Dawson.  He is a member of the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association, a Clark County 4-H volunteer, and he served as an appointed member of the Clark County Quorum Court.  He and wife Lanna are members of Second Baptist Church in Arkadelphia.

Mark Batson has served on the Board of Directors of South Central Electric since 2021.  He is a resident of Arkadelphia in Clark County, and has been a member of the cooperative since 1983.  He is a partner in Batson Quality Signs of Arkadelphia, a family owned and operated business.  Mark is a retired law enforcement officer, serving 24 years with the Arkansas State Police, and 10 years with the Arkadelphia Police Department.  He has served his community as an Emergency Medical Technician with the Clark County Ambulance Service.  Mark also worked for the Arkadelphia Beverage Company.  He attended Arkadelphia High School, Henderson State University, and Texarkana Community College.  He served on the Steering Committee of Davidson Campground, and he is an Eagle Scout. Mark and wife Kathy are members of Third Street Baptist Church in Arkadelphia. They have two sons, Jerod and Christopher, along with five grandchildren. Mark still has a strong desire to serve his community.  He appreciated the opportunity to serve the membership of South Central Electric, just as his father, lineman Dickie Batson, did as a 40-year employee of the co-op.  

Tim Trout has served on the Board of Directors of South Central Electric since 2021.  He is a resident of Kirby in Pike County.  He is the Operations Manager for the North Pike County Rural Water Association. Tim is a licensed plumbing inspector for the State of Arkansas, with 576 hours of safety training with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and 480 hours of safety training with Mine Safety and Health Administration. Past occupations include working as a heavy equipment operator in the four states area from a young age. Tim has been employed with the City of Glenwood, licensed by the State of Arkansas, to perform water treatment.  He graduated from Kirby schools in 1974. He and wife Melanie own and operate a cattle farm in Kirby. They have been members of Daisy Freewill Baptist Church for 37 years. Tim and Melanie have two children, Nicole and Morgan, along with seven grandchildren.

Ed W. McCorkle has been the attorney for South Central Arkansas Electric Cooperative's Board of Directors since 1973. He was admitted to the bar in 1968, receiving his B.A. from the University of Arkansas in 1969. McCorkle has also been the attorney for the City of Arkadelphia since 1973. He was a member of the Arkansas Board of Bar Examiners from 1998-2004, where he held the position of Chairman. He is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association, American Bar Association, and the Arkansas Bar Foundation Board of Directors.