GREENVILLE, OH—The General Manager of Darke Rural Electric Cooperative, Ted Holsapple, announced his plans to retire on January 3, 2025, after 23 years leading the cooperative. He will work alongside his successor, Brad Flora, who currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of the cooperative.
The board of directors selected Flora to take on the leadership role once Holsapple departs at the beginning of next year. Holsapple joined Darke Rural Electric Cooperative in 1993 and was later named General Manager. The board stated that Holsapple has been instrumental in rebuilding and expanding the distribution system in Darke Rural Electric’s service area to improve reliability for members.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the cooperative members in our community these nearly 30 years. I’m so proud of the team we’ve built, the threefold investment in our infrastructure, and the commitment our employees demonstrate every day to providing our members with reliable electricity. I’m confident their commitment to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electric service will thrive under Brad’s leadership,” said Holsapple.
During his tenure, Holsapple served on multiple committees at Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives statewide office in Columbus and currently serves as a board member for BPI, UUS, and both the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development boards in Darke County.
In retirement, Holsapple plans to spend time with his wife Rochelle of 40 years and their three children and four grandchildren. He also intends to golf and stay active in his church family.
Brad Flora joined Darke Rural Electric in 2012. Prior to joining DREC, Flora worked for several manufacturing companies and in public accounting. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Manchester University and is a graduate of National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) Management Internship Program.
Flora expressed gratitude for being selected: “I am honored for the opportunity to lead a member organization like Darke REC,” he said. “Working for the members and the communities we serve has truly been the highlight of my career. I am extremely excited to lead our cooperative into the future delivering the same service our members have come to expect. I want to thank Ted for handing off a cooperative that is so operationally and financially sound, and the board of trustees for entrusting me with this responsibility.”
Brad Flora resides in Greenville with his wife Sherry; they have two married children living in Columbus and Cincinnati.
