Attend KEC's 2026 Winter Conference in Topeka to take part in government in action. Meet with your local legislators and attend the legislative reception.

Register Now
(registration form for internal co-op use only — please complete online registration)

Schedule

• Jan. 31 Director's Training
  • 9 a.m.-4 p.m. — 2630: Strategic Planning, Bryan Singletary, CCD Course, $300
  • 9 a.m.-4 p.m. — Financial Leadership for Cooperative Directors: Strategies for Today’s Energy Economy,CFC’s John Penry, Antony Davies, Alisha Pinto, and Nathan Howard, $300
• Feb. 1 Director's Training
  • 9 a.m.-4 p.m. — 930.1: Ethics and Governance — Implementing the New Accountability, Pat Mangan, BLC Course, $300
  • 9 a.m.-4 p.m. — 955.1: Your Board’s Culture — Its Impact on Effectiveness, Bryan Singletary, BLC Course, $300
• Feb. 1 Sunday Social from 4-6 p.m.
• Feb. 2 KEC Winter Conference from 8 a.m.-noon
  • Early bird prize drawing at 7:55 a.m.
• Feb. 2 Day at the Capitol from noon-4 p.m.
• Feb. 2 Trustee Roundtable (optional) from 4-5 p.m.
• Feb. 2 Legislative Reception from 5-7 p.m.

Director's Training Courses and Descriptions

• Saturday, Jan. 31
  • 2630: Strategic Planning with Bryan Singletary, CCD Course
    • Boards have ultimate responsibility for ensuring and evaluating the long-term health of the organization. They fulfill this duty through strategic thinking, identifying goals through strategic planning, and authorizing resource allocation via financial policies, budget review and approval, and monitoring management’s progress toward strategic goals. This course teaches directors how to participate effectively in strategic thinking and planning processes.
      • Understanding the difference between strategic thinking and strategic planning.
      • Analyzing your cooperative's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
      • Recognizing the board's oversight responsibility.
  • Financial Leadership for Cooperative Directors: Strategies for Today’s Energy Economy with CFC’s John Penry, Antony Davies, Alisha Pinto, and Nathan Howard
    • Strengthen your financial expertise and lead with confidence in this multi-faceted session designed for cooperative directors. This course blends essential financial principles with insights to help you make informed decisions in today’s dynamic energy landscape.
      • Economic Update: Get the latest insights on economic trends — including unemployment, GDP growth, and interest rates — presented by one of CFC’s chief economists.
      • Electric Rates & Current Trends in REC World: Explore the factors shaping the future of electric cooperatives. This session covers energy supply forecasting, renewable energy updates, battery storage, EV technology deployment, and key considerations for technology planning.
      • Understanding Power Markets: Gain a practical understanding of how organized power markets operate. Through an interactive table-top exercise, directors and trustees will see how markets facilitate electricity delivery and evaluate associated costs and benefits.
      • Commitment to Excellence: This interactive session walks attendees through CFC’s Commitment to Excellence publication, using real-world case studies of common issues directors face. Participants will engage in hands-on scenarios designed to strengthen critical thinking around fiduciary responsibility and financial policy.
• Sunday, Feb. 1
  • 930.1: Ethics and Governance — Implementing the New Accountability with Pat Mangan, BLC Course
    • In this era of corporate accountability, boards and management are expected — and in some cases required — to implement standards, programs, and procedures addressing ethical behavior, document retention, whistle-blower protection, fraud risk assessment, and financial transparency. This course explains the background of these issues and presents practical strategies to help electric cooperatives design and develop plans that meet new governance expectations.
      • Practical issues in creating, implementing, and enforcing a code of ethics at your cooperative
      • The board's oversight role in risk assessment, document retention, and whistle-blower protection
      • Key governance documents and other tools that can be used at your cooperative
  • 955.1: Your Board’s Culture — Its Impact on Effectiveness with Bryan Singletary, BLC Course
    • All organizations have a culture — weak, strong, positive, negative, or somewhere in between. Boards of directors are no exception. Effective boards follow logical rules when making decisions while maintaining a collaborative atmosphere, but they are also influenced by ingrained norms and values. Some cultures promote effectiveness, while others skew toward complacency or conflict, limiting the board’s ability to deliberate and weigh outcomes. This course helps directors understand their board’s culture and how to strengthen it for better results.
      • How boardroom cultures develop and how they impact the board's effectiveness.
      • Case studies in boardroom conflict and boardroom. complacency and what directors can do to limit threats and risks of a counterproductive culture.
      • How boards deal with risk, conflict and difficult decisions.