Two electric cooperative employees have been named among the top 50 economic developers in North America for 2025.
Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives’ Brittany Cox and Wabash Valley Power Alliance’s Rachel Huser were recently recognized by Consultant Connect, a firm that helps connect economic developers and site consultants for projects. Its annual top 50 list honors economic development professionals nominated by their peers.
Huser leads a team at WVPA that has helped attract more than 257 megawatts in new load growth and more than 2,340 jobs for a total economic impact of $12.5 billion.
Huser has managed several initiatives, notably one directly involving member co-ops to identify sites for future development. The senior economic development manager and her team are about halfway to their goal of having distinct sites in the service territories of the 21 co-ops served by the Indianapolis-based generation and transmission cooperative.
“We’re looking at the community profiles to better understand what our communities want,” said Huser, who joined WVPA in July 2022. “Electricity has quickly become the biggest ‘make or break’ item for large loads. To that end, we are proactively developing transmission infrastructure and power supply strategies to serve opportunities across our footprint.”
Huser’s deep understanding of the value of the cooperative business model has helped co-ops serve businesses of all sizes “with the same commitment to service and innovation,” said WVPA Vice President of Marketing Communications Vicki Duncan Gardner.
“That does not happen by accident,” said Gardner. “It happens by having a purpose-driven leader like Rachel.”
Cox, associate economic development manager for Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives, has worked since August 2022 with Director of Economic Development Rodney Hitch and Manager of Economic Development Brad Thomas, both 2019 recipients of the award.
“Since joining our team, Brittany has been instrumental in elevating our cooperatives’ economic development efforts on both a national and international level,” Hitch said. “From assisting with recruiting Wieland, a German copper-producing company to Shelbyville, Kentucky, and countless other projects that improved the quality of life, her time with the cooperatives has created transformational opportunities for territories and regions served.”
In 2022, global metals recycler Wieland Group opened a $200 million, 81-acre facility in Shelby County that employs about 75 local residents.
“It is an honor to receive this recognition, and it’s also an honor to work on behalf of 17 electric cooperatives and the 1.1 million Kentucky residents they serve,” Cox said.
Cox and Huser grew up on co-op lines in their respective states, and today they both live and work near their hometowns. That special connection, they said, makes their work to bring economic opportunity to communities where their families and friends still live extra meaningful.
“I’ve come full circle,” says Huser, whose parents are still members of Boone Power in Lebanon, Indiana. “I take it very close to heart that the communities and residents and the great members at the end of the line are being affected.”
In rural Kentucky, Cox feels the same way.
“Wins in rural communities aren’t easy,” says Cox, who grew up on a farm served by Clark Energy Cooperative in Winchester and now owns a farm served by Jackson Energy Cooperative in McKee.
“It’s just a huge benefit all the way around. It’s not only a win for the community, it’s a win for our members. We take that very seriously on our team.”
Victoria A. Rocha is a staff writer for NRECA.