Cobb EMC President and CEO Kevan Espy received the 2025 J.C. Brown CEO Communication Leadership Award for advancing communication in the electric cooperative industry. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) presented Espy with the award at the CEO Close-Up Conference yesterday in Marco Island, Florida.


“Effective communication in business is a cornerstone of organizational success that drives employee satisfaction and customer loyalty,” said Espy. “Our team at Cobb EMC understands the value of enhancing the experience our members have with us and that understanding starts with communication.”
 
Espy received the award for various employee communication programs created under his direction and reinvigorating company culture with a member-first mindset. Under his leadership, Cobb EMC is ranked number one in the nation for reliable power and has the lowest rates in Georgia for the past two consecutive years according to recent Public Service Commission surveys.

The J.C. Brown CEO Communication Leadership Award memorializes the late J.C. Brown and his unwavering dedication to the importance of communication as a vital link to connect electric cooperatives with each other and with their customers, and to advancing the cooperative business model. The recipient of the J.C. Brown Award is announced at the NRECA’s CEO Close-Up conference each year and their communications team is also recognized at the Connect Conference.
 
The NRECA is the national service organization that represents America’s electric cooperatives. NRECA’s over 900 members provide electricity to over 42 million consumers in 47 states.