Board of Directors

Serving Our Members

While day-to-day decisions are made by cooperative staff, major decisions are made by the board, whose mission is to look out for the vitality of our cooperative and the communities we serve. On a granular level, The Energy Cooperative's Board of Directors typically provide input and guidance on:

budgets
goals and direction
capital investments and upgrades in equipment and technology
cooperative's role and involvement in economic development

Below is a list of our current Board of Directors, many of whom have designations. Directors earn the designations Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD), Board Leadership Certification (BL), and Director Gold Certificates (DGC) upon completing a series of certification classes provided by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).

Brenda Arnold

District 1 Director

Brenda brings more than 35 years of professional experience spanning accounting, finance,
consulting, project management, and operations. Brenda graduated from Miami University with a degree in accounting. Her career includes leadership roles across diverse industries—software, nonprofit organizations, and digital marketing—and she currently serves as the Senior Director of Finance at Damascus.

In addition to her professional background, Brenda is deeply committed to community service. She is an active member of St. John the Baptist Parish, where she serves as the annual festival co chair. She also contributes her time to the Knox County Agricultural Museum Committee, helping preserve and promote the region’s agricultural heritage. Brenda lives near Danville with her husband, George. They have two adult children and are proud grandparents to three grandchildren.

Nelson Smith, CCD, BLC, DGC

District 2 Director, Chairman

Smith was elected to the board in 2003 and is presently the Chairman of the Board. Through extensive training, he has received the Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD), Board Leadership certificate (BLC), and Director Gold certificates (DGC) from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Smith represents cooperatives from OH, IN, WV, and MI on the board of Federated Insurance, a national cooperative that insures about 90% of electric cooperatives across the country. He serves as a Washington Township Trustee and volunteers on the board responsible for restoring the Historic Licking County Jail. Smith is a 1966 graduate of Newark HS, attended OSU and served 4 years in the Navy. He is the retired publisher of the Utica Herald, The Heath News, the Pataskala Post and On Target. Smith is former part-owner of Chapel Hill Golf Course in Mount Vernon. He is married to Kim and between them have four children and nine grandchildren.

Brad Patton, CCD

District 3 Director

Patton has been married to Allyson for 17 years, and they have two children, Nick and Kaylee. They are proud Vikings, as Allyson teaches at Northridge Elementary School. Brad is a Northridge Local Schools alumni, and the tradition continues with his children, who also attend school there. Mr. Patton is a 5th generation farmer in the Utica area working with his brother, Jeff, two nephews, and one other full-time employee. Together, they farm 2,900 acres of corn, soybeans, and wheat. We also contract feed hogs for Heimerl Farms. Brad was a 28-year member of the Homer Volunteer Fire Department, where he served 6 years as treasurer and 6 years as chief. He previously served on The Licking County Farm Bureau for 6 years as a board member and currently attends Utica Church of Christ. Brad was elected to the board in 2022.

Roy Van Atta, CCD

District 4 Director

Van Atta, born and raised in Licking County, holds a Finance degree from Miami University and a Mortuary Science degree from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. He served as a licensed Funeral Director for over 25 years before joining the Granville Investment Group as a Financial Planner/Portfolio Manager. Since 2012, Van Atta has been actively involved in Licking County government, working in the Auditor's office and serving as the Land Bank Executive Director. In 2020, he was elected Treasurer of Licking County and was appointed to the Cooperative Board in 2023. Through extensive training, Van Atta earned the Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. He currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the National Gas & Oil Cooperative. Outside of his professional endeavors, Van Atta is an active member of the Newark Church of the Nazarene and has served as the President of the Newark-Heath Rotary Club. Residing in Heath with his wife, Patti, they have been happily married for over 35 years and share the joy of being parents to two adult children.

Wayne Zollars, CCD

District 5 Director

Zollars is the CEO and president of Smithhisler Meats, Inc., a retail, and wholesale company located in Knox County that has served residents, businesses, and organizations for the past 40 years. He is a member of the Knox County Farm Bureau, Ohio Grocers Association, Knox County Cattlemen’s Association, and is a Monroe Township Trustee. Through extensive training, he has received the Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Zollars is also involved with the Blue-Ribbon Livestock 4-H Club. He is married to Kim and they have two boys, Justin, and Ryan.

Isaac O'Brien

District 6 Director

Isaac brings a unique combination of deep local roots and cutting-edge technical expertise to the cooperative. A Pataskala native and valedictorian of Watkins Memorial High School, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from The University of Akron. A Licensed Professional Engineer, O’Brien has managed multi-million-dollar infrastructure projects improving reliability while minimizing cost. His expertise spans asset integrity, risk management, and long-term infrastructure planning, all of which impact our members’ rates and service quality.

After advancing his career out of state, O’Brien chose to return home to Pataskala with his wife Hannah and daughter Flora, demonstrating his commitment to raising his family in the community that shaped him. O’Brien’s community involvement spans achieving Eagle Scout rank in Pataskala’s Troop 21, judging science fairs, serving children with disabilities, and attending Tri-Village Christian Church.

Dustin Buckingham, CCD, BLC, DGC

District 7 Director

Buckingham is the owner of Buckingham Electric, a contracting company operating in Knox and surrounding counties since 2003. In addition, Buckingham Electric is now a licensed training agency for the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board. Dustin graduated from Ohio Northern University in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Through extensive training, he has received the Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD), Board Leadership Certificate (BLC), and Director Gold Certificate (DGS) from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Dustin also serves on the board of The Peoples Bank of Gambier and was the past President of the East Knox School Board. He is active as a teacher and deacon at the Millwood Church of Christ. Dustin is married to Amy and has three children and three grandchildren.

Seth Conley

District 8 Director

Seth Conley is a Senior Vice President and Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill, where he has served clients since 2011. With over a decade of experience, Seth focuses on retirement plan design, public pension oversight, and institutional investment management.

He holds an MBA from Ohio Dominican University and also serves as an adjunct instructor of finance and economics at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, where he helps students understand and apply core financial concepts.

Seth serves as an Elder at Rise Christian Church, supporting the church’s mission of being disciples and making disciples. He is also involved in youth development as a local high school football assistant coach. He and his wife, Summar, are lifelong residents, and they have three children.

Tom Graham, CCD, BLC, DGC

District 9 Director

Graham was elected to the board in 2009. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the NGO Cooperative and NGO Transmission Boards. Through extensive training, he has received the Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD), Board Leadership certificate (BLC), and Director Gold Certificate (DGC) from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Graham lives in Jackson Twp, Muskingum County, where he farms corn, soybean, wheat, hay and raises cattle and hogs in partnership with his family. He is the past director of the Ohio Federation of Soil & Water Districts and served on the Ohio Farm Bureau State Young Farmers Committee. Graham has an Associate Degree in construction from Texas State Technical College. He is married to Sue, they have three children and five grandchildren and attend More Life Church in Newark.