Throughout Rob Hochstetler’s 30 years in the energy industry, the last 11 as president and CEO of Central Electric Power Cooperative, whenever he’s sought to better understand a particular dynamic at his current job, he'd hit the books.    

Over the years, Hochstetler’s inquisitive mind has compelled him to pursue and earn five advanced degrees, the most recent a Ph.D. on electric cooperative leaders from Columbia International University in December 2024. It’s his second post-bachelor’s on co-ops, the first a master’s in public administration from Clemson University.   

“Every time I’ve gone back to school, it’s had something to do with work,” said Hochstetler, who heads the Columbia, South Carolina-based generation and transmission co-op.    

The formal title of Hochstetler’s dissertation is “The Value of Steward Leadership in Electric Cooperatives Using Constructivist Grounded Theory. Novel Theory: Cooperative CEOs in NRECA’s Region 2.” He spent nearly four years on the project and interviewed 19 executives of G&Ts and distribution co-ops in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina.   

Hochstetler studied how co-op CEOs use the steward leadership mindset to create value for members.    

“Members’ prosperity is their higher calling,” Hochstetler said. “By directing their stewardship toward fulfilling the needs and goals of the cooperative members, CEOs attempt to maximize their value to the organization, the members and the broader community while enhancing organizational performance.”   

Steward leadership differs from servant leadership, which directs leaders to serve the needs of others before their own.    

Steward leadership has an outward focus, but practitioners prioritize the needs of their team, customers and the community, fostering a culture of service and responsibility, according to the Harvard Business Review.     

During his research, Hochstetler read the work of R. Scott Rodin, who said steward leadership’s principles can apply to nonprofits. Hochstetler immediately saw the connection to electric co-ops.   

“That’s kind of the way I felt for our members in the co-op family,” he said. “I wondered whether that would hold in the electric cooperative business world.”   

Hochstetler found his answer during interviews with several experts, including two professors researching electric co-ops: Keith Taylor at the University of California-Davis and Gabriel Chan at the University of Minnesota.     

“When I asked why co-ops cultivate their organization's culture, harness the power of people and care for their communities, it was always because ‘it’s in the best interest of my members. I’m looking out for my members,’” he said.   

One of 20 co-op advisers for NRECA’s recent Value of the Cooperative Model research initiative, Hochstetler is trying to find a publisher for his dissertation. He also hopes someone will build on his work.   

“I want to support other individuals doing academic research about electric co-ops, because I think it makes us stronger.”