In his leadership positions at Georgia's Cobb EMC since the early 1990s, Kevan Espy has advocated a “member-first" mindset by integrating communication across all levels at one of the nation's largest distribution co-ops.

In doing so, the president and CEO of the Marietta-based co-op has instilled a strategic communication approach that aligns the organization's goals with members' needs and encourages a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement among its 400 employees.

For his efforts, Espy is the recipient of the annual J.C. Brown Communication Leadership Award, which recognizes an electric cooperative CEO or general manager who is committed to advancing communication at the co-op and in the overall industry. It is named in honor of the late editor and publisher of NRECA's RE Magazine, J.C. Brown, who led the publication from 1973 to 1993.

Espy received the award Monday at the CEO Close-Up conference in Marco Island, Florida.

“Effective communication in business is a cornerstone of organizational success that drives employee satisfaction and customer loyalty," said Espy in his acceptance remarks. “Our team at Cobb EMC understands the value of enhancing the experience our members have with us and that understanding starts with communication."

To support the co-op's strategic planning process for 2025-27, he created a strategic planning department and cross-functional working groups that engage board directors and staff at all levels. This inclusive and collaborative process is vital, said Espy, who had senior leadership positions in marketing and corporate communications and operations before being named CEO in 2021.

“There's a saying that 'poor cultures can destroy a plan,'" said Espy. “People will resist great strategies if the right culture is not in place. A strong culture is the backbone of the success of any organization."

Some of the key initiatives that Espy has spearheaded in his time as CEO include the co-op's Value of Membership report, investments in infrastructure to improve reliability, and a journey mapping group where frontline employees identify gaps in the member experience and find ways to improve the process. The co-op's Outage Communications Project—which improved communication with members through digital tools and new interdepartmental working relationships—received international recognition as a case study by the Chartwell Consulting firm.

Cobb EMC saw its highest-ever results in the American Customer Satisfaction Index in 2023 and 2024, and it ranked fourth among all co-ops in the J.D. Power residential electric study in 2022 and 2023. In addition, in 2024 the co-op scored top marks in reliability for the second consecutive year from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

One of the three J.C. Brown award judges praised Espy for leveraging his professional background to ensure effective and open communication among employees.

“The organization clearly places a priority on transparent, timely, innovative and effective communications and uses metrics that go well beyond mere delivery statistics to assess comprehension and retention of messaging," the judge said.

The J.C. Brown award, first presented in 2004, was established by the Council of Rural Electric Communicators and the Certified Cooperative Communicator Program Board. Judges are communications and management experts from academia and business, including co-ops.