Family, teamwork inspire Mike Johnson’s 20-year career with Associated Electric Cooperative

Mike Johnson of East Prairie, Missouri, joined Associated Electric Cooperative in June 2000 on the advice of his father-in-law who worked at the New Madrid Power Plant. Twenty years later, Mike leads a team he considers family at the plant.

As a deacon at his church and as a former coach, Johnson said he believes, “It’s all about being a team and being a family … They’re there for me, and I’m there for them.”

He applies that adage as a shift supervisor at the power plant, which helps produce electricity for 57 regional and local electric cooperatives in three states. At the plant, Johnson plays an important role in ensuring his team follows necessary rules and procedures to keep them safe and to keep generating units running, while communicating important information about the cooperative to employees. Johnson and his team work 12-hour shifts to make sure Associated achieves its mission of providing reliable, affordable power.

Johnson joined Associated as an entry-level general utility and has advanced to hold various positions throughout the plant. Prior to becoming shift supervisor, Johnson was a control room operator and monitored systems throughout the plant.

When looking back on 20 years of service, Johnson sums up his career in one word: blessed.

Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. is owned by and provides wholesale power to six regional and 51 local electric cooperative systems in Missouri, southeast Iowa and northeast Oklahoma that serve more than 910,000 members. AECI’s mission is to provide an economical and reliable power supply and support services to its members, including the “Take Control & Save” energy efficiency program, www.TakeControlAndSave.coop. AECI is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.

An Equal Opportunity Employer and provider/disability/veteran.