Beecher named president, CEO at Empire District Electric Company

Joplin-based Empire District Electric Company will have a new CEO come June. From the company news release:

Mr. D. Randy Laney, chairman of the board of directors for The Empire District Electric Company, today announced that Mr. Brad Beecher, Empire executive vice president, has been elected to the position of president and CEO, effective June 1, 2011. Mr. Beecher also has been nominated to stand for election to the board of directors at the Company's annual meeting of stockholders on April 28, 2011.


As previously announced, Mr. Tom Olmacher, Denver, Colorado, has been nominated to fill the seat being vacated by retiring director, Mr. Bill Helton. Standing for re-election are Mr. Ken Allen, Dallas, Texas, and Mr. Bill Gipson, retiring president and CEO, The Empire District Electric Company,

Mr. Beecher, 45 with 21 years of service, joined Empire District in 1988 as a staff engineer at the Riverton Power Plant. He held various positions including director of production planning and administration and director of strategic planning. From August 1999 to February 2001, Mr. Beecher worked for Black & Veatch, an engineering and construction firm in Kansas City. He returned to Empire in February 2001, was elected vice president - energy supply in April 2001, vice president and chief operating officer - electric in June 2006, executive vice president and chief operating officer - electric in February 2010, and executive vice president in February 2011.

A native of northwest Kansas, Mr. Beecher graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Kansas.

Mr. Beecher serves on the boards of the Joplin Business and Industrial Development Corporation (JBIDC), the Boys and Girls Club of Southwest Missouri, and the Kiwanis Club of Joplin. He is a graduate of Leadership Missouri.