For more than 70 years, East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) and its 16 owner-member cooperatives have provided more than 520,000 homes and businesses in 87 Kentucky counties with safe, reliable and affordable electric power. EKPC owns and operates four major power plants totaling
nearly 3,000 megawatts in capacity.
EKPC became a CSU Learning Partner in June 2008, providing more than 650 employees and their immediate family members with a 10% tuition discount and access to exclusive scholarship opportunities. As a result of the Learning Partnership, more than 30 employees have enrolled in classes at CSU, many earning their degrees.
The Partner of the Month Award is CSU’s way of recognizing outstanding Learning Partners that have gone above and beyond in supporting and promoting Columbia Southern University to their employees. Paul Radke, Corporate Outreach representative, visited EKPC’s corporate offices in Winchester, KY and presented the Partner of the Month certificate and celebratory cake to Dena Mastrean, Human Resources Business Partner.
In attendance at the presentation were several current CSU students and alumni. One of those students, John Warren, power production trainer and shift supervisor, talked about how his classes have helped him in his daily job responsibilities. “The classes I’ve taken have directly impacted my job. The incentive programs, the continuous learning, the culture I’m trying to build with my training programs came directly from what I learned in my CSU classes.”
Belinda Stafford, CSU class of ‘13, was there at the beginning when the CSU/EKPC Learning Partnership began and helped build it to what it is today. She also became a CSU student as a result of the Learning Partnership and explained what completing her degree meant to her. “I already had a great job that I really enjoyed, but it had always been an important personal goal to complete my degree. Once I had my daughter, I often thought ‘How can 
I encourage her to go to college if I didn’t complete my degree?’ She was so proud of me when I received my diploma that it ultimately wound up being much more than just achieving a personal goal. After starting my education many years ago in a traditional college setting, I felt so blessed to be able to complete that process through a more flexible method that would be meet my family’s need as well.”
When asked how the Learning Partnership has helped him, John Warren replied, “It’s great. The same amount of support I get from CSU I get from EKPC. It’s a win-win for me. You’re not going to be left without somebody to help you.”
EKPC and its 16 electric distribution co-ops provide electric service to more than 1 million Kentuckians and together they are known as Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives.
