Canadian Valley Electric Cooperative CEO, Gary Highley, will be the guest speaker at the Seminole Chamber of Commerce monthly forum meeting on Thursday, June 10. The forum luncheon will be held from Noon to 1 p.m. in the Haney Center at Seminole State College.

Gary Highley CEO of Canadian Valley Electric Cooperative. Highley was previously the chief operations officer at McKenzie Electric Cooperative (MEC) in Watford City, ND, where he managed through the rapid change and growth driven by the Bakken oil fields. Highley has a diverse background in the utility business.

Prior to joining MEC, he was a general manager for ABB, Inc., who performed system upgrades and compliance projects for large electrical, water and gas companies nationwide. He also brings power generation experience from cooperative power generation education assignments at the 1,700-MW Independence Steam Electric Station in Newark, AR.

Highley is a retired army major and a military veteran having served in the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, and serving as a company commander while deployed in Iraq . He is a native of Oklahoma, born in Muskogee. He and his wife Sara and three children, Alexander, Amanda, and Brandon. Highley holds a Bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Arkansas and a Master’s degree in business from Auburn University.

The forum meeting of local civic clubs is open to the public, but seating is limited due to COVID-19 safety precautions. Please contact the Chamber office at 405-382-3640 to RSVP if you plan to attend. Cost for the meal is $8 per person.

For more information about the forum program, contact the Chamber of Commerce office at 382- 3640.