GREENVILLE — The General Manager of Darke Rural Electric Cooperative, Ted Holsapple, announced his plans to retire Jan. 3, 2025, after 23 years leading the cooperative. He’ll be working alongside his successor, Brad Flora, who currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of the cooperative.

The board of directors selected Flora to take on the leadership role once Holsapple departs after the first of the year.

Holsapple joined Darke Rural Electric Cooperative in 1993, and later was named General Manager. The board said Holsapple has been instrumental in rebuilding and expanding the distribution system in Darke Rural Electric’s service area to improve reliability for members for decades to come.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the cooperative members in our community these nearly 30 years. I’m so proud of the team we’ve built, the threefold investment in our infrastructure, and the commitment our employees demonstrate every day to providing our members with reliable electricity. I’m confident their commitment to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electric service will thrive under Brad’s leadership,” said Holsapple.

During his tenure, he’s served on multiple committees at Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives statewide office in Columbus, and currently serves as a board member for BPI, UUS and both the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development boards in Darke County.

In retirement, Holsapple will be just as busy spending time with his wife Rochelle of 40 years and their three children and four grandchildren, along with golfing and staying active in his church family.

Flora joined Darke Rural Electric in 2012. Prior to joining DREC, he worked for several manufacturing companies and in public accounting. Flora received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree from Manchester University, and he is a graduate of National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) Management Internship Program.

Flora and Holsapple will work together through the transition in January.

“I am honored for the opportunity to lead a member organization like Darke REC,” Flora said. “Working for the members and the communities we serve has truly been the highlight of my career. I am extremely excited to lead our cooperative into the future delivering the same service our members have come to expect. I want to thank Ted for handing off a cooperative that is so operationally and financially sound, and the board of trustees for entrusting me with this responsibility.”

Brad and his wife Sherry live in Greenville and have two married children living in Columbus and Cincinnati.