What started as an idea to unite resources became a comprehensive plan incorporated into the seven cooperative principles Central Rural Electric Cooperative continues to follow. The first of its kind, the Good Neighbor program started in 1986  and quickly gained national popularity.  

The Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives worked with the 26 Oklahoma rural electric cooperatives to combine efforts to enhance the quality of life and productivity in rural areas.

“The program showed that even though we were individual co-ops we were stronger together,” said Don Crabbe, current CEO of First Electric in Arkansas and previously with OAEC and Central. 

The goal of the Good Neighbor project was to provide services, rates and programs to assist the roughly 300,000 rural electric cooperative members across the state. It was intended so that each co-op could offer programs that would best fit their membership’s needs while pooling resources to make a greater impact. The bonds created through this program helped to ensure rural electric cooperatives would remain successful and beneficial to members for many years to come. 

“It was more economically efficient to work together in a statewide support than individually, which was how it was done before the Good Neighbor program,” Crabbe said. 

Programs such as the Good Neighbor Watch, free home energy audits and other economic development programs were created from the Good Neighbor initiative. Some of the programs created during the project are still in effect today.

“I’m very proud of the program,” Crabbe said. “ It was very successful for its time and was the precursor of Touchstone Energy, which now does the same thing but on a national level.”

The program had a featured song, logo and a promotional video that featured former Central employee, Jon Joyce and his family.

Mr. Good Neighbor

Central’s own stepped up to become the face of the Good Neighbor program and logo in 1986. Stan Tunnell, at the time 36 years-old and a Central construction foreman, was selected as the model for the statewide logo.

Born in Stillwater, Tunnell started his career at Central as a part-time draftsman at the age of 16. He attended Oklahoma State University, served in the Navy and retired as Central’s vice president of engineering and operations.

A statue of Tunnell’s likeness now stands in front of Central’s office to honor the Good Neighbor program.