June 2025 | Investing in Safety, Investing in You

Posted: June 1, 2025 at 9 a.m.

By Sean J. Vanslyke | sean@gosemo.com

At SEMO Electric Cooperative and GoSEMO Fiber, safety is a promise we make to our employees, our members, and our subscribers. That’s why Team SEMO’s Ben, Brandon, Jared, Robbie, and I attended the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) 2025 Safety Leadership Summit in Arlington, Texas.

We went to learn new ways to strengthen our safety culture, improve reliability, and better protect the people we serve. A strong safety culture isn’t just good for our team — it reduces accidents, lowers operational costs, and keeps the power and fiber flowing smoothly to homes, farms, and businesses across southeast Missouri.

The summit drew more than 1,100 safety and operations professionals from 47 states. Of the roughly 900 electric cooperatives in the United States, only about 400 were represented — and I was honored to be one of about 50 CEOs in attendance. Leadership presence matters when it comes to building a culture of safety, and Team SEMO is committed to leading by example.

The summit’s theme, “Leading the Ascent,” challenged every participant to be “all in” with safety at every level of leadership. Team SEMO gained hands-on ideas we can put into action immediately, including new practices in wildfire mitigation, broadband construction safety, and strategies to bridge the generational gap between experienced lineworkers and newer apprentices. A highlight of this year’s summit was the virtual reality training room, where participants engaged in realistic safety simulations — another example of how innovation is helping improve safety performance.

Every investment in safety is an investment in the reliability and affordability of the service you depend on. Team SEMO remains committed to making sure every job is done the right way — safely, for the benefit of all.

Book of the Month: “Learning from others is also a great way to avoid stepping on proverbial land mines. The knowledge of others can tell us where the land mines are — like a map, showing where danger, difficulty, failure, misery, and adversity are hiding. Land mines are only dangerous if you don’t know where they are buried. Being open and receptive to all people is born from humility. Humility is also the antidote to ignorance.” Six Dimes and A Nickel by Damon West

Be smart. Act safely. Keep pushing forward!

Sean is the CEO/GM of SEMO Electric Cooperative and GoSEMO Fiber.

Photo: During the conference, (left to right) Sean, Jared, Robbie, Ben, and Brandon spent a moment with keynote speaker Damon West (center). A former college quarterback, Damon fell into meth addiction and organized crime, leading to a life sentence in a Texas prison. During his incarceration, he transformed his life, inspired by the metaphor of a coffee bean that changes its environment. Although released, Damon remains on parole until 2073.
Photo: During the conference, (left to right) Sean, Jared, Robbie, Ben, and Brandon spent a moment with keynote speaker Damon West (center). A former college quarterback, Damon fell into meth addiction and organized crime, leading to a life sentence in a Texas prison. During his incarceration, he transformed his life, inspired by the metaphor of a coffee bean that changes its environment. Although released, Damon remains on parole until 2073.