COLUMBUS, OH—Patrick O’Loughlin, the President and CEO of Buckeye Power and Ohio’s Rural Electric Cooperatives (OREC), wholly known as Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, notified the boards of directors of the organizations of his plan to retire on January 3, 2025, after 10 years leading the organizations.
Today, the boards of directors are pleased to announce they have selected Craig Grooms as O’Loughlin’s successor. Grooms is the organizations’ current Chief Operations Officer.
O’Loughlin joined Buckeye Power and OREC in 2002, first as vice president of engineering and power supply. In 2015, O’Loughlin was named president and CEO. Before joining Buckeye Power and OREC, O’Loughlin worked for Dayton Power & Light for 19 years in various management roles.
The boards of directors said O’Loughlin has been instrumental in advancing the cooperatives mission of providing reliable, affordable, environmentally responsible power to its 25 member cooperatives. O’Loughlin has been a champion in the state and in Washington D.C. for the seven cooperative principles and cooperative business model and continues to fight for the interests of electric cooperative consumers in Ohio and nationally.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve Buckeye Power and OREC as CEO for the past 10 years,” O’Loughlin said. “I am proud of the accomplishments we have achieved together and the positive impact we have made on the communities we serve. I am confident that Buckeye Power and OREC are well-positioned for the future and that Craig Grooms is the right person to lead the organizations.”
The boards of directors expressed their appreciation to O’Loughlin for his years of outstanding service and leadership, then extended their congratulations to Grooms on his appointment. The boards announced O’Loughlin and Grooms will work together through 2024 to ensure a successful transition.
Craig Grooms joined Buckeye Power and OREC in 2004, and has held numerous leadership roles, including Vice President of Engineering and Operations, before being promoted to Chief Operations Officer in 2022. Prior to joining Buckeye Power and OREC, Grooms worked for NRG Energy and Dayton Power & Light in a variety of roles related to energy marketing, electric system operations and natural gas system operations. Craig received his MBA from Otterbein University and a Bachelor of Science in engineering technology from the University of Dayton. He is a graduate of NRECA’s Management Internship Program and a veteran of the U.S. Navy.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to lead Buckeye Power and OREC and to build on the strong foundation that Pat has established,” Grooms said. “I look forward to working with Pat, the boards, and staff, to continue delivering on our mission of providing safe, reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible power to the member cooperative communities we serve. We have a very talented team in place and I am very optimistic about our future. We want to carry on the tradition of being a trusted partner with our cooperative members.”
