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Don Bowman

Don Bowman

Senior Vice President and Assistant General Manager at Wake Electric Membership Corporation, a North Carolina electric cooperative.

Sep 29, 2026

Co-Op Heroes: Stories from Electric Utility Operators

Co-Op Heroes: Stories from Electric Utility Operators

036: Lighting Up Main Street: A Family Legacy in Rural Electrification (with Don Bowman)

Sep 29 · 26m

James Tanneberger
James TannebergerHOST
8:31
It was
Don Bowman
Don BowmanGUEST
8:32
completely isolated to whatever he built.
Don Bowman
Don BowmanGUEST
8:34
The love story is that he married the postmaster's daughter in that process.
Don Bowman
Don BowmanGUEST
8:40
And he did that only for about four years before at age 21, he says, I'm going to do this again.
Don Bowman
Don BowmanGUEST
8:45
Now, keep in mind, this is 1922, way before cooperative movement.
Don Bowman
Don BowmanGUEST
8:50
He put out another article.
Don Bowman
Don BowmanGUEST
8:51
This time, he went to the whole East Coast and said, if you're interested in electricity, I've done it.

12 MINS LATER

James Tanneberger
James TannebergerHOST
21:11
And I guess, how were you communicating before? Did you find that effective? And what are

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