Whether he’s making donations, participating in a parade or stepping in to meet a need, Berry Keeler has always shown his heart for serving the community.

In that spirit, Keeler has served on the IEC Board as Director of District 1 for 26 years. He recently made the decision to retire from the IEC Board with confidence that a dedicated individual will fill his position.

Keeler grew up in Ralston area, where he still resides today. After graduating from college, Keeler was an art teacher during the day while working nights at Cust-O-Fab. Eventually, he began working at Cust-O-Fab full-time. He started at the bottom and eventually became the owner of the company.

His son, Brandon, describes him as good father and businessman. Brandon said that family is important to his dad and spending time together is a priority. He also said Keeler cares about those he leads and enjoyed advocating for IEC members and employees.

“Berry always voted on issues or commented and let his opinion be known even when it wasn’t popular,” IEC Board VP Mike Spradling said. “He approached his responsibility on the board with what he believed in his heart was best for the cooperative’s members.”

“So many things have changed over the years,” Keeler said. How we handle business has evolved, and [offering a bridge to] broadband is going to be something really good for us, I think. Our rural economies need it for jobs and education to be able to keep people in our communities.

“It’s been fun, and I’ve enjoyed being a part of the team here. During my time, many board members have come and gone, and in this position, we all just do what we can because there is so much on your shoulders.”

District 5 board member Ralph Jerome has been tapped to move into the Secretary/Treasurer position with Keeler’s departure. Keeler’s position will be filled by an appointment from the board, per IEC bylaws.