Management Team

Bill Buchanan, Chief Executive Officer

New to BARC Electric Cooperative, Bill Buchanan brings 30 years of cooperative leadership experience to the team. Bill is a strong proponent of the cooperative principles, especially principle #7 – Concern for Community, which puts community and member issues at the top of his priority list.

A graduate of Western Illinois University, the University of Missouri’s Graduate Institute for Cooperative Leadership, Stanford University’s professional certification in Energy Innovation, and an MBA from Quantic University, Bill brings a strong aptitude for innovation, strategy and operations, as well as extensive knowledge of the cooperative business model. He has served as president and board member of both the Illinois and Colorado rural telecommunications associations as well as the Western Telecommunications Alliance. In addition to serving at the industry level, he works in collaboration with other local leaders bringing value to area business and economic development organizations through his long history of serving on local chamber and economic development boards.

Bill and his wife, Malloree, have two grown sons, Tyler and Tanner. As a fun fact, he holds his certification as an open water scuba instructor for PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors) allowing him to share his passion for scuba diving with others.

Chris Botulinski, Chief Operating Officer

Chris Botulinski serves as COO for BARC Electric Cooperative. Chris will lead daily electric operations and help execute BARC’s mission to improve the quality of life in the community it serves through energy and technology innovation.

Chris comes to BARC from Southwestern Electric Cooperative, Inc. in Illinois where he was Vice President of Engineering. He brings over 18 years of experience within electric utility/cooperative, heavy industrial and renewable energy systems to BARC.

Chris is a graduate of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with a power emphasis. His work experience in the energy sector has spanned across the United States and Australia in various roles at cooperatives, investor-owned utilities and in the solar industry. Throughout his career, Chris has served as a leader and innovator in developing key solutions and systems in the electric industry.

As COO, Chris will have the primary responsibility of leading electric operations, field engineering, technical services, information technology, logistics and right-of-way management. Chris’ prior co-op and industry experience will bring a wealth of knowledge to the departments he will lead and will be a tremendous asset to the strategic direction of the cooperative.

Courtney Perdue, Chief Financial Officer

Courtney Perdue is the CFO of BARC Electric Cooperative and its wholly-owned fiber subsidiary, BARC Connects. Prior to becoming the cooperative’s CFO in 2021, Ms. Perdue served as the cooperative’s Financial Accountant. She also served as the Director of Finance for a defense contracting firm in Charleston, SC for seven years before joining BARC in 2017.

Ms. Perdue earned a Masters of Accounting from the College of Charleston in 2009 with a focus on financial reporting and assurance. Growing up in Highland County, Virginia, Courtney was thrilled for the job opportunity at BARC allowing her to move back to her hometown and be near her family.