Pioneer Telephone Cooperative will have a new general manager for the first time in over a quarter century beginning next September.

The pending retirement of Richard Ruhl was made public for the first time last Tuesday during Pioneer’s 68th annual meeting.

David Shepard, president of Pioneer’s board of trustees, made the announcement to more than 400 of the cooperative’s members who were on hand and also stated the search for his replacement has been under way for some time.

“It’s big shoes to fill,” Shepard said.

Ruhl’s retirement wasn’t the only change in leadership announced.

Shepard said he was stepping down as board president after serving the post for three-and-a-half years.

He will maintain his District 8 seat.

After the annual meeting, Pioneer’s board of trustees held a reorganization meeting at which time Gail Parker was voted president of the board.

Parker, the District 4 trustee from Thomas, is the board’s first female president.

Shepard told the membership Ruhl informed the board about two years ago of his decision to retire in September 2022 to allow ample time to find his successor.

Shepard said he soon formed a search committee for that purpose.

He added the board has opted to look internally for the next general manager.

“Right now, we have three really good candidates,” he said, but didn’t name them.

The board “hopes to make a decision” on Ruhl’s replacement in January 2022 to give that person several months to work side-by-side with Ruhl.

Ruhl started with Pioneer in September 1976 and was part of a crew that buried copper cable.

He became general manager in December 1994.

“His knowledge of this company is amazing. He is someone who enjoys a national reputation in the telecommunications business,” Shepard said of Ruhl.

“He will be truly, truly missed in this company. Simply put, Pioneer has been his life and we should take a moment to thank him.”