Lyon County native David Beck was honored as the 2021 Distinguished Rural Kentuckian at the 75th Annual Meeting of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. The award is the highest honor bestowed by Kentucky’s electric cooperatives, which consists of 26 co-ops across the commonwealth.
In his 41 years with the Kentucky Farm Bureau, including 23 years as its executive vice president and secretary of the Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, Beck was a strong and reliable advocate for farmers and rural Kentucky interests.
The Distinguished Alumnus of Murray State University played a key role in the 2000 passage of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement which led to the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board and Fund that have changed the face of agriculture in Kentucky and helped many farm families remain on the farm.
Beck serves as president and CEO of Kentucky Venues, which produces signature events in the state such as the Kentucky State Fair, the National Farm Machinery Show, the Championship Tractor Pull, the North American International Livestock Exposition, and the North American Championship Rodeo
Since 1982, the Distinguished Rural Kentuckian honor has been awarded by Kentucky’s member-owned electric cooperatives. Previous Distinguished Rural Kentuckians have included elected leaders, authors, journalists, business executives, physicians, and sports champions.
