Ceremony highlights B.L. Frew's contributions to cooperatives and agriculture as the former MFA president and CEO is inducted into the Missouri Institute of Cooperatives' Hall of Fame.

Former president and chief executive officer of MFA Incorporated B.L. Frew was inducted into the Missouri Institute of Cooperatives’ Hall of Fame during a Feb. 9 ceremony in Jefferson City. The Missouri Institute of Cooperatives developed the Cooperative Hall of Fame to ensure a permanent, prestigious recognition of cooperative leaders for future generations.

Frew was present at the ceremony with members of his immediate family. He was honored for his contributions to cooperatives through his years of service to agriculture as head of MFA Incorporated. He received a standing ovation from the crowd gathered to honor the individuals (and organization) inducted.

Bill Coen, general manager of several mid-Missouri MFA locations, began the presentation by asking MFA’s current president and CEO, Don Copenhaver, to present the award to a man “unequalled in his record for setting the cooperative on a course of fiscal strength with a clear strategy to serve members in the new century. His accomplishments on behalf of cooperatives and Missouri agriculture are many. But the impact he had on the individual lives of those who had the pleasure to work with him are even more impressive.”

With that, Coen turned the lectern over to Copenhaver. Here are Copenhaver’s remarks:

 “Work hard, be fiscally responsible and do the right thing. This straight-forward formula for success became Bud Frew’s enduring legacy to the members and employees of MFA. Everyone has an anecdote that they believe best captures the talents and wisdom of Bud Frew. It would take more time than we have tonight to share all of the stories that have been suggested to me—and still we might fall short of adequately conveying the remarkableness of Bud’s leadership.

“Bud was an excellent leader—tough, open-minded and fair. He could be convinced if your argument was based on sound business principles. Then he would be unyielding in support of an idea or individual no matter how popular or unpopular. Although one person does not ensure the success of a business, Bud did everything within his power to ensure the success of MFA Incorporated. He worked tirelessly to build teamwork, to build MFA’s reputation for honesty, integrity and fiscal responsibility. He inherited the reins of the cooperative in the midst of the agricultural crisis of the 1980s. Bud refocused the cooperative and showed everyone the vision of a strong future built on sound business practices.

“Farmers understand a handshake. Bud helped MFA regain the trust of our members. He mandated that all business dealings be fair, every day, every time. It was a winning combination that continues to contribute to MFA’s success.

“Bud’s leadership extends beyond serving cooperative members. During the flood of 1993, when the efforts of elected officials could not make progress on getting a response from Washington to the needs of Missouri farmers, Bud contacted President Clinton’s special assistant for agriculture, Marion Berry.

“Mr. Berry was from Stuttgart, Ark., where MFA had a retail location. While Mr. Berry was home for the Thanksgiving holidays, Bud offered the use of an airplane to bring Mr. Berry to Missouri to see first hand the extent of the damage. Mr. Berry agreed. On the day of his visit, it was too windy to see the damage from the air. So they landed in Jefferson City and toured the floodplains in a van. Shortly after Mr. Berry’s visit, a response was forthcoming from Washington.

“Bud took action because something needed to be done. His leadership and service went beyond the interests of the cooperative to benefit all of Missouri agriculture. Mr. Berry continued to keep in touch with Bud on a regular basis to gain perspective on rural America.

“In summary, Bud’s principled leadership, determination and strength of character brought a devotion to serving the farmer members and sound business practices that remain as core values at MFA.”

Also elected to the Hall of Fame was Frank Stork, former CEO and executive vice president of the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives; Bill Davis of Rolla, Mo., a board director and past president of Gascosage Electric Cooperative, Rolla, Mo.; and the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority.