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It’s hard to believe it’s been two years since I began my term as NRECA’s 40th president. PowerXchange was a virtual event that year due to the pandemic, so it wasn’t until the start of my second year as president that I was able to step onto a physical stage to address our network at the 2022 annual meeting, surrounded by my family and friends.
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As a former teacher, I sought to encourage our network to continue learning and reject complacency. In the end, I’ll admit I didn’t realize just how much I would learn about America’s electric cooperatives.
At the beginning of my term, I spoke about the need to adapt to the rapid rate of change facing our business and society. I wrote in this magazine about how all of us—directors, general managers and employees—must commit to ongoing professional development, understanding and leveraging new technologies, and enhancing member engagement.
Over the past two years, I’ve seen great examples of this in our network and tremendous support from NRECA for your co-ops in these areas.
I have been fortunate to visit with many of your organizations as we share experiences and collaborate on important issues. As I close out my tenure as board president, I’m thankful for the relationships and knowledge that I’ve gained along the way. I’ll continue to use them for the benefit of our national association and my home cooperative in Montana.
Presiding over our national association board has been a tremendous honor. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my wife, Carol, and our children, my colleagues at NorVal Electric, my fellow NRECA directors, the leadership and staff at NRECA, and my friends across the cooperative network.
Next month, at the 2023 PowerXchange in Nashville, I will pass the gavel to our next president, Tony Anderson. I look forward to supporting him as he brings his innovative spirit and vision to this important role.
It has been amazing to watch our network grow, to witness the strong relationships between members of all types and to see how our industry has risen to the challenge and evolved in the face of unprecedented natural disasters, economic turns and a pandemic. We are uniquely committed to our members, and together we have boundless possibilities. I will always be grateful for being a part of it. Thank you for this opportunity and for your support.
Thank you for letting me share my stories, and for sharing yours as well. I look forward to the great things to come from NRECA and America’s electric cooperatives.
