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Jake Wright grew up in a Minnesota town of 300 people served by Itasca-Mantrap Electric Cooperative. Today, he is the cybersecurity analyst for Ravalli Electric Cooperative, a 12,000-meter co-op in Victor, Montana, tucked between the Bitterroot Mountains and the river that shares their name.
That path helps explain why cybersecurity for every electric cooperative—no matter its size or location—is personal for him. It also makes him a natural fit for NRECA's first class of Cyber Champions.
“The Cyber Champion initiative is ultimately designed to make sure that no co-op is left behind in terms of cybersecurity. I personally understand the challenges small rural co-ops face like limited resources and how to really have to make the most of your budget to mature your cybersecurity," he says.
The Cyber Champions program is the latest output of NRECA Research's Project Guardian, which launched after a $4 million award from the Department of Energy's Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Program in 2024. Project Guardian aims to bolster co-ops' cybersecurity defenses by expanding their ability to govern, identify, protect against, detect, respond to and recover from cyberthreats.
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Cyber Champions collect and share relevant information with cooperatives in their regions and work with public partners to establish two-way communication channels for reporting and collaboration before, during and after cyber incidents. In practice, they serve as local points of contact—helping co-ops understand cyber risks, connect with trusted resources and respond to incidents when they occur.
The first class of 12 Cyber Champions committed to achieving the program's goals at Carmel-based Indiana Electric Cooperatives in November. They will help identify co-ops' needs and guide projects and resources to advance cybersecurity as a strategic priority for grid reliability and resilience, says Ryan Newlon, NRECA's principal for cybersecurity solutions and program head.
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“The Cyber Champions program is a mission to help co-ops ensure that the lights stay on, the data stays safe and the cooperative spirit endures in the digital age," says Newlon. “This isn't a job assigned to someone. This is a passion that they have and they accepted the challenge."
In addition to the seven cooperative principles, Cyber Champions commit to encouraging information sharing, collaboration and continuous improvement across the cooperative network.
In short, Newlon says, “This effort is to ensure that even the smallest co-op has someone to advocate for them or to go to when a cyber incident hits."
If the model seems familiar, that's by design.
The Cyber Champions program has parallels to NRECA's Rural Electric Safety Achievement Program, which provides co-ops with a structured framework to build and sustain a strong safety culture. RESAP emphasizes leadership commitment, employee involvement and peer-to-peer learning rather than simple regulatory compliance.
Wright says co-ops in Montana suggested the idea of a similar framework for cybersecurity.
“This Cyber Champion initiative finally gives me an opportunity to bring that home," he adds.
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Cyber Champions also help facilitate co-op participation in NRECA Cyber Goals, tabletop exercises and assessments. NRECA is developing a roadmap to support champions through in-depth conversations with co-ops to establish cybersecurity baselines and identify appropriate resources needed.
“Cyber Champions will serve as boots on the ground to help co-ops identify issues and areas for improvement so we can tailor projects or programs specifically to co-ops' needs," Newlon says. “They will explain complex cyber risks into actionable lines of defense, foster a cyber culture and ensure that no co-op, no matter its size or resources, is left behind."
For Matty Garr, the decision to take the Cyber Champion pledge draws directly from his experience as a system security officer in the U.S. Air Force.
“It just naturally fit right in my wheelhouse," says Garr, vice president of statewide services at the Montgomery-based Alabama Rural Electric Association.
“I'm keenly aware of the importance of cybersecurity and the critical nature of the infrastructure we support. So, when I heard about the program through NRECA, I approached my leadership here at the statewide and made my case for the importance of having somebody represent our state and our co-ops."
Garr views his role as sparking and sustaining conversations among the state's co-ops and connecting people who can help one another.
“It's about growing our cybersecurity maturity across all of our co-ops, from the biggest to the smallest, to make sure that we have a baseline so that we don't have any weak links hanging out there," says Garr.
“If the bad guy's in your networks, it's really hard to deliver that safe and reliable energy."
Looking ahead, Garr says Cyber Champions are positioned to organize IT, OT and cybersecurity professionals in a way that mirrors lineworkers' mutual aid during storm restoration.
“When it comes to something this large and this critical, iron sharpens iron," he says. “It's better that we all work together and share our lessons learned and approaches to help us get better collectively."
Raising awareness of Cyber Champions' role is part of that effort.
Through its annual meeting, newsletters and other communications channels, the Alabama statewide is emphasizing that “the Cyber Champion is that hub in the wheel, we're a resource here that can connect co-ops to the right person to assist in solving their problem," says Garr.
Cyber Champion Greg McComber, the IT supervisor at Walters, Oklahoma-based Cotton Electric Cooperative, joined the program because it was something he wished he'd had when he entered the co-op workforce a decade ago.
“I didn't have a person to reach out to with questions. There were a lot of things that took me a long time to figure out," McComber says.
Now, he hopes to be that go-to person for others. He is compiling cybersecurity resources for co-ops, including federal programs and tools available at no cost. Recently, Cotton Electric and a neighboring co-op hosted a two-day workshop from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on cyber event forensics.
“There are a lot of free resources out there probably most people don't know about," McComber says.
Cyber Champions can help even if a co-op outsources cybersecurity.
“Knowing how to find a good third party and the questions to ask them would really benefit co-ops," he says.
As the program expands, more Cyber Champions are expected to enlist over the next several years, Newlon says. He'd like to see at least one in each state—but emphasizes that champions can support co-ops anywhere, regardless of geography.
“Cyberthreats don't stop at service territory lines," adds Carter Manucy, NRECA senior director, cybersecurity. “Fortunately, neither does the cooperative model. With Cyber Champions, co-ops are building the same kind of shared strength in cybersecurity that they've relied on for generations."
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