Manager Connection: Shared General Manager

Manager Connection by SWCE General Manager Kelly Hovel

Bob Dylan once sang, “...the times they are a changin’”. There are plenty of changes happening in the utility world and Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric is no exception. This will be the first time in 17 1/2 years that this message has a new voice. 

As you read last month, the boards of Steele-Waseca and Goodhue County Cooperative Electric Association (GCCEA) made the decision to share a general manager. Beginning on July 1, I began filling that shared role.

I need to take a quick moment to thank the old voice, Syd, for his friendship over the past nine years and even more for his recent efforts to help make this transition as smooth as possible for me and for the employees, directors, and members of Steele-Waseca. As you read in last month’s SPARKS, Syd had a number of accomplishments over his tenure, and he certainly set the standard for excellence in managing an electric cooperative. 

I’ve spent nearly 18 years serving the members of GCCEA in various roles, including as general manager for the past nine. I’ve managed some complex projects including updating the metering system, implementing all new software across every department in the cooperative, introduced new member-facing platforms and communication channels, and managed through a period where we lost decades of experience to retirement. 

Through all those experiences I’ve learned one important lesson and it’s that with great people comes great success. If someone had told me 10 years ago that I’d be managing two electric cooperatives and working with two boards in an effort to consolidate those cooperatives, I’d have thought they’d lost their mind. But here we are and I’m confident we can do this together. The employees of both cooperatives are some of the best. The pride they take in their work is second to none in my experience. It’s because of them and the vision and member-first mentality of both boards that I know this effort can be a huge success and I’m excited and honored to be a part of it. 

Along with a change in general manager and our consolidation efforts, we’ve also seen a recent change in our member service department manager and just this past month we’ve hired a new operations division manager.

Again, this is where great people shine. This much change in such a short time could overwhelm some, but the membership of Steele-Waseca is blessed with employees that step up, fill voids, and do whatever it takes to meet the needs of the membership. 

Change always comes with some nervous excitement. It’s new and different, but it opens the door for opportunity. For me it’s an opportunity to meet a lot of new members and hear about the cooperative from their perspective. It is a chance to continue and improve upon all the great things this co-op already does. I thank all of you who took the time to introduce yourself and share a story or two with me at the annual meeting last month. I’m looking forward to the town hall meetings this fall where I will have the chance to connect with even more of you and talk about everything that’s happening here at the cooperative. There never seems to be a shortage of new things to talk about!

In closing I want to assure you one thing that will not change is the commitment of this co-op to remain in service to its membership. That means always striving to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electricity in a responsible manner. 

#swceTRUST