Leading through Change: 2025 IAEC Annual Meeting

More than 375 directors and employees from Iowa's electric cooperatives attended the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperative's 2025 Annual Meeting on Thursday and Friday in West Des Moines.

"Our theme of Leading through Change aptly describes what our industry is experiencing right now," remarked IAEC Executive Vice President and General Manager Leslie Kaufman. Is has been a year of new leadership at IAEC with Board President Jim Miller taking the helm a year ago with two new board directors, and Kaufman completing her first year at IAEC in July.

In his president's report, Miller reflected on his year of serving as board president and how "a farm kid from Fonda" received a call from Governor Reynolds in his second week in the leadership role. He also shared how EVP/GM Kaufman traveled to meet with member co-ops in her first months on the job and how those face-to-face discussions with directors and staff informed her strategic planning. Kaufman then shared successes and future plans by department in her executive report to the members.

The IAEC Annual Meeting is also an opportunity for attendees to learn more about emerging trends in the electric industry and to hear from thought leaders. IAEC presented the following educational speakers:

• Mike Partin, board president of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), held a fireside chat with Kaufman and he shared a national perspective on how to lead through change. Partin is also CEO of Sequatchee Valley Electric Cooperative in Tennessee.
  
• Grace Vanderhei, nuclear engineer at Constellation Energy and Miss America 2023, talked about nuclear's place in America's energy future.
  
• Ava Meinders, the Iowa delegate for the 2025 Youth Leadership Council, spoke to the group about the power of leadership. She attended the national Electric Cooperative Youth Tour in June, sponsored by Heartland Power Cooperative.
  
• Susan Olander of Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange and Pat Mangan of NRECA held an interactive discussion on governance best practices and adapting to change.
  
• Tony Clark, executive director of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), shared how public utility commissioners across the country are working to address major issues regarding resource adequacy, resiliency, cybersecurity and load growth attributed to AI and data centers.
  
• NFL Hall-of-Famer and former Congressman Steve Largent served as the closing keynote. He shared personal experiences from his various paths in sports, business and politics.

During the Annual Meeting, IAEC also honored:

• Marion Denger, director at Prairie Energy Cooperative, for 20 years of service on the IAEC Board (photo). Denger has served more than 10 years as a District 6 director and almost 10 years as the Iowa representative on the NRECA Board (which includes as ex officio seat on the IAEC Board). His NRECA term will end in March 2026.
  
• Employees and directors of Iowa electric cooperatives who celebrated 25 years of service in 2025.
  
• 13 recent graduates of IAEC's Cooperative Leadership in Iowa Program (CLIP) for emerging leaders.
  
• 12 electric cooperatives which successfully completed the Rural Electric Safety Achievement Program (RESAP) in 2025.
  
• Electric cooperative directors who completed national education programs, including the Credentialed Cooperative Director certifcation, the Board Leadership Certificate and the Director Gold credential.
  
• Two outstanding individuals were honored with the inaugural Iowa Electric Cooperative Excellence Awards. Congratulations to Jerry Beck, director at Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative, for receiving the 2025 Director Excellence Award. We also congratulate Robert Wakhouse, director of operations at Harrison County REC, on receiving the 2025 Employee Excellence Award.

As part of the Annual Meeting program, IAEC coordinated an auction of personally donated items which raised over $16,200 for the Iowa Friends of Rural Electrification (Iowa FORE) political action committee. The funds will stay in Iowa to aid state legislators and candidates who support electric cooperatives.

The Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives is a trade association which represents the interests of locally owned electric cooperatives in the state, including 38 distribution co-ops and nine generation and transmission co-ops. Formed more than 80 years ago, IAEC provides many vital functions for its members including legislative representation, regulatory oversight, training and education services, safety programs, and communications support. View the 2025 annual report and learn more at https://www.iowarec.org.

For More Information:

Erin Campbell
Director of Communications
[email protected]