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  1. About
  2. Board of Directors
CIPCO board members
Board of Directors

Paul Heineman

Paul Heineman - Board President

Paul Heineman

PRESIDENT
Midland Power Cooperative

A grain farmer from Ogden, Iowa, Paul was elected to the CIPCO Board of Directors in 2011 and has served as its President since 2016. His home electric cooperative is Midland Power Cooperative based in Jefferson, where he has served on the board of directors since 1999. Throughout his tenure, Paul has earned the Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) designation and Board Leadership Certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. He states a highlight for him is being part of CIPCO’s growth and change. While it’s hard to predict the future, Paul feels CIPCO is well positioned to adapt to rapidly changing member needs.

Dan Westphal

Dan Westphal - Board Vice President

Dan Westphal

VICE PRESIDENT
Farmers Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Dan is a semi-retired farmer from Bridgewater, Iowa, who currently serves as Vice President of the CIPCO Board of Directors, a position he’s held since 2016. His home cooperative is Farmers Electric Cooperative, Inc., based in Greenfield, where he has served on the board of directors for 16 years and currently serves as its president. Dan says a highlight for him while serving on the CIPCO Board is conducting the welcome with Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives President Steve Seidl at a regional meeting of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Dan has every confidence that CIPCO will respond positively to whatever may come in the future, citing how CIPCO was able to minimize the negative effects from the scheduled closure of Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC) in late 2020 as an example.

Gene Manternach

Gene Manternach - Board Secretary-Treasurer

Gene Manternach

SECRETARY-TREASURER
Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative

Gene is a retired farmer from Cascade, Iowa, where, since 1983, he has owned, and now leases, his 126-year-old family farm. He was elected to the CIPCO Board of Directors in 2005 and currently serves as Secretary-Treasurer. His home cooperative is Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative in Anamosa, where he was first elected in 1999 and currently serves as the board secretary. During his tenure, Gene has earned the Credentialed Cooperative Director designation, the Board Leadership Certificate and the Director Gold credential from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. A highlight for Gene was the CIPCO CEO search in 2017, resulting in the hiring of Bill Cherrier. Gene feels Bill’s open management style has consistently improved information sharing and involvement of the board and system managers. He is interested in the advancement of affordable battery storage technology as a game-changer that would better utilize, enhance, and expand renewable energy resources.

Duane Ver Ploeg

Duane Ver Ploeg - Board Assistant Secretary-Treasurer

Duane Ver Ploeg

ASSISTANT SECRETARY-TREASURER
Pella Cooperative Electric Association

On his farm just south of Pella, Iowa, Duane raises corn, soybeans, hay and purebred Simmental cattle. He was elected to the CIPCO Board of Directors in 2015, and has served his home cooperative of Pella Cooperative Electric Association since 1984 where he is the current board president. During this time, Duane earned the Credentialed Cooperative Director designation, Board Leadership Certificate and Director Gold credential from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Duane cites hiring the new CEO in 2017 as a highlight for him, and believes investments in renewable generation and cost-effective power options will ensure CIPCO’s success well into the future.

Duane Armstead

Duane Armstead - Director

Duane Armstead

DIRECTOR
SIMECA

In 2014, Duane retired from Greenfield Municipal Utilities after 30 years of service. He was elected to the CIPCO Board of Directors in 1990, representing South Iowa Municipal Electric Cooperative Association (SIMECA), where he has served as its president since 1989. During his tenure, Duane received the Distinguished Service Award from the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) in 1999, a Resolution of Recognition for 30 years of service to Greenfield Municipal Utilities in 2014, the IAMU Honorary Lifetime Membership Award in 2015, and recognition from the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives for 25 years of service to the CIPCO Board in 2015. Duane says a highlight for him was signing a 40-year contract that cemented SIMECA’s membership in CIPCO. Duane currently resides in Greenfield, Iowa.

Steve Bireline

Steve Bireline - Director

Steve Bireline

DIRECTOR
Guthrie County REC

Steve Bireline represents Guthrie County REC (GCREC) on the CIPCO Board. Steve has been a member of GCREC since 1980 and was first elected to the GCREC Board in 1997. Currently serving as president of his local board, he has earned the Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate from the NRECA. He is a farmer and owner of Westline Fencing and MCS Ag Drainage, a retired Adair Fire Department volunteer and current president of the Adair Community Fire Board and has held many offices as a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church. He lives in Adair with his wife, Tammy, and has four children and eight grandchildren.

Arden Greiner

Arden Greiner - Director

Arden Greiner

DIRECTOR
Consumers Energy

For more than 40 years, Arden has operated his family farm near Colo, Iowa. He was elected to the CIPCO Board in 2019 representing his home electric cooperative Consumers Energy, where he has served on the Board of Directors since 2007. During this time, Arden earned the Credentialed Cooperative Director designation, the Board Leadership Certificate and the Director Gold credential from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. While serving Consumers Energy, Arden is proud of his cooperative’s efforts to find and implement efficiencies that have eliminated the need for any electric rate increases. On behalf of CIPCO, Arden is involved in reviewing and updating contracts to ensure the organization is prepared for any changes in the electric business in the future.

Kirk Hiland

Kirk Hiland - Director

Kirk Hiland

DIRECTOR
Linn County REC

Kirk is a certified general real property appraiser and currently works as a commercial realty broker in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was elected to the CIPCO Board in 2019 representing his home cooperative Linn County REC, where he has served since 2010 and currently serves as treasurer. During this time, Kirk earned the Credentialed Cooperative Director designation and Board Leadership Certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. He is actively engaged working to develop CIPCO’s Wholesale Power Contract in cooperation with CIPCO staff, other board members and member distribution cooperatives.

Gary Kester

Gary Kester - Director

Gary Kester

DIRECTOR
Eastern Iowa Light & Power

Gary is a self-employed cattle and grain farmer from Burlington. He was elected to the CIPCO Board of Directors in 2018 and has served on the board of his local electric cooperative, Eastern Iowa Light & Power Cooperative in Wilton, since 2012 and currently serves as its president. During this time, Gary earned the Credentialed Cooperative Director designation, the Board Leadership Certificate and Director Gold credential from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Gary says the electric business has changed so much in the last five years and he anticipates dramatic things to come in the next 30 years. With that in mind, CIPCO and its board will continue to evolve in order to overcome the challenges facing the organization and industry.

Gary McKenna

Gary McKenna - Director

Gary McKenna

DIRECTOR
East-Central Iowa REC

Gary McKenna representing East-Central Iowa REC on the CIPCO board has served on his local Board since 2016. He is currently the manager of Eden Mutual Insurance in Vinton, where he has been employed since 1997. He is the owner of Van Eschen-Strong Insurance, also located in Vinton, and raises 1,500 head of hog per year. Gary and his wife, Teresa, have two children. He enjoys golfing, snowmobiling, carpentry work, camping, and watching his kids play sports. Since 1991, he has been a member of the Vinton Fire Department, currently serving as fire chief and is a member of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Vinton.

Randy Rouse

Randy Rouse - Director

Randy Rouse

DIRECTOR
Clarke Electric Cooperative

From Allerton, Iowa, Randy is a self-employed corn and soybean production farmer. He was elected to the CIPCO Board of Directors in 2016, and has served on his home cooperative, Clarke Electric, since 2012 where he is currently vice president. Randy says he continues to be impressed by the quality of people on the board and throughout the CIPCO organization and member system. He most admires how board members respect each other, even when there are split votes. He feels it is the board’s responsibility to look at every aspect of the business to assess the value and need for everything CIPCO does in order to ensure past successes continue into the future.

Craig Stallman

Craig Stallman - Director

Craig Stallman

DIRECTOR
T.I.P. REC

Craig is a Tooling Specialist for Whirlpool Corporation in Amana and resides in Williamsburg, Iowa. He was elected to the CIPCO Board of Directors in 2019, and has served on the board of his home cooperative, T.I.P. REC, since 2017. Although he has only been on the CIPCO Board a short time, Craig says he has learned a lot and met many great people. He feels the future is very bright for CIPCO and is involved in working on the Wholesale Power Contract that will give security and flexibility to CIPCO members. He believes acquiring the right mix of renewables and baseload energy resources will lead CIPCO well into the future.

Dale Walkup

Dale Walkup - Director

Dale Walkup

DIRECTOR
Southwest Iowa REC

Dale is actively involved in operating a grain and cattle farm in rural Ringgold County, Iowa, raising corn and soybeans for grain and a beef cow herd. He was elected to the CIPCO Board of Directors in 2002. He was first elected to the Rideta Electric Cooperative Board in 1979 where he served as the secretary and vice president. In 2004, Rideta and Southwest Iowa Services Cooperative merged to form Southwest Iowa REC. Dale continues serving Southwest Iowa REC as its board secretary. In his role on the CIPCO Board, Dale helps guide the organization as a reliable and affordable power source for its member systems while also promoting economic opportunities for them.

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    • Power Up Your Career
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