Brent McRae serves as a director of McCone Electric Cooperative in Circle, Montana, and is the immediate past board president of Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association. A self-employed rancher, he has previously served on the boards of Select Sires Mid-America, the National Beef Sire Committee and is a past president of the Montana Angus Association. He is active in local community development boards and is a volunteer for Garfield County EMS and the Rural Fire Department. McRae attended Montana State University. He is an NRECA Credentialed Cooperative Director and also holds the Director Gold Board Leadership Certificate.

Shane Larson is in his 40th year serving cooperative members. Since 2000, he has been the CEO of Rock Energy Cooperative in Wisconsin. Prior to that, he was the general manager of Leavenworth-Jefferson Electric Cooperative in Kansas. Larson is a former director of Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange. He also serves as the vice chairman of CHARGE EV, a national electric vehicle charging brand powered by electric cooperatives. Larson earned a B.S. in business administration with an emphasis on finance from Kearney State College (now University of Nebraska–Kearney).

Donnie Bidegain serves as board vice president of Farmers’ Electric Cooperative of New Mexico in Clovis and board president of Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (generation and transmission). He is the fourth-generation owner of T4 Cattle Company. He is a former president of Quay County Farm and Livestock Bureau Board, past member of New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau State Board and former member of the USDA’s Farm Service Agency Quay County Committee. He has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from New Mexico State University and has an NRECA Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate.

William Roberts is the vice president of finance and chief financial officer for Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, which includes Buckeye Power, a generation and transmission cooperative, and Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, the statewide trade association. Roberts joined the cooperative in 2009. He is chair of the Finance & Treasury Subcommittee of the G&T Accounting & Finance Association and serves on the Executive and Program Committees. He has a Bachelor of Science in accounting and an MBA with an emphasis in finance from the Fisher School of Business at The Ohio State University and is a certified public accountant.

Charles A. Abel II is the vice chair of Sangre de Cristo Electric Association in Colorado. He is a self-employed Certified Public Accountant. Previously, he was a commercial loan officer at High Country Bank and also a majority equity owner and managing principal of Abel & Eggleston, CPAs, LLC. Abel is a director of Tri-State Generation and Transmission in Colorado, serving as a member of the G&T’s Finance & Audit and Land & Water committees. Abel has a B.A. in business administration with an emphasis on finance from Western Colorado State University. He is an active CPA and also an NRECA Credentialed Cooperative Director.

John Bartley has served as CEO of Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative in Wewahitchka, Florida, since 2017. He also served as CFO prior to taking the CEO position. He serves as the chairman of the Corporate Planning and Power Supply Committee for PowerSouth Energy Cooperative and on the Florida Electric Cooperative Association and Meridian Cooperative boards, among others. Bartley is a certified public accountant and a certified fraud examiner. He holds a master’s of accountancy and an MBA from the University of North Florida.

Jared Echternach is the president and CEO of Beltrami Electric Cooperative in Bemidji, Minnesota. Prior to joining Beltrami Electric, he served as CEO of North Itasca Electric Cooperative and member services manager at Itasca-Mantrap Cooperative. Echternach serves on the boards of directors of Cooperative Development, LLC; Greater Bemidji Economic Development Corporation; and Security Bank USA. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He also is a graduate of NRECA’s Robert I. Kabat Management Internship Program.

Timothy S. Eldridge is a director of Fleming-Mason Energy Cooperative in Flemingsburg, Kentucky. He is a partner member of Baldwin CPAs, PLLC, and is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Kentucky Society of CPAs. Eldridge serves on the board of Citizens Bank and also is a director of East Kentucky Power Cooperative. He has a B.S. from Morehead State University and is a certified public accountant.

Bruce Everhart is the board treasurer of RushShelby Energy in Manilla, Indiana. He is a retired agricultural business manager and vice president of Wells Fargo Bank. He is president of the American Hereford Association Board of Directors and finance chair for the Hereford Legacy Foundation Board of Directors. He is a past president of the Purdue Council for Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching and member of the Indiana State Fair Commission. He has a bachelor’s degree in animal science and agricultural economics from Purdue University.

Gary Fish is a board member of Sioux Valley Energy and East River Power Cooperative, both based in South Dakota. He is the past president of Sioux Valley Energy and is currently the chairman of the board for the South Dakota Renewable Energy Association. Fish has over 40 years of experience as a finance and development executive in the utility, railroad and energy services industries. His experience includes executive leadership positions with an investor-owned utility and vice president-treasurer for a large regional railroad. He was a founding shareholder and CFO of a national wind turbine business that he divested in 2021 and is currently a founding shareholder and board member of a micro liquefied natural gas distribution business serving the upper Midwest. Fish also owns and operates a boutique energy advisory and asset management firm. He is a graduate of the University of South Dakota and is a certified public accountant.    

Michael J. Heinen is the general manager of Jefferson Davis Electric Cooperative in Jennings, Louisiana. He serves on the board of the Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives and also the Jefferson Davis Parish Economic Development board. Heinen has a master’s degree in business administration from McNeese State University and also holds various lineman apprentice program certificates.

J. Ingrid Kessler serves as a director of Lane Electric Cooperative in Eugene, Oregon, and as the current vice president of the NRECA Board of Directors. She is a former member of the Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association (statewide) Board of Directors. Kessler is a veterinarian and former owner of the Emergency Veterinary Hospital. She holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in classics from Cornell University, did graduate work in classics at Stanford University and earned her doctorate in veterinary medicine from Michigan State University.

Mike McDonald is the board chair of Washington Electric Membership Cooperative in Sandersville, Georgia. He is a director and past board chairman of Georgia Electric Membership Corporation (statewide) and serves as a director of Georgia System Operations Corporation (G&T). He is retired from a lifelong career as a service manager in automotive dealerships. McDonald attended Georgia College and is an NRECA Credentialed Cooperative Director and holds the Director Gold Board Leadership Certificate.

John Metcalf has served as president and CEO of Mid-Ohio Energy, based in Kenton, Ohio, since 2003. He began his career at the cooperative in the operations and engineering department performing various duties before becoming the director of operations and engineering and eventually CEO. Over his career Metcalf has been active on several boards, committees and service organizations, including Buckeye Power Board of Directors, United Utility Supply Board of Directors, LaRue Board of Public Affairs, Elgin Board of Education and Rotary International in Kenton. Metcalf holds a degree in electrical engineering from Marion Technical College and DeVry Institute of Technology. He is also a graduate of the Merchant Power Lineman Program.

Kendall J. Montgomery is the general manager and CEO of Fort Belknap Electric Cooperative in Olney, Texas. He is also the CEO of Fort Belknap Services Corporation and Link Field Services, Inc. Montgomery joined the cooperative in 1996, serving in various positions including CFO before taking the helm of the organization. He is an alternate director for Brazos Electric Power Cooperative (G&T). He has a B.B.A. in accounting from Angelo State University and is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant. 

Ruston Ogburn has served as the general manager of Somerset Rural Electric Cooperative in Pennsylvania since 2013. Prior to this role, he worked at PJM Interconnection in various engineering and management positions. Ogburn holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from Dickinson College, a Master of Science in electric power engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a law degree from Temple Law School.

Mike Partin has served as the president and CEO of Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative in southeastern Tennessee since 2015.

He has served on the NRECA Board of Directors since 2019 and is currently president. Partin also serves on the Seven States Power board as well as the chairman of the Southeast Industrial Development Association.

Scott Peters has served as the CEO of Columbia Rural Electric Association in Walla Walla, Washington, since 2018. He also served as the COO and manager of marketing and member service prior to taking the CEO position. Prior to joining Columbia Rural Electric Association, he worked for Golden Valley Electric Association in Fairbanks, Alaska, for eight years. He serves on the boards of Pioneer Utilities Resources, Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative and the Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is also a graduate of NRECA’s Management Internship Program.

Laura Phillips is a director at Delaware Electric Cooperative in Greenwood, Delaware. She holds the executive position as board secretary-treasurer. She has been on the board for 16 years and sits on the Finance, Audit and Legislative Committees. Phillips works in the financial industry and currently holds the position of senior vice president, private banker of a regional bank. Phillips has a Bachelor of Science from Wilmington University and has earned the NRECA Credentialed Cooperative Director and Director Gold Certificates. She also is the business owner of a sign company in Delaware.

Jeff Rehder is the board president of North West Rural Electric Cooperative in Orange City, Iowa. He was elected to the board in 2005 and has served as president since 2012. A fourth-generation farmer, he is president of Rehder Farms Inc., which raises hogs, cattle, corn, soybeans and alfalfa. Rehder also has served on the board of Rivers Edge Bank since 2007. As well, he is the clerk of Garfield Township. He has a bachelor of science degree in agronomy from South Dakota State University. 

Ryan Schilreff has served as the executive vice president and general manager of Wyrulec Company, based in Lingle, Wyoming, since 2013. Prior to joining Wyrulec Company, he served in leadership roles in finance, broadband and the U.S. Navy. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Excelsior University. He is also a graduate of NRECA’s Management Internship Program and Colorado’s Graduate School of Banking.

Jimmy Taylor is a trustee of Northfork Electric Cooperative in Sayre, Oklahoma, where he has served as a trustee since 1986. He serves on the board of the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives (past president) and is chairman of the Oklahoma Energy Trails Foundation. He currently serves on the board of directors for Oklahoma Farm Bureau and U.S. Meat Export Federation and is a past chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. In his local community, he serves on boards for Berlin Volunteer Fire Department, Beckham County Rural Water District and Roger Mills County Excise Board. He owns and operates Taylor Ranch and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Louie Ward has been the general manager of Tallapoosa River Electric Cooperative in LaFayette, Alabama, since 2007. He has worked for the cooperative since 2001. Ward is a board member of PowerSouth Energy Cooperative and the Alabama Rural Electric Association and has served in various capacities on each board. He holds a Bachelor of Science in business from Auburn University and is a graduate of NRECA’s Management Internship Program.