FYF Seeks Applicants for $5,000 Charles Van Sickle Scholarship

January 10, 2025—The Federated Youth Foundation has announced it is now accepting applications for the 2025 Charles Van Sickle Endowment Scholarship, which the Foundation board recently increased to $5,000. The scholarship will be awarded to a pre-law or law student, with a preference to a student who has an interest in cooperative law.

Ember DeWitt of Oconto Electric Cooperative was the recipient of the 2024 Charles Van Sickle Scholarship, which was made possible by an endowment established in 2013 to honor Wisconsin’s renowned electric cooperative lobbyist and attorney, the late Charles Van Sickle.

Applications can be found here https://www.weca.coop/van-sickle-endowment-scholarship and must be received by the Federated Youth Foundation office no later than April 1, 2025.

Send applications to:

Federated Youth Foundation
6405 Century Avenue, Suite 102
Middleton, WI 53562-2200

WECA Hosts 88th Annual Meeting in Wisconsin Dells

November 12-13, 2024—WECA hosted its 88th Annual Meeting at Glacier Canyon at the Wilderness Hotel in the Wisconsin Dells this week with a new president and CEO at the helm.
 

Rob Richard delivered his first official address to the crowd, which included 128 directors and employees representing 25 Wisconsin electric cooperatives including 24 distribution cooperatives and Dairyland Power Cooperative.

In his speech, which was very well received, Richard offered an introduction into his life, his experience, and his family and set the stage for the next chapter of leadership at the Wisconsin statewide. He recognized and honored the memory of former WECA president and CEO Steve Freese, who he called a mentor and a friend.

In his address, Richard emphasized that the “right of first refusal” (ROFR) legislation will again be the top priority of the next legislative session.

Having a ROFR bill on the books will help keep members’ rates down by ensuring incumbent utilities, such as Dairyland Power Cooperative, are able to compete for new high transmission projects deemed necessary to ensure reliability for all in the region, and are therefore eligible for cost-sharing.
 

WECA Board Chair Dan Hillberry.

In his report, Board Chair Dan Hillberry noted the significant ups and downs of the past year. “In our association, I witnessed WECA employees rise from tears to action to make sure that things that needed to be done were addressed with professionalism and without missing a step,” he said.

Hillberry highlighted successes, including the defeat of third-party ownership efforts at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin and in court, which WECA fought, along with other utility partners. “This was not only a huge victory for electric cooperatives, but even more so for consumers,” he added.

He also recognized WECA efforts in educating and guiding member cooperatives to secure federal clean energy funds. He also noted WECA’s legislative accomplishments of the year and emphasized the importance of ROFR.

WECA Board Treasurer Steve Johnson reported the board paid off WECA’s new Middleton office space, which the statewide association staff moved into one year ago. “It’s been 25 years since WECA has owned its own office facilities and it’s certainly a testament to the financial strength of the organization,” Johnson said.

Erickson Recognized at Annual Meeting

November 12, 2024—In his remarks, WECA Board Chair Dan Hillberry shined the spotlight on WECN Associate Editor Mary Erickson, who is retiring this year after 36 years of service to the statewide association. Hillberry said Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News magazine hit the 1,000- issue milestone last year.

“Mary has been part of producing over 430 of these editions and will end her career as the longest-running magazine employee in our history,” Hillberry said, congratulating Erickson as the crowd joined in a standing ovation.

In her signature style, Erickson turned her camera to the crowd to capture the moment.
 

WECA also kicked off the evening awards ceremony by honoring Erickson, who is currently the only member of the WECA staff who was part of both the transition to Cooperative Network, and also the subsequent move to recreate WECA as a stand-alone organization.

Cooperative Hero, ACE, Potthast, and Leifer Awards Presented

Above, L to R, Aaron Holten, Tyler Romsos, Dee Fox, Trevor Clark, Lynn Thompson

November 12, 2024—In the awards ceremony held in conjunction with the WECA Annual Meeting, recipients of the 2024 Ally of Cooperative Electrification Award (ACE), the N.F. Leifer Memorial Journalism Award, the Herman C. Potthast Award, and the inaugural Cooperative Hero Award were officially honored.

Co-ops Recognized for Contributions to Cooperative Family Fund

November 13, 2024—NRECA President and former Oconto Electric Cooperative CEO Tony Anderson delivered an emotional presentation at the WECA Annual Meeting on the topic of “Values-Based Leadership.”

Anderson spoke of how he overcame adversity, growing up in a mobile home with a single mother, to managing and elevating the success of three electric cooperatives.

Anderson spoke about getting his first electric cooperative management job in Lusk, Wyoming, only after the first candidate turned it down, and how he earned the trust and respect of the community and the board. He then brought positive change to Wisconsin’s Oconto Electric, which had gone through five managers in ten years.

Finally, in Michigan, he brought the “Cooperative” back to the name of Cherryville Electric and returned the struggling co-op to the basics of providing electrical service to members.

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