WECA Mourns Loss of President & CEO Steve Freese (1960–2024)

August 29, 2024—It is with heavy hearts that the staff of the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association (WECA) has announced President and CEO Steve Freese has lost his battle with cancer. Freese passed away Wednesday morning at his home with family by his side. He was 64.

Visitation will be held Friday, September 6 at Haudenshield Funeral Home & Crematory in Cuba City, and the funeral will be Saturday, September 7 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Sinsinawa. Please see Haudenshield Funeral Home for more information.

Condolences can be sent to:
Family of Steve Freese
c/o Haudenshield Funeral Home
2424 State Road 80
Cuba City, WI  53807
          

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Wisconsin Lineworkers Travel to Arizona for Light Up Navajo Project

Photo courtesy Central Wisconsin Electric Cooperative.

May 23, 2024—Lineworkers from electric cooperatives in five states, including Wisconsin, are participating the the Light Up Navajo! project this year, helping electrify homes in the Navajo Nation for the first time. More than 13,000 of the 56,000 homes in the Navajo Nation still do not have power. Among those in Arizona this week are Central Wisconsin Electric Cooperative linemen Mack Yarbrough and Josh Wick, who traveled to Tuba City on May 11 and spent all week working to run power for residents who have never had it before.
  They also presented a check for $1,000 from the Federated Youth Foundation to the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority to help fund the project.

Central Wisconsin Electric Cooperative's Kevin Kurtzweil learned of the Light Up Navajo! project through his relationship with the North Central Technical College and brought a proposal to the co-op board, which opted to send two Central Wisconsin linemen to the region last spring to help energize the impoverished region, changing the lives of the Navajo residents, as well as the two linemen who volunteered.

Kurtzweil and the lineworkers participated in a panel discussion about the project at WECA's annual meeting, and four additional Wisconsin co-op's decided to participate by sending lineworkers or equipment to help in the effort.

Central Wisconsin's participated last year made it one of the first electric cooperatives in the nation to participate in the project, along with Colorado's Delta-Montrose and Arizona's Trico Electric. All three co-ops are sending crews again this year, and they are joined by 13 additional co-ops from Wisconsin, Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.

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Scenic Rivers Youth to Serve as NRECA Blue Shirt

May 23, 2024—Jude Klar, a member of the 2022 youth board, will serve as an NRECA blue shirt for the 2024 Youth Tour, and potentially the 2025 PowerXchange. A blue shirt is a leadership position for youth to help guide and teach other young people. Blue shirts welcome students upon arrival,
help teach co-ops 101 and advocacy, offer general assistance and direction for events like youth night and farewell dinner, announce speakers, maintain the NRECA youth store, and bring positive energy to the event.

Klar lives in the Scenic Rivers Energy Cooperative territory and will graduate high school next month. His Dad works in telecommunications for Dairyland Power Cooperative.

WECA Youth Coordinator Tina Walden said, “I’m thrilled Jude has this opportunity, as he will be an amazing representative for WECA and Wisconsin’s electric cooperatives!”

Congratulations Jude!

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2024 Youth Poster Contest Winners

May 20, 2024—Congratulations to Brogan of Scenic Rivers Energy Cooperative, Hudson of Riverland Energy Cooperative, and Tess of Scenic Rivers Energy Cooperative, who took first, second, and third place, respectively, in WECA's Electrical Safety Poster Contest for third-graders. Brogan won a Chromebook, Hudson won a $100 gift card, and Tess won a $75 gift card. Thanks to all the talented young artists who created posters for this year's contest! Click here to enlarge image.
 

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