WAYNE
GINGERICH

Longtime Steuben County REMC board president Wayne Gingerich has been elected chairman of Wabash Valley Power Association’s board of directors.

During its annual meeting this month, the 23-member WVPA board of directors elected Gingerich to the position. He has been a member of the not-for-profit electric cooperative’s board of directors for 19 years. He previously served on the WVPA board executive team for four years, most recently as vice chairman in 2015 and 2016.

“I have enjoyed working with and getting to know all of the directors and CEOs from our 23 member cooperatives, along with the endless opportunities to learn about the electric and transmission industry through the cooperative model and its principles of collaboration and community,” Gingerich said. “I am looking forward to helping create an atmosphere where the entire board participates and makes sound, informed decisions focused on delivering affordable, reliable electricity to benefit all of our members.”

In addition to his time with WVPA, Gingerich has served on Steuben County REMC’s board of directors for more than three decades, including 11 years in his current role as board chairman.

“Each of our executive board leaders, including Wayne, has accomplished much in their tenure to benefit Wabash Valley Power and our member cooperatives,” said Jay Bartlett, CEO of Wabash Valley Power. “Their dedication has been instrumental in our success in serving our members.”

Each executive board member’s term is for one year, though they can hold a position for two terms. The executive team helps lead the board to provide strategic oversight for Wabash Valley Power, which generates and provides electricity to more than 330,000 families, farms and organizations in Indiana, Illinois and Missouri.

“The new administration is going to provide a lot of new and great opportunities and challenges in moving the cooperative efforts ahead,” Gingerich said. “I’m looking forward to a very full agenda, and I consider it an honor to be the board chairman.”

Cooperatives served by Wabash Valley Power should be pleased with the direction set by the board, which best positions WVPA to benefit communities, members and stakeholders, Bartlett said.

“I look forward to further collaboration with the board,” he added. “It will be exciting as we work together to bring that vision to life.”