A Legacy of Leadership: Honoring Louis Reed's Service to NIPCO
After more than 26 years of service on the Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative (NIPCO) Board of Directors, including more than 13 years as Board President, Louis Reed is retiring from cooperative leadership. His departure marks the end of an era not only for NIPCO, but for the many cooperative leaders, employees, and members whose lives he has impacted along the way. Louis joined the NIPCO Board in September 1999 and has served as Board President since April 2013.
When Louis first arrived at a NIPCO board meeting, he admits he was more than a little nervous. "I was scared to death!"
At the time, he had served only four years on the Western Iowa Power Cooperative (WIPCO) Board of Directors. Former NIPCO Director Leroy Hight, who served on the NIPCO Board from 1997 to 1999, encouraged Louis to take the position. Louis credits Hight for pushing him into running for the WIPCO board and says he has always thought highly of Leroy. The two remain close friends today.
The cooperative industry Louis entered in 1999 looked much different than it does today. One of the biggest changes he witnessed was NIPCO's power supply position. At the time, NIPCO had an abundance of power and was actively seeking opportunities to bring on additional load.
"We were trying to get rid of power," Louis said. "Economic development was important at the time because we wanted to bring new businesses and new electrical load into the system."
The way directors serve has also changed dramatically. Early in his board career, a stack of monthly meeting materials arrived in the mail and directors were provided thick, three-ring binders at meetings where they could store them. Today, board packets are accessed and stored electronically on iPads and directors can participate in meetings and training through virtual platforms.
During his years of leadership, Louis helped guide NIPCO through several transformative moments. Among the accomplishments he is most proud of is the modernization of the cooperative's transmission system.
Since 2014, through its Renewal and Replacement Plan, NIPCO has undertaken a major effort to rebuild aging infrastructure that had served western Iowa since the 1950s. While being mindful of costs, the cooperative has rebuilt approximately 70 percent of its transmission system.
"This is a tremendous benefit to our member cooperatives," Louis said. "We've been able to upgrade infrastructure, maintain reliability, and do it in a way that has minimal cost impacts to the membership."
Another milestone that stands out is NIPCO's decision to join the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a regional transmission organization that NIPCO officially joined on October 1, 2015.
"This was not a decision we took lightly," Louis said. "It was the first big step in entering a much larger relationship with the bulk grid."
Looking back, Reed is confident that membership in SPP has delivered significant value to NIPCO's Class A Members and positioned the cooperative for long-term success.
Yet despite the projects, policies, and strategic decisions, Louis says the people are what he values most. Over the years, he developed close relationships with NIPCO employees, fellow Iowa directors, and cooperative leaders across the country.
“Friendships are what I'll remember most," Louis said. "I've met directors from all over the country, and some of them remain great friends today."
Louis also holds a unique place in WIPCO history. Retiring from the WIPCO Board in August, Reed was the last remaining board member connected to the merger of Monona County REC and South Crawford REC in 1997.
As Board President, Louis earned a reputation for a calm and approachable leadership style.
"I always tried to be laid back and easy-going," he said. "I never held a grudge. There were some tense moments here and there, but I always moved on and apologized if I felt it was the right thing to do. I hoped NIPCO staff always felt comfortable working with me."
His decision to retire was driven by a belief that fresh leadership on a cooperative board is important.
"I believe too many people stay too long on co-op boards," Louis said. "I didn't want to be that director. Co-ops benefit from new people with new ideas and perspectives.”
Retirement from cooperative service coincides with other personal transitions. Louis has retired from farming and passed day-to-day farm management responsibilities to his son and two grandsons. While he still helps when needed, Louis takes great pride in seeing the operation continue through the next generation.
He and his wife, Terri, also look forward to spending more time in Arizona during the winter months. Between improving his golf game and tackling home remodeling projects at the Castana home they built 20 years ago, Louis expects to keep busy.
As he steps away from the board table, he offers one final piece of advice to directors who continue the work.
"You committed to serve, and you have a commitment to the members to be prepared," he said. "I always read the monthly operations reports and tried to think of a good question or two to ask during meetings. There are large loads coming. There are big decisions ahead. Being prepared is the best thing you can do to serve your members."
His message to fellow directors is simple: "Trust the leadership." He believes that if directors have a question, the best place to go is to the General Manager. “I would always go straight to Matt and chat with him. Matt is the best resource to make sense out of decisions being made at NIPCO, Basin Electric, and beyond.”
Matt Washburn, NIPCO’s Executive Vice President & General Manager credits Louis for his ability to lean into staff for clarifying complicated issues. “While I am excited for Louis’ retirement,” Washburn said, “not having Louis in the Boardroom will be a tremendous loss for NIPCO. Louis guided NIPCO with a steady hand, while being fair and kind to all members. He always had the members’ best interest in mind with his decisions. Aside from his business acumen, Louis will be missed as a friend. Louis is a friend to all that know him.”
And while Louis may no longer be seated around the NIPCO board table on the last Tuesday of each month, his connection to the cooperative remains strong.
"On the last Tuesday of the month," he said with a smile, "I'll be thinking of you all."
Louis, we will be thinking of you, too. Thank you for your leadership, your friendship, and your unwavering commitment to NIPCO and the family of cooperative members you have served for more than a quarter century.
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