Weathering Change: NIPCO Reflects on Challenges, Leadership, and the Road Ahead at Annual Meeting

Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative
3 days ago
2 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

A participant reviews NIPCO's annual report at the 2026 annual meeting.

NIPCO held its 2026 Annual Meeting on Tuesday, April 7, at Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The event focused on the theme of “Weathering Change,” highlighting how the cooperative’s directors and staff have managed the evolving challenges brought by weather. Throughout the meeting, participants discussed the increasing frequency and severity of weather events and their substantial effects on NIPCO’s daily operations. Notably, the March 2025 storm was cited as the most damaging event to the NIPCO system in over thirty years, underscoring the importance of learning from and adapting to these new realities.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/647240_cd2a82de537446a1a4778659753c2e26/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

NIPCO Board President Louis Reed gives his Presidential Address to membership.

The meeting featured video updates from Board President Louis Reed and NIPCO Chief Financial Officer Jane Scheitler, plus interviews with NIPCO employees discussing their storm experiences and how these events impacted their work and views on working at NIPCO and in a cooperative.

NIPCO attorney Denny Puckett from Sullivan & Ward, P.C. conducted the official business portion of the meeting, where NIPCO Class A Member delegates nominated their Director Representatives to serve on the NIPCO Board of Directors.

The following were presented and approved:

Bryan Greve (Nishnabotna Valley REC)
Tom Wagner (North West REC)

Meeting attendees also heard updates from NIPCO Treasurer and Basin Electric District 4 Representative Tom Wagner, Basin Electric Power Cooperative CEO & General Manager Todd Brickhouse, Executive Director of Mid-West Electric Consumers Association Chris Lawrence, and NIPCO Executive Vice President & General Manager Matt Washburn. Basin Electric Senior Vice President of Energy Markets and Dakota Coal Company Valerie Weigel presented information detailing how Basin Electric planned for, executed through, and financially managed Winter Storm Fern in January 2026, demonstrating that diversified generation, disciplined hedging, and coordinated operations protected members during extreme cold and volatile energy markets.

Louis Reed, who has served as NIPCO's Director for over twenty-five years and as Board President since April of 2013, announced his resignation as President. Reed will continue to serve on the Board representing Western Iowa Power Cooperative (WIPCO). NIPCO’s Matt Washburn took a few minutes in his remarks to recognize Louis Reed’s impact on the Board and to thank him for his many contributions to the organization under his leadership.

During the NIPCO Annual Meeting, the NIPCO Directors conducted a brief reorganizational meeting, and the following officers/directors were elected to serve until further notice: