2026

Colorado Energy Affordability in 2026

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The beginning of a year: a time for new beginnings and fresh starts. As 2026 dawns, this is certainly the case for the Colorado Rural Electric Association, and for me personally, as I take the helm of the organization. After 14 years as the CEO of Grand Valley Power in Grand Junction — and more than 26 years in the electric cooperative family — the CREA Board of Directors has selected me to fill the big shoes of Kent Singer, the association’s retiring executive director. That means I will head up communications efforts, direct critical safety support, manage education functions, and lead legislative efforts for electric cooperatives serving members and consumers across the state.

This month, legislative advocacy takes the spotlight as the Colorado General Assembly convenes just a few days after I begin my new role. My years at local distribution co-ops have taught me how decisions at the Capitol can impact the lives of the people we serve. This session could be one of the most consequential for consumers of electricity in years, as threats and even a few opportunities abound. I will hit the ground running as the CREA legislative team focuses on one goal above all: keeping electricity affordable for electric co-ops and the consumers they serve. Here are some of the legislative issues that could directly impact the cost of electricity:

Accelerated clean energy initiatives — Lawmakers are expected to revisit proposals that accelerate the state’s clean-energy timelines. Electric co-ops across the state have gone to great lengths to meet existing standards that are more ambitious than required almost anywhere in the country. If these standards are accelerated without regard for how co-ops and other utilities operate, they threaten to drive up costs and disrupt long-term planning. We will be at the table working to ensure affordability is front and center.

Organized wholesale markets — We also anticipate renewed attention on Colorado’s requirement that all transmission providers join an organized wholesale market by 2030. When every provider in the state participates, costs go down for everyone. It will be a priority for CREA this session to ensure that no utility seeks to circumvent that obligation through legislation.

Wildfire mitigation — Finally, as noted in a recent issue of Colorado Country Life, we will advance legislation that reduces the risk of devastating wildfires. This includes promoting responsible mitigation efforts and stabilization of long-term risks, including financial risks. As my friends at Poudre Valley REA have pointed out, many electric co-ops are just a spark away from a wildfire that could threaten their very existence. That is why we will pursue legislation aimed at addressing those pressures directly. Read pages 20-22 in this issue for a deeper look into why this legislation is needed. These priorities, along with the 40 or so other bills we will take positions on this session, will keep all of us at the statewide association busy. It is my goal to prioritize electric co-op consumer-members as the CREA team and I work to keep electricity reliable, safe, and affordable for the communities our member cooperatives serve.

Tom Walch is the executive director of the Colorado Rural Electric Association, the statewide organization supporting 21 electric distribution cooperatives and one generation and transmission cooperative.

It’s Been a Great Ride!

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Shortly after taking over the reins as CREA’s Executive Director in January 2010, I came across a book called Cowboy Ethics: What Wall Street Can Learn from the Code of the West.
While Colorado is a long way from Wall Street, I’ve found that the principles embodied in the Code of the West are applicable everywhere, and I’ve tried my best to conduct myself in accordance with those principles.

Live each day with courage. You will be doubted. You will be challenged. You will fall. When you do, the only answer is to get back up, dust yourself off, and get after it again.
Take pride in your work. My parents used to tell me that the world didn’t owe me a living and that I would have to work for everything I got. Whether it was my first job painting houses or my last job leading CREA, I’ve always tried to add something of value to the world by doing that job the best I could.

Always finish what you start. I played a small role in obtaining permits for a transmission line that Tri-State built in western Colorado. From conception to construction, the project took about 15 years; lots of great co-op leaders were determined to finish what they started, and the project got built.

Do what has to be done. My tenure at CREA sometimes involved telling legislators, respectfully, that their bills were not helpful to electric co-ops. Those were not always comfortable conversations, but they were necessary to protect the independence of
co-op decision-making.

Be tough but fair. You hear a lot these days about how employees from certain generations can’t take criticism. I don’t think that’s true; they can take criticism and will respond to it so long as it’s fair, constructive, and accurate.” “When you make a promise, keep it. I cut my professional teeth working as a staff attorney for the Colorado legislature during a time when it was simply unthinkable for any member to go back on their promise regarding a vote or anything else. I’ve never forgotten that example.

Ride for the brand. Several of my best mentors in this job have been cattle ranchers. Enough said.

Talk less and say more. With apologies to the author of the Code of the West, I would change this one slightly: talk less and listen better.

Remember that some things aren’t for sale. Loyalty. Self-respect. Dignity. Oh, and my 1965 Willie Mays baseball card.

Know where to draw the line. While some things are negotiable, many are not. You know where your line is; don’t step over it.

It has been the honor and privilege of my professional life to lead a terrific team of employees at CREA in our efforts to support Colorado’s electric co-ops. I am so grateful to have played a part in the Colorado co-op success story and to have so many friends in the co-op family. I have also been incredibly blessed to have my wife Deb by my side for this amazing ride.

Here’s hoping you all have a colorful Colorado co-op Christmas!”

Kent Singer is the executive director of CREA and offers a statewide perspective on issues affecting electric cooperatives. CREA is the trade association for 21 Colorado electric distribution co-ops and one power supply co-op.

2025

Powering Forward

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Electric co-op leaders meet to conduct business

Every fall the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, of which the Colorado Rural Electric Association and Colorado’s electric co-ops are members, hosts regional meetings for the purpose of considering member resolutions and conducting other business. The resolutions adopted by electric co-ops around the country guide the policy direction of our national trade group and reflect the bottom-up approach to governance.

This year’s Regions 7&9 Meeting (Colorado is in Region 7) was held in beautiful Bellevue, Washington. At this meeting, delegates representing states in these two regions heard presentations from a variety of different experts in the energy industry as well as updates from co-op leaders and other affiliated companies that support electric co-ops.

One of the main objectives of the meeting is to have the regional delegates consider proposed new resolutions and amendments to existing resolutions. This year, electric co-op leaders voted on two new resolutions. The first encourages NRECA to lobby for reliable postal service. As you may have experienced, postal service has been deteriorating in rural Colorado, in some cases impacting the delivery of this magazine and other communications from your co-op. Electric co-ops and their members depend on reliable postal service, and we will continue to let our members of Congress know that the recent problems are unacceptable.

The second new resolution encourages NRECA to support the development of artificial intelligence technology that could benefit electric co-ops. While co-ops, in many cases, are challenged to provide the power necessary to support AI data centers, there are also AI use cases that can improve the efficiency of co-ops.

Other resolutions that were considered at the regional meeting related to reducing the risk of wildfires, providing for voluntary membership in regional transmission organizations, and setting a reasonable time frame for the industry to incorporate more renewable energy.

When it comes to considering the new resolutions or amendments to existing resolutions, NRECA has a very thorough process that encourages member participation and input. I chaired the Region 7 resolutions committee as well as the vote that took place the next day to approve the resolutions. Every NRECA member who attended the regional meeting had the right and opportunity to suggest changes to any of the resolutions that govern NRECA’s lobbying activities.

At the regional meeting, I also counted votes for a director election to the board of directors of CFC, one of the banks that provides capital to electric co-ops. We checked and double-checked the votes to make sure we arrived at the same outcome each time.

Everyone associated with the electric co-op program takes voting and elections very seriously, and we do our best to make sure the results are accurate. You can rest assured that this responsibility is also fulfilled by your local electric co-op whenever there is an election for board members or other business.

Kent Singer is the executive director of CREA and offers a statewide perspective on issues affecting electric cooperatives. CREA is the trade association for 21 Colorado electric distribution co-ops and one power supply co-op.

The Value of Co-op Membership

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Flip the switch and the light comes on.

Open the fridge and cool air pours out.

Power up your laptop and start surfing the web.

The conveniences of modern life are so ubiquitous and mundane that we rarely even think about why, or how, they work. The simple fact is that no matter where you live in Colorado, you almost always have access to the reliable electricity you need to lead a productive, safe, and healthy life.

If you live in rural Colorado or in the service territory of an electric cooperative, this power is available to you due to the tireless efforts of the employees of your local cooperative. And while you may think that all electric utilities are basically the same, I’ll let you in on a little secret: Electric co-ops do it better.

What’s so special about receiving your electricity from a Colorado electric cooperative? Here are just a few benefits:

Accountability. We have all called customer service numbers only to wait on hold for what seems like days just to have the line be disconnected or told that we need to call someone else. That doesn’t happen when you call your local electric co-op. When you call your co-op, the phone is answered by a person — a member service representative who is likely a neighbor of yours — who helps answer your question or troubleshoot your problem.

Commitment. Your local electric co-op is commit- ted to providing a critical service to you and your family and to do it in the most reliable and afford-able manner possible. This isn’t lip service. This is the willingness of your co-op’s employees to go out in the middle of the night to fix a downed power line or to come to your house to replace a broken meter. Co-op employees are your friends and neighbors, and they know the importance of power availability to your daily life.

Innovation. Electric co-ops are always looking for better, more efficient ways to provide service. As smaller utilities, co-ops can change business practices or adopt technology as needed to meet the needs of their members. This ability to be flexible and nimble means that your co-op can meet the changing demands of the electric power business without getting caught up in a lot of regulatory roadblocks.

Mission. Electric co-ops were created more than 80 years ago for the purpose of serving communities, not to make a profit. This mission continues to drive co-op employees and boards of directors — also your neighbors — to provide a great service at a reasonable cost. This is the true co-op difference and the one that distinguishes electric co-ops from all other power providers.

Office space filled with packed boxes and disassembled furniture during a relocation.2025

Fresh Start, Energized Future

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If there’s one thing I think we can all agree on, maybe it’s this: moving — whether to a new home or a new office or into or out of your kid’s dorm room — generally stinks. The packing, wrapping, hauling, tossing out, and decision-making (should I keep that important file from 1978?) can be exhausting.

I’m happy to report, however, that the Colorado Rural Electric Association recently completed a successful move of our offices to a new location that will greatly enhance the association’s ability to support our members, Colorado’s electric co-ops.

I remember when CREA shared offices with Western United Electric Supply Corporation, an affiliated company that provides equipment to electric co-ops across the West. When Western United outgrew that space and headed out on its own, CREA found another building just north of downtown Denver that served our needs well for 25 years. Last year, however, we decided that we needed a new space that could accommodate our many programs and provide a better working environment for our employees.

We were fortunate to find a building in Lakewood that checked almost all the boxes for the attributes we were seeking: more square footage, easy access for our members, a good location for guests and visitors, turnkey condition — in this case a recent remodel — and a standalone property that would be used only by CREA.

Our new building will enable us to serve our members better since it has the capacity to host multiple events at the same time. It also has outdoor space that we can use for legislative receptions and other events when the weather cooperates — and we’re big on cooperation.

We also think there is good karma in the new building because it was originally built in 1968 as a branch of the Jefferson County Public Library. Incredibly, one of CREA’s board directors, Damon Lockhart from Delta-
Montrose Electric Association, spent time reading in this building as a kid before moving to the Western Slope later in life. We are thrilled to inhabit a building where so many young folks learned so much and we hope the work we do here will honor that tradition.

CREA is dedicated to the success of Colorado’s electric co-ops and we support them with legislative advocacy, safety programs, Colorado Country Life magazine, and education programs and classes. We appreciate our member cooperatives’ support of this move to a new facility that will allow us to continue that dedicated mission for many years to come.

Kent Singer is the executive director of CREA and offers a statewide perspective on issues affecting electric cooperatives. CREA is the trade association for 21 Colorado electric distribution co-ops and one power supply co-op.

Derek Mann/ iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

Texas Tragedy Sad Reminder of Big Thompson Flood

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The recent flash flood that resulted in the loss of more than 100 adults and children in the Texas Hill Country was a heart­breaking reminder of the power of Mother Nature and how lives can be lost and forever changed in an instant. There are no words to describe the anguish and sorrow of the many families impacted by this event.

The Texas tragedy hits home with many of us in Colorado who either lived through or have family or friends who lived through the flash flood that tore through the Big Thompson River Canyon nearly 50 years ago. While these two events occurred five decades apart, they are unfortunately similar in many ways.

During the evening hours of July 31, 1976, after nearly a foot of rain fell on the headwaters of the Big Thompson near Estes Park, a 20-foot wall of water roared down the canyon, sweeping away everything and everyone in its path. The flash flood that night took the lives of 144 adults and children; in a few cases, the victims were never found. In both the Texas flood and the Big Thompson Flood, the waters rose so fast and were so swift that there was little anyone could do to save the victims.

I was a teenager in Kansas at the time, but my sister Sandy was working as a horse wrangler at the Trails End Ranch for Girls (a unit of the Cheley Colo­rado Camps) near Glen Haven that night. The Cheley camps are operated by the Cheley family and have been a place of joy and learning for kids from all over the country for over 100 years. Sandy loved working at the camp, making friends that have lasted a lifetime, and teaching girls how to ride and take care of horses.

Thankfully, the Cheley camps were (and still are) located at a higher elevation and far enough from the Big Thompson River, so the flash flood did not directly impact the campers and staff. However, in those days long before cellphone service, families across the country — including mine — waited impatiently to hear news from Colorado and to find out if their kids were all right. My sister tells frightening accounts of the tragedies and close calls that occurred that night, a night she will never forget.

I remember clearly that as soon as we heard from Sandy, my folks and I got in the family car and headed west from Topeka, Kansas, to pick her up and bring her back home. We always loved coming to Colorado, but in this case, we were just relieved to see Sandy and give her a big hug.

As much as I’m grateful that our family did not lose my sister in the Big Thompson Flood, it reminds me that many folks then and now were not so lucky. We should keep them all in our prayers.

Kent Singer is the executive director of CREA and offers a statewide perspective on issues affecting electric cooperatives. CREA is the trade association for 21 Colorado electric distribution co-ops and one power supply co-op.

Baseball Memories

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I attended my first major league baseball game in 1965 when my family made a trip from Topeka, Kansas, to watch the Kansas City A’s play in the old municipal stadium in downtown Kansas City.

I don’t remember who the A’s played that night or any of their players — except for Campy Campaneris — but I remember very clearly the mule Charlie O., the team mascot. Charlie O. was named after A’s owner Charles O. Finley, who was something of a Barnum & Bailey-style team owner. I also remember that instead of a ball boy delivering new baseballs to the home plate umpire, a device would rise out of the ground behind home plate with a basket of baseballs served up on the outraised arm of a mechanical rabbit named Harvey (yes, after the Jimmy Stewart movie). The A’s stunk, but Mr. Finley wanted patrons to have a good time.

The A’s left for Oakland, California, after the 1967 season, and Kansas City was left without a baseball team until 1969 when the Kansas City Royals arrived, and a fancy new stadium was built. The Royals had a lot of success in the late 1970s, but lost three straight years in the American League Championship series to the dreaded New York Yankees — their formidable rival. Those Royals teams had great players including Frank White at second base, Freddie Patek at short, Amos Otis and Willie Wilson in the outfield, and, of course, the incomparable George Brett at third.

When I moved to Colorado in the mid-1980s, I continued to be a Royals fan until Denver was awarded the Colorado Rockies franchise and they began to play in 1993. I’ve been a Rockies fan ever since, although heaven knows in recent years that seems to be something of a fool’s errand. While listening to a recent Rockies game, however, I was reminded why I continue to love baseball: It takes me back to my youth.

On June 10, the Rockies took a 5-2 lead into the top of the ninth against the San Francisco Giants. Aided by walks and wild pitches, the Giants rallied to score four runs, capped by a two-out, two-run single by Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski. For those of us who grew up with baseball in the 1960s, the Yastrzemski name is legendary. Mike’s grandfather, Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, was one of the all-time greats for the Boston Red Sox. “Yaz,” as he was known, was an 18-time All-Star, a member of the 3,000-hit club, and the winner of seven Gold Glove awards. My mother, an avid baseball fan who listened to every Royals game on the radio with my dad, was always amused trying to pronounce the names of some of those mid-60s Red Sox players including Yastrzemski, Rico Petrocelli, and Tony Conigliaro.

So, while we suffer through another tough Rockies season, we can at least be reminded of the links to the past and hope for better days ahead. There’s always next year!

Kent Singer is the executive director of CREA and offers a statewide perspective on issues affecting electric cooperatives. CREA is the trade association for 21 Colorado electric distribution co-ops and one power supply co-op.

NRECA Legislative Conference Recap

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In last month’s Colorado Country Life, CREA’s Director of Government Relations, Taylor Ward, provided a recap of the association’s successful work during the recently completed session of the Colorado General Assembly.

While most of our political advocacy work for electric co-ops is done in Colorado, CREA also works with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association to promote the interests of electric co-ops in Washington, D.C. We work with the offices of Colorado’s two United States senators and eight representatives to protect and promote the electric co-op business model on a national level.

As part of our federal advocacy, each year CREA supports and organizes Colorado’s electric co-op participation in NRECA’s annual Legislative Conference in Washington. This conference brings together over 2,000 electric co-op directors and staff from across the country to meet with members of Congress and address co-op concerns and issues.

At this year’s gathering, approximately 50 representatives of Colorado’s electric co-ops joined the CREA team in meetings with our Congressional delegation. We were fortunate this year that Congress was in session the week we were in D.C., so we were able to meet with both of our senators as well as five of our eight members of Congress. We also met with terrific staff members from the other three offices when the representatives had scheduling conflicts.

We focused on five main issues in our meetings in D.C. First, we thanked the members for their support of recent federal laws that provide funding to co-ops to complete projects that will improve the reliability and resiliency of rural electric systems. Second, we asked the members to continue to support co-op investments in wildfire mitigation projects, grid hardening, and cybersecurity improvements. Third, we asked the Colorado delegation to continue to support federal legislation that will provide a better opportunity for co-ops to remove hazardous trees and reduce the threat of wildfires. The Fix Our Forests Act expands the width of electric utility rights of way on federal lands and expedites the permitting process for co-ops to clear vegetation from around power lines. Fourth, we reminded our representatives of the importance of hydropower in our energy mix and asked that they support adequate staffing for the Western Area Power Administration. Fifth, we asked the members to continue to support the Federal Emergency Management Administration and its work with co-ops in the aftermath of natural disasters.

The Colorado congressional delegation has a wide range of viewpoints on energy policy and other matters. However, we believe that the mission of Colorado’s not-for-profit, member-owned electric co-ops is one that everyone can get behind.

We’re very grateful to the directors and staff of our member cooperatives who made the trip to Washington, D.C., and we collectively appreciate the work our delegation does on behalf of the state and Colorado’s electric co-ops. There is more work to be done on all of these issues, and Colorado’s electric co-ops will continue to partner with our members of Congress in the coming months to help co-ops serve their communities with reliable and affordable power.

Legislative Wins for Colorado’s Electric Co-ops

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The Colorado General Assembly adjourns May 7, and it’s been a successful session for Colorado’s electric cooperatives. CREA entered the session with a new government relations team, and we’re extremely proud of how we’ve advocated on behalf of our member cooperatives. From day one, we set out to build new relationships with lawmakers while strengthening existing ones — and we’re proud to say we’ve done just that.

CREA’s team reviews every bill introduced during the session to assess how proposed laws may affect electric co-ops. This year, we were thrilled to support bills that add tools to help utilities achieve state-mandated clean energy goals and backed measures that strengthen wildfire resilience — a critical issue for many electric co-ops. While each session brings a mix of helpful and concerning proposals, this year was especially active for bills that could have challenged co-ops’ ability to deliver the reliable, affordable, and safe electricity their communities count on. Here are a few highlights from our work this session:

HB25-1234: Service Disconnection Ban. As introduced, this bill would have prohibited electric co-ops from disconnecting service to their members between October and May and in certain other circumstances. Co-ops have strong safeguards in place to prevent shut-offs, such as advance-notice policies, flexible payment options, payment assistance programs, and medical exemptions. A state-mandated prohibition on disconnections would have severely hampered the ability of co-ops to provide service to their members. CREA successfully lobbied for an amendment to this bill to remove any applicability to co-ops.

HB-1286: Extreme Temperature Worker Requirements. This bill aimed to require employers to implement protections for workers who are exposed to extreme hot or cold temperatures at the worksite. We were able to explain to the sponsors of this bill how electric co-ops prioritize their employees’ health and safety, even when lineworkers and other co-op employees face extreme temperatures during their work to keep the lights on. This bill was postponed indefinitely by the sponsors.

HB25-1090: Elimination of Junk Fees. Everybody, including electric co-ops, hates junk fees! We certainly understood the intent of the bill — to eliminate junk fees such as excessive airline charges, surprise hotel costs, and hidden concert fees — but we were concerned that the bill’s language could create confusion around the rates electric co-ops charge their members. Co-ops do not impose junk fees on their members. As not-for-profit electric utilities, co-ops only recover enough money through their rates as is required to provide safe, affordable, and reliable electric service. CREA worked with the sponsors of HB25-1090 to clarify that it did not apply to the rates charged by electric co-ops.

HB25-1010: Prohibition on Price Gouging. As with junk fees, electric co-ops are certainly opposed to price gouging, a practice that has occurred in some states in the wake of a natural disaster. The devil is always in the details when it comes to legislation, and we made sure that co-ops were not implicated in this bill since co-ops absolutely do not engage in price gouging. We successfully negotiated new language in the bill with the support of the bill sponsors.

These bills are just a few examples of CREA’s achievements this session. We’re incredibly grateful to our state legislators, many of whom partnered with us this session to address key challenges facing Colorado’s electric cooperatives. Their dedication to public service — and to the communities Colorado’s electric co-ops serve — is invaluable. We’re proud of the meaningful progress made this year. The relationships we’ve continued to build and the groundwork we’ve laid will strengthen our advocacy moving forward.

The success of electric co-ops is essential to the well-being of the Coloradans they serve, and we’re thrilled with the outcomes of this legislative session.

CREA Director of Government Relations Taylor Ward advocates for the statewide association’s membership at the capitol. Ward works with legislators and other stakeholders to advance the interests of Colorado’s electric cooperatives.

Executive Director

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Executive Director

Colorado Rural Electric Association

Denver, CO

Salary range to start:  $325,000 – $425,000

Please send your resume and cover letter to boardpresident@coloradorea.org
all submissions are confidential

Application deadline:  May 15, 2025

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Statewide Association Seeks Executive Director

The board of directors serving the Colorado Rural Electric Association based in Denver, Colorado, seeks a member focused leader to become the next executive director of the association.

CREA’s executive director is a leader responsible for guiding the association towards excellence in service and member collaboration. The executive director exemplifies the cooperative principles and CREA’s core values and mission to enhance and advance the interests of its member electric cooperatives through a united effort. Reporting to a 25-member board of directors, the executive director is responsible for leading employees to support its 21-member distribution cooperatives and one generation and transmission cooperative.

The ideal candidate will continue the association’s established and successful history of building and nurturing relationships with various stakeholders — including local electric distribution cooperatives, lawmakers, and regulatory agencies.

This position requires a dynamic leader with a strategic mindset, exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, and a commitment to fostering collaboration within the organization and with external partners.

About CREA

The Colorado Rural Electric Association is a not-for-profit, member-driven organization that represents and advocates for 21 distribution cooperatives and one Colorado-based generation and transmission association. Colorado’s electric cooperatives serve more than 1 million consumer-members living across more than 70% of the state’s landmass.

For 80 years, CREA has functioned as an essential resource for the state’s electric cooperatives and focuses on providing legislative advocacy, communications support, safety training, and education services.

CREA is positioned to continue its active participation in state and federal legislative processes and to advocate for the interests of its member electric cooperatives, ensuring Colorado’s co-op communities have a voice in influencing energy policy.

Beyond its advocacy efforts, CREA prioritizes safety and loss control training for its members and serves as the publisher of Colorado Country Life magazine — the state’s largest-circulation publication, reaching more than 175,000 cooperative members and legislators each month.

By prioritizing member service and promoting cooperative principles, the statewide association plays a pivotal role in ensuring that Coloradans who are served by an electric cooperative have access to reliable, affordable, safe, and sustainable electric service. 

 

At CREA, the executive director:  

  • Leads the organization in achieving its strategic goals and objectives.
  • Cultivates positive relationships with the board, member cooperatives, staff, and other stakeholders.
  • Shapes an organizational culture that empowers CREA teams to deliver outstanding service.
  • Continues a culture of excellence in member engagement and fiscal strength.
  • Develops and implements a compelling vision and strategic plan aligned with the board of directors’ long-term goals.
  • Advocates for the electric cooperative industry at state and national levels.
  • Works toward uniting the diverse association membership.
  • Manages day-to-day operations and activities of the association.
  • Manages the operations of the association in accordance with the viewpoints, objectives, and policies of the board of directors.
  • Frequently travels throughout Colorado and other states as necessary.

The ideal candidate will have verifiable experience in the following competencies:

  • Change Leadership and Risk Management: Proactively identifies, navigates, and manages organizational change and risk.
  • Innovation and Continuous Improvement: Encourages creative thinking and champions opportunities for innovation and process enhancement.
  • Strategic Vision: Maintains a long-term, big-picture perspective that anticipates future needs of the association and its members.
  • Member-Centric Focus: Champions a culture that prioritizes and responds to the needs of its member cooperatives.
  • Analytical Decision Making: Applies systematic, conceptual, and data-informed thinking to develop effective solutions that align with strategic goals.
  • Resilience and Adaptability: Remains composed and flexible in the face of challenges, ambiguity, or rapid change.
  • Financial Acumen: Understands budgeting, financial risks, and opportunities to support sound fiscal decision-making.
  • Effective Communication: Communicates clearly and actively listens to foster mutual understanding; strong presentation skills are a plus.
  • Inspirational Leadership: Motivates, influences, and aligns others with the organization’s mission, vision, and values.
  • Organizational Awareness: Understands the organization’s structure, culture, and dynamics to navigate effectively and influence outcomes.
  • Team and Relationship Building: Builds strong, collaborative teams and cultivates positive working relationships across the organization.
  • Integrity and Courage: Acts with integrity, consistency, and professionalism, even in the face of difficult decisions.

The following qualifications will help the ideal candidate stand out: 

  • An advanced degree or certification in law, political science, management, finance, economics, or engineering.
  • Working knowledge of electric utility operations, best practices for industry safety efforts, implications of local and regional power supply, and electric cooperative needs.

Benefits

  • Pension and 401(k) plan
  • Medical, dental, and prescription drug insurance
  • Long-term disability insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Supplemental AD&D insurance
  • Business travel accident insurance
  • Education assistance plan
  • Section 125 plan
  • Health savings account
  • Seven paid holidays and two personal days
  • Vacation and sick leave
  • Company vehicle

Colorado Rural Electric Association is an equal opportunity employer. CREA prohibits unlawful discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical disability, mental disability, pregnancy, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, veteran status, vaccination status, political belief, or any other characteristic to the extent protected by federal, state, or local laws.