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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Warren Goetsch, of Williamsville, was chosen by his Illinois electric cooperative peers to represent the state’s electric cooperatives on the board of directors of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
Goetsch was elected during the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives annual meeting.
He will begin serving a two-year term in March 2022 after the current term of Director Phil Carson, Tri-County Electric Cooperative Inc., expires. Carson is stepping down after 16 years of service, where he served as board president from 2016-2018.
Goetsch has served as a board director of Menard Electric Cooperative, Petersburg, for 34 years and is the immediate past chairman of the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives.
He holds a master’s degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Illinois and retired in 2019 as deputy director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture after 30 years. Goetsch currently serves on the NRECA Director Advisory Group.
“I have had the honor of serving on the Menard Electric Cooperative Board for just over 34 years and serving on the AIEC Board for over 21,” Goetsch said.
“I have found the experiences serving on those boards to be some of the most rewarding of my professional life. I view election to the NRECA board as a continuation of that service and a way to express one of the seven cooperative principles, Commitment to Community. I look forward to working with other board members at NRECA as we tackle the many modern-day challenges facing electric cooperatives across the country.”
NRECA is the Arlington, Virginia-based trade association that represents the interests of more than 900 cooperatives and 42 million members across the country, as well as public power districts and public utility districts. The board is composed of one representative from each of the 48 states served by electric cooperatives.
NRECA directors are responsible for setting the strategic course for the association. It reviews and approves the association’s annual $250 million budget, provides oversight on legislative and regulatory activities, ensures the good financial standing of the cooperative network’s benefit and retirements systems, supports the international outreach program and advocates for the cooperative business model.
Based in Springfield, the AIEC provides legal, engineering, communications, safety training, legislative and other services to 29 electric cooperatives. AIEC member-cooperatives serve more than 297,857 farms, homes and businesses in 90 counties, with 62,677 miles of line.
AIEC is a member of Touchstone Energy — a national alliance of local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives providing high standards of service to members large and small.
More than 700 Touchstone Energy cooperatives in 46 states are delivering energy and energy solutions to more than 30 million members every day. Touchstone Energy cooperatives serve their members with integrity, accountability, innovation and a longstanding commitment to communities.