Tracy Boe:: President
Representative Tracy Boe, Rolla, began his term as a Northern Plains Director in June 2003. Boe says it was legislative discussion of the Territorial Integrity Act last winter that incited him to think about running for election to the Northern Plains board. "I found the subject quite interesting and thought I should learn more about it," he said. "And that's what I look forward to - learning about the electric industry, as it affects so much of what we do in rural North Dakota." Boe is no newcomer to North Dakota. He has lived on the same farm his entire life. Besides farming with wife Sandy and their two children (Britta and Kelsey), Boe serves on the Rolette County Farmers Union Board and the Rolla School Board. He is also a member of the Farm Bureau. "I enjoy being on the inside," he says. "To learn the issues, to learn how things work and what to do about them that, I guess, is why I like to stay involved."
Curtis Wiesz :: Vice President
Wiesz and his wife, Sheila, own and operate a farm near Heaton. Curtis is past s
ecretary-treasurer and past vice-president of the Wells County Farmers Union board
and a past state torch-bearer for Farmers Union. "I know that in the electric industry there is always a lot to learn," he says. The Wiesz's have two children: Donovan and Jeremy. The family raises wheat, confectionery sunflowers, barley and quarter horses.
Russell Carlson :: Secretary/Treasurer
Russell Carlson says that Northern Plains derives its strength from the diverse group (rural, urban, industrial, commercial, agricultural) it serves. According to Carlson, nothing is more important to rural America that electric power. "It is rural America's backbone," he says. Carlson has learned from his years of service as cooperative director that keeping informed about the industry and related issues is a constant challenge. "If there's one thing I've learned, it is the complexity of this industry," he says. Carlson serves on the board of directors of the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) and as chairman of the NDAREC Public Relations Advisory Committee. A graduate of NDSU and former Army paratrooper, Carlson farms in partnership with his brother near Jamestown.
Randy Simon :: Assistant Secretary/Treasurer
Randy Simon has served on the Northern Plains board of directors since 2000. A graduate of Oberon High School and Lake Region Junior College, he farms and ranches with his wife, Charlotte, and three children, Mark, Lee and Heidi, on the family farm west of Oberon. He is a member of the St. Williams Catholic Church, Maddock.
Mark Brehm
Mark Brehm began his service on the board in June 2007. Brehm has extensive experience in the electric industry. He owns and operates D & M Electric Motor and Supply, specializing in sales and repair of motors, starters, alternators and industrial controls. Brehm and his partners have developed and marketed a patented atmospheric control system for vegetable storage facilities. He and his wife, Darla, live in Cando and have two grown children.
Ron Erickson
After serving on both Baker and Northern Plains' board, Ron Erickson has witnessed firsthand the complexity of the electric utility industry. He lists as most challenging the process of making critical decisions in a changing environment. In the future, he sees Northern Plains providing reliable, economical electricity while leading efforts in rural development. A graduate of NDSU, Erickson is a farmer and aerial crop sprayer.
Doug Geier
Since Douglas Geier was elected to Tri-County's board, he has witnessed two events he finds memorable: the consolidation of Tri-County Electric and Baker Electric, and the ice storm of 1997. Geier raises registered quarter horses and has been following electric issues very closely in recent years in hopes of "making the right decisions for the good of the cooperative and its members." Geier and his wife, Judy (a registered nurse) live near Heaton and are parents of two children who are both physicians.
Bruce Olsen
Olsen is a farmer and graduate of Cando High School. He attended Bismarck Junior college and Lake Region College before farming with his parents. Bruce and his wife, Wanda, took over the family farm where they raise wheat, canola, beans and peas. Olsen is a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and has served on his township and school board. He and Wanda are parents of Tyler and Kami.
Bill Riebe
If there is one thing Bill Riebe will say about his stint as cooperative director, it is that he has learned from the
experience. "It's been interesting to watch how the electric industry is changing. The obvious lesson has been not to be afraid of change, but to look for ways to make it work to advantage for members of Northern Plains Electric," he says. Growing up near Pingree, Bill has always been impressed by his electric cooperative and is "glad to give something back to a company that has served me so well." Bill is on the Pingree Cemetery Board, Edmunds-Pingree Community Center Board, Pingree Township Board, Kames Rover Mutual Insurance Agency, Harland Mutual Insurance Company of Minot and is active in many other civic groups. He and his wife, Elaine, ranch near Pingree, and Bill is employed at Arrowwood National Arrowwood Refuge. They have two married children and three grandchildren.
