|
Wishes for a merry and safe holiday to all Dairylanders and your families! Special thanks to our coworkers who are working over the holidays to keep the lights and heat on for all.
Short Circuits Holiday Schedule
Short Circuits will not be published on Christmas Eve next week. It will return on Wednesday, Dec. 31, with business news and retirement features. Happy Holidays!
| EMPLOYEE SYMPOSIUM REGISTRATION | All sessions are now live in Workday and ready for you to sign up for the date, time and location that works best for your in-person attendance. Please use the Quick Reference Guide (QRG) if you have questions on how to enroll. You can also search "2026 Employee Symposium" in Workday to find the session. Please have your selections by Monday, Jan. 12, to ensure proper head count. | YEAR-END ACCOUNTING REMINDER | All 2025 expenses must be recorded and approved in Expense Management no later than Tuesday, Jan. 6. Please ensure your submissions are timely and complete to ensure a smooth and accurate financial close. | PEAK PERFORMANCE PODCAST SERIES | |
Strategic Priority: Organizational Development
The Organizational Effectiveness team has produced two learning series within the Peak Performance Podcast to support leadership development and strengthen communications among Dairyland employees. Be sure to check them out on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
“Leadership & the Art of Following”
Releases Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025
This three-part series will help improve leadership skills for employees at every level. Each episode features a Dairyland leader addressing different aspects of leadership, including EVP & Chief Nuclear Officer Grover Hettel (effective leadership and the importance of trust), Line Construction Supervisor Dustin Rosemeyer (balancing leading vs. following) and President & CEO Brent Ridge (the Situational Leadership II® Model).
“Say Nothing, Say Everything”
Releases Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026
Communication shapes culture and “Say Nothing, Say Everything” examines how we show up with our words, actions and presence. Featuring Dr. Scott Dickmeyer, with the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, and Dairyland EVP & Chief Administrative Officer Amanda Hoefling, the duo offers insights on nonverbal communication and the impacts of team dynamics based on communication styles.
| MT. LA CROSSE CORP. SKI NIGHT | |
Dairyland is again a partner of Corporate Night at Mt. La Crosse, our local ski hill that is on Vernon Electric Cooperative lines! Vernon is a Dairyland member co-op.
Who & When: Dairyland employees, your family and friends are eligible for discounted skiing, snowboarding and lessons on Friday nights during the ski season from 3 to 8 p.m.
Never Ever and Beginner lessons will be available at
5:30 p.m. every Friday beginning Jan. 2. Lesson registration closes 48 hours before each lesson starts, but tickets and rentals can be purchased day-of (online).
Corporate Night Rates
- Lessons: ages 6-9: $20,
10 and up: $15
- Lift Ticket Only: $30
- Lift Ticket and Rentals: $55
- Rentals include Ski Package or Snowboard Package
- Ski Package: Skis, Ski Boots, Poles, Helmet
- Snowboard Package: Snowboard, Snowboard Boots, Helmet
Register: Please click here to purchase lift tickets, register for lessons and book rentals. Please use CorpNight2526 to access the site.
| |
Workday Learning:
Distracted Driving 2.0 and the Minnesota Paid Leave assignments are due by Friday, Dec. 19.
Performance Evaluations:
Non-Union Performance Evaluations are due by Wednesday, Dec. 31.
More information including an FAQ document is available on the Performance Management SharePoint site.
| |
Sympathy is extended to the family and friends of former Dairyland Board Director Leonard Ricke, following his death on Dec. 7. Leonard served on the Dairyland Board from 1985 to 2007 representing JCE Co-op.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Dec. 12 at Nativity BVM Catholic Church, in Menominee, Ill.
| |  | MARIBELL TRANSMISSION PROJECT UPDATE | |
Strategic Priorities: Reliability, Financial Strength
MariBell is part of MISO’s Long Range Transmission Plan (LRTP) Project 26, designed to strengthen regional reliability. MariBell spans Marion, Minn., to Bell Center, Wis., forming the middle segment of Project 26 from North Rochester, Minn., to Columbia, Wis.
For Minnesota permitting, Dairyland and GridLiance Heartland will file Certificate of Need and Route Permit applications jointly with Xcel Energy, which is building the North Rochester–Marion segment. This joint application covers only the Minnesota portion of Project 26.
To align with the joint filing, you may see a new name: Gopher to Badger Link, which refers to Xcel’s segment plus Dairyland and GridLiance Heartland's segment within Minnesota.
Open House Dates for Gopher to Badger Link
-
Jan. 12, 4-6 p.m.: Zumbrota VFW, 25 1st St., Zumbrota, Minn.
-
Jan. 13, 10 a.m.-Noon: Blue Moon Ballroom, 2030 Hwy. 14 E., Rochester, Minn.
-
Jan. 13, 4-6 p.m.: LeRoy Community Center, 204 W. Main St., LeRoy, Minn.
-
Jan. 14, 10 a.m.-Noon: Stewartville American Legion, 1100 2nd Ave. NW, Stewartville, Minn.
-
Jan. 14, 4-6 p.m.: Preston Depot Museum & Riverfront Center, 304 Fillmore St. E., Preston, Minn.
-
Jan. 15, 10 a.m.-Noon: Mabel Community Center, 201 Main St. S., Mabel, Minn.
-
Jan. 15, 4-6 p.m.: Four Seasons Community Center, 900 N. Kingston St., Caledonia, Minn.
The full December 2025 project update is posted as a PDF on the Breaker.
| SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM SAFETY AND ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS | |
Strategic Priorities: Organizational Development, Safe Outcomes
As the year draws to a close, we reflect on the shared values that make our workplace strong - our people and our commitment to excellence and safety.
In this season of celebration, the Organizational Effectiveness and Safety Teams extend our sincere thanks for your commitment to continuous improvement over the past year. With the introduction of new initiatives, programs and practices, we have continued to strengthen our operations and People First culture. Your participation and adaptability have been instrumental during a period of growth and change for our cooperative.
As we look to the year ahead, we remain focused on safety and excellence. Our teams will continue to support Dairyland in the following ways:
-
Organizational Effectiveness Team: Foster collaboration, leadership and continuous improvement to help teams achieve strategic goals.
-
Safety Team: Serve as a driving force in advancing our organization's commitment to safety, providing resources, guidance and support to empower leaders and employees to prioritize safety in every aspect of their work.
How We Work Together
While our teams serve distinct purposes, we share a common mission: Creating a workplace where people thrive. Organizational Effectiveness builds the structure for success, while Safety empowers leaders and employees to prioritize safety and fosters a proactive safety culture.
As we close out 2025, all teams are encouraged to finish the year with safety and excellence top of mind, ensuring we all go home safe every day and that we continue to deliver on our mission to safely power our communities.
Holiday Safety Tips
- Ensure walkways, parking lots and entryways are cleared of snow and ice, and use salt or sand to improve traction. Wear footwear with appropriate tread to navigate slippery surfaces safely.
-
Dress in layers to stay warm during outdoor work and be aware of signs of frostbite or hypothermia. Take breaks in heated spaces to avoid prolonged exposure to the cold.
- Inspect vehicles and machinery for winter readiness. Check tires, battery life, fluid levels, and ensure heaters and defrosters are functioning properly. Allow equipment adequate warm-up time before use.
Warm wishes for a safe and successful year ahead!
| ELGIN AND ROCKY ROAD PLANT TOURS | |
Dairyland hosted tours at our newly acquired facilities, the Elgin Energy Center (Elgin, Ill.) and Rocky Road facility (East Dundee, Ill.), on Dec. 15 for Dairyland Managers Association (DMA) President Hollee McCormick (Allamakee-Clayton) and Board Chair Mark Kingland (Heartland).
Also in attendance were President and CEO Brent Ridge; Director, Power Supply and Strategy Execution Jim Sherman; VP, Generation Jeremy Browning; EVP and COO Ben Porath; VP, External Affairs Jason Herbert; and Director, Site Operations Generation Ches Wright. Staff from the two facilities included Lead O&M Technician David Dearing; Plant Administrator Nancy Julian; Facility Manager Todd Kutz; O&M Technicians Ben Saye, Sundance Sparks, Todd Kufahl; Compliance Manager Jake Hill; Lead O&M Technician Michael Sternhagen and O&M Technician James Kinnibrugh.
Acquired in November from Avenue Capital Group, these natural gas-fired plants are essential capacity resources that will strengthen Dairyland’s ability to provide reliable energy 24/7/365. The facilities are critical to meeting rising energy demand, driven by economic growth, energy-intensive industries, and new partnerships with Norris Electric Cooperative and Oconto Electric Cooperative starting in 2026.
As fast-start, dispatchable units, Elgin and Rocky Road will also support Dairyland’s planned investments in wind and solar projects through the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) federal grant.
| PROCEDURE MANAGEMENT UPDATE | |
Strategic Priorities: Organizational Development, Safe Outcomes
During the recent Leadership Alignment Meetings, Organizational Effectiveness Program Manager Kyle Overby shared insights gathered from 12 Focus Groups composed of front-line employees and managers across Dairyland. These discussions highlighted several key themes that are important to consider as we strive for continuous improvement. Additionally, procedure definitions requested by leaders were distributed for review to help guide future decision-making.
Key Themes Identified
- Work gaps often rely on informal knowledge shared among employees (referred to as tribal knowledge).
- Critical knowledge is concentrated among a few individuals, posing risks during retirements or turnover.
-
Employees expressed interest in targeted procedures developed by subject matter experts for complex or high-risk tasks.
These findings are intended to assist leaders in evaluating where adjustments may be beneficial. The Procedure Management Team is not asking leaders to begin drafting new procedures at this time. Instead, this information is shared for awareness and supporting future consideration for procedures. For questions or further clarification, please contact the Procedure Management Team.
| CORRECTIVE ACTION PROGRAM TRAINING | |
Strategic Priorities: Safe Outcomes, Organizational Development
Beginning in January 2026, Dairyland will begin implementing the Corrective Action Program (CAP). CAP is a process used for identifying, evaluating and resolving issues that could have a negative impact on Dairyland. It provides a record that allows us to review previously identified issues or concerns and take actions based on the information captured. It also supports accountability, continuous improvement and compliance by documenting actions, assigning ownership and tracking outcomes.
All employees are required to attend one of the following training sessions.
La Crosse — Board Room, Admin Building
- Jan. 12: 8–11 a.m.
- Jan. 13: 8–11 a.m. & 12:30–3:30 p.m.
- Jan.15: 12:30–3:30 p.m.
- Feb. 3: 8–11 a.m. & 12:30–3:30 p.m.
- Feb. 4: 8–11 a.m. & 12:30–3:30 p.m.
JPM — Large Conference Room
- Jan. 20: 9:50–11:50 a.m.
- Jan. 23: 9:50–11:50 a.m.
- Jan. 26: 9:50–11:50 a.m.
- Jan. 30: 9:50–11:50 a.m.
Elk Mound
- Jan. 22: 7:30–9:30 a.m.
- Jan. 22: 12:30–2:30 p.m.
Harmony
Reserve Your Spot
Employees should register for CAP training through Workday. Please sign up early as sessions have size limits. Click here to sign up through Workday.
| YOU FIRST: WEEKLY WELLNESS NEWS | |
December can be a busy month, and it’s easy to forget about your own well-being. Dairyland's new WorkTango incentive encourages you to take a moment for yourself— pause, reflect and create one positive affirmation that you’ll see every day.
It could be something simple like, “I am capable,” or “I choose positivity.” Write it on a
sticky note, place it on your desk or say it out loud each morning. This is about
building a habit of self-kindness and resilience.
You only need to complete this check-in once in December to claim your reward. Start
today and make your affirmation a daily reminder that you matter.
| |
