Cole Tippett Named New GM

The board of directors of Tri-County Electric have appointed Cole Tippett as the new General Manager/CEO.

Tippett brings more than 23 years of experience at Tri-County Electric, including extensive work as the Manager of Office Services and IT. In his previous role he oversaw administrative operations and technology systems that support our mission of providing safe, reliable, and affordable electric service to our members.

Tippett is a 1999 graduate of Schuyler County R-1 High School. He received an Associate of Business Degree in Information Technology from AIB College of Business in 2002. He then went on to earn a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management and graduated with honors in 2021. Tippett also completed the Robert I. Kabat Management Internship Program in 2019 at the University Wisconsin-Madison. Cole currently resides in Lancaster with his wife, Lindsay, and two sons, Bryce, 14, and Brady, 10.

During his long tenure, Tippett has contributed to operational and technology improvements such as smart meters and implementing a new mobile app. Tippett has also led the way in cross-departmental collaboration helping strengthen Tri-County’s ability to serve its members and communities.

As General Manager/CEO, Tippett will be responsible for the cooperative’s day-to-day operations, strategic direction, and long-term planning, working closely with the board of directors and employees.

“I am deeply honored to have been selected as CEO of Tri-County Electric,” said Tippett. “I look forward to stepping into this role and am excited about the work ahead. This cooperative’s strength has always been its people, and I’m deeply appreciative of the dedicated, talented team already in place. I look forward to learning from them and working together to serve our members and support our communities.”

Employee Spotlight
Leanne James

Each month, we’ll be shining the spotlight on one of our amazing employees so you can get to know the friendly faces behind the scenes. This month is Leanne James!

Leanne is our accountant, organizer of all things fun, and celebrating her 10th year at Tri-County Electric. Here are three fun facts about Leanne, along with what she loves most about her job:

1. She is the Culver-Stockton College Singing Bee champion of 2010
2. Jam is her JAM! She is the county fair best of show strawberry jam winner
3. First job out of high school was with Lewis County REC.
   

Favorite part of the job:

“I love the people I work with and I love solving the puzzle that is numbers.”



Be sure to say hello to Leanne next time you're in the office paying your bill or visiting during our Member Appreciation Event.

We Economic support available through REDLG

Rural Economic Development Loans (REDL) and Grants (REDG) fund eligible projects using local utility organizations as intermediary lenders. Under REDL, USDA Rural Development provides zero-interest loans to local utilities, which then pass the loans through to local businesses (called “ultimate recipients”). REDL funds can be used for projects that help create and keep jobs in rural areas. Ultimate recipients directly repay the lending utility, and the lending utility then repays USDA Rural Development.

With REDG, local utility organizations use USDA-awarded grants to establish revolving loan funds (RLFs) which support projects that help create or keep rural jobs. Once the RLF is exhausted or otherwise ends, the grant is then repaid to USDA Rural Development. 

For more information and to see if your business qualifies, please contact Stephanie Mills at smills@tricountyelectric.org.

2026 Annual Meeting Information and Proposed By-Law Change

For our Annual Meeting, Tri-County Electric Cooperative Board of Directors have proposed a by-law change regarding the General Manager and where he/she may be required to live.

The current by-law reads as follows:

"SECTION 8. MANAGER. The Board of Directors may appoint a manager who may be, but who shall not be required to be, a member of the Cooperative. The Man­ager shall perform such duties and shall exercise such authority as the Board of Directors may from time to time vest in him or her."

The proposed by-law change will read as follows:

"SECTION 8. MANAGER. The Board of Directors may appoint a manager who may be a member of the Cooperative. The Man­ager shall perform such duties and shall exercise such authority as the Board of Directors may from time to time vest in him or her."

TCEC Linemen

February Board Meeting Recap

Tri-County Electric Board of Directors met in February and reviewed policies, discussed upcoming projects, and listened to several staff reports. 

Our end of year financials will be available after our annual auditor's report is finalized. That report is set to be finalized within the next few weeks. Your next newsletter will have more information.

Energy-Saving Tip