NDAREC welcomes new board president
The North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) announces the election of its new president, Angela Carlson of Regent. Carlson was elected by the membership at the association’s 81st annual meeting Feb. 13, succeeding Robert Grant, who has served as the association’s president since 2008.
“Angela has been an engaged member of our board since 2018. We are excited to welcome her to the executive committee and look forward to her cooperative leadership,” says NDAREC Executive Vice President and General Manager Josh Kramer. “As board president, Angela will play a vital role in guiding and overseeing the board’s strategic direction and decision-making processes.”
Carlson has represented Slope Electric Cooperative on NDAREC’s board since 2018. She has been a Slope Electric director since 2015 and currently serves as secretary. Additionally, she has served on many boards in her local community across a diverse range of emphasis areas, including jobs development, human services, corrections, tourism and rural innovation. She is president of the Enchanted Highway Foundation, was a Hettinger County commissioner and previously worked on Wall Street in New York City. Raised on a family farm near Regent, Carlson and her husband, Bob, recently retired from their 300-head Black Angus cattle operation.
Grant, who did not seek re-election, has served North Dakota’s electric cooperatives with distinction for more than 40 years. First elected to the Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative (MWEC) board of directors in 1981, he has represented MWEC on the NDAREC board since 1992, serving as board president since 2008. As president, Grant led the association through dynamic changes, including a headquarters renovation and the construction of the Lineworker Training Center in Mandan, which is utilized to provide year-round training to the state’s electric cooperative workforce and Bismarck State College lineworker students.
“We thank Bob for his 16 years of service to NDAREC as board president. As a unifying force, Bob has made lasting contributions to North Dakota’s electric cooperatives through his legacy of cooperative leadership,” says NDAREC Executive Vice President and General Manager Josh Kramer. “For decades, Bob has provided support, mentorship and friendship to co-op employees and directors across the state. If you are connected to North Dakota’s electric co-ops, chances are you know or have met Bob Grant. His character and integrity have reflected well on the electric cooperative network.”
The membership also re-elected Connie Bitz to a fourth term as secretary. Representing Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative, Bitz has served on the NDAREC board since 2012.
NDAREC’s board of directors is comprised of representatives from North Dakota’s 17 distribution and five generation and transmission cooperatives. The executive committee serves as a central body responsible for setting priorities, allocating resources and ensuring effective governance.
NDAREC congratulates the newly elected leaders and thanks all for their service to North Dakota’s electric cooperatives.
NDAREC is the statewide trade association for 17 electric distribution cooperatives and five generation and transmission cooperatives operating in North Dakota. The distribution cooperatives provide electricity to nearly 250,000 North Dakotans. NDAREC services include legislative advocacy, lineworker safety training, professional development, cooperative business development and communication services, including publication of the North Dakota Living magazine.