Warren Goetsch of Williamsville, Ill. 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 (NRECA). Goetsch was elected during the July 29 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 Menard Electric Cooperative, Petersburg, board director 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 says. “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, Va.–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.