board of directors – Dakota Electric Association®

Dakota Electric Association announces 2026 Board of Directors election results

Jake Omodt — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:00:50 +0000

All incumbents re-elected

(FARMINGTON, MN) April 24, 2026 – Dakota Electric Association® members gathered on April 23 at the cooperative’s headquarters in Farmington for the annual meeting, receiving updates on the cooperative’s financial health, system planning, future growth and other key topics.

During the meeting, members and guests heard reports from the Board of Directors and senior leadership on key issues facing the cooperative, including electric rates, long-term facility needs, projected load growth, and power supply planning.

Board Chair Paul Bakken, Board Treasurer Cyndee Fields, and CEO Ryan Hentges each provided updates on the state of the cooperative and outlined how Dakota Electric is positioning itself to reliably and affordably meet member needs in the years ahead.

“As we navigate a changing energy landscape, Dakota Electric is not only adapting to change, we are helping lead it,” said Bakken. “By focusing on member satisfaction, operational resilience, cost efficiency and innovation, we are building a strong foundation for the future.”

In addition to business updates, the cooperative highlighted upcoming opportunities for member engagement. Dakota Electric’s annual Member Appreciation Event will take place Tuesday, July 21 at the Minnesota Zoo and is free for members and their immediate families.

The meeting concluded with the announcement of the Board of Directors election results. The following candidates were elected to serve on the Board, with newly elected and re‑elected directors noted in bold:

District 1 (three-year term)
John (Jack) DeYoe (incumbent) (3,058 votes of total votes for 48.5%)
Laurie (Rieb) Bolin (1,566 votes of total votes for 24.8%)
Jeff Nelson (1,681 votes of total votes for 26.7%)

District 2 (three-year term)
Bill Middlecamp (incumbent) (3,624 votes of total votes for 57.3%)
Roberta Oveson (2,705 votes of total votes for 42.7%)

District 3 (three-year term)
Margaret D. Schreiner (incumbent) (5,596 votes of total votes for 100%)

District 4 (three-year term)
Paul Bakken (incumbent) (5,626 votes of total votes for 100%)

There were 107,974 eligible voters. The ballots received totaled 5,036 paper ballots, 1,393 electronic ballots, and three onsite ballots, with a total ballot return of 6,432, or 5.96% of eligible voters. Survey & Ballot Systems, an independent third party, distributed and certified the ballots.

Annual Meeting reports are available online for members who were unable to attend. They can be found at https://www.dakotaelectric.com/about-us/annual-meeting-election.

About Dakota Electric Association:
Dakota Electric Association is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative serving over 118,000 members in and around Dakota County. Established in 1937, Dakota Electric is committed to providing reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity to its members while actively engaging with the community and promoting energy efficiency. For more information, visit www.dakotaelectric.com or follow Dakota Electric on X, Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Official Notice of Dakota Electric Association’s Annual Meeting

Jake Omodt — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:00:53 +0000

Dakota Electric invites members to attend the 88^th Annual Meeting on April 23

(FARMINGTON, MN) April 3, 2026 – Dakota Electric Association® will hold its 88th Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 23, at the Dakota Electric headquarters at 4300 220th St. W, Farmington. The meeting will start at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided.

Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts with Dakota Electric staff and Board Members. The purpose of the meeting is to conduct the Board of Director elections and hear reports from the CEO and Board Members on the state of the cooperative.

“Our Annual Meeting is an exciting day for everyone in the Dakota Electric network,” said Ryan Hentges, CEO of Dakota Electric. “I know all the staff and Board Members in attendance look forward to talking with and meeting our members.”

Members of Dakota Electric can participate in the annual election by voting for Directors who serve on the Board and govern the cooperative. Dakota Electric 2026 annual election ballots were mailed to members on March 30 from Survey & Ballot Systems, an independent election service. Each ballot includes instructions for voting by mail or online, as well as all Director candidate biographies. Candidate biographies and additional election information are also available at www.dakotaelectric.com/about-us/annual-meeting-election.

Voting instructions are listed below. Members may vote by mail, online, or in person, and may only vote once. If both an online vote and a paper ballot are received for the same account number, the online vote will be voided and only the paper ballot will be counted.

Vote by mail: Ballots must be received at Survey & Ballot Systems’ office by 12 p.m. on April 23. Please do NOT drop off ballots at Dakota Electric’s office. Members may instead bring their original paper ballot to Dakota Electric’s Annual Meeting on April 23 for in-person submission.

Vote online: Go to www.dakotaelectric.com; members will need their account number and election passcode, both of which will be included with the ballot mailed on March 30. The link to vote online will become available on March 30 at 12 p.m.

The following candidates are running for seats on the Board of Directors:

District 1 (three-year term):
John (Jack) DeYoe (incumbent), Laurie (Rieb) Bolin and Jeff Nelson

District 2 (three-year term):
Bill Middlecamp (incumbent) and Roberta Oveson

District 3 (three-year term):
Margaret D. Schreiner (incumbent)

District 4 (three-year term):
Paul Bakken (incumbent)

The annual meeting report will be available on Dakota Electric’s website after the meeting for members who cannot attend.

This meeting will take place in the cooperative’s warehouse, which is an active work area with uneven work surfaces. If you have mobility concerns or require accommodations, please contact Dakota Electric at 651-463-6212.

Members with election-related questions should email boardelection@dakotaelectric.com.

About Dakota Electric Association:
Dakota Electric Association is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative serving over 117,000 members in and around Dakota County. Established in 1937, Dakota Electric is committed to providing reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity to its members while actively engaging with the community and promoting energy efficiency. For more information, visit www.dakotaelectric.com or follow Dakota Electric on X, Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Dakota County Commissioners visit Dakota Electric

allie.shetlerDEA — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 20:37:30 +0000

This post contains outdated information and is kept for archived purposes only.

Dakota Electric board members pose with Dakota County commissioners (L-R): Board Chair Jim Sheldon; Board Member Margaret Schreiner; Commissioner Joe Atkins; Board Vice Chair Jerry Pittman; Commissioner Kathleen Gaylord; Commissioner Mike Slavik (chair); Commissioner Mary Liz Holberg; Commissioner Liz Workman; Commissioner Chris Gerlach; and Commissioner Thomas Egan.

Dakota Electric Association recently welcomed the Dakota County Commissioners who have been visiting county businesses. The commissioners have been connecting with local companies to hear about their needs and learn more about those who help make Dakota County successful.

Dakota Electric was represented by some of its board members, President and CEO Greg Miller and other staff members who met with the commissioners and provided an overview of the electric distribution business and the cooperative’s economic development efforts. Miller discussed the opportunities and challenges faced by the not-for-profit electric cooperative as it seeks to provide reliable electricity at competitive rates to homes and businesses in the county. He also discussed Dakota Electric’s exploration of Advanced Grid Infrastructure (smart grid).

As Dakota Electric explores upgrading its distribution system in its service territory, the cooperative is leasing space on the county’s fiber-optic network. That network will provide needed infrastructure to allow the cooperative to quickly communicate with meters and other components on its distribution system.

“It is a win-win partnership between Dakota Electric and the county,” Miller said.

Some of the commissioners toured Dakota Electric’s system control center where they learned about technology the company uses to monitor power outages and keep the lights on.

During their visit, commissioners and Dakota Electric board members and staff discussed workforce needs, job creation, renewable energy and other topics related to economic development and the county’s economy.

Commissioners toured Dakota Electric’s system control center, where dispatchers are on hand 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to monitor the system and call in crews to repair outages when necessary. Commissioners saw how technology and personnel work to provide Dakota Electric’s extremely high reliability.

“We had a great visit with Dakota Electric today whose more than 200 employees serve thousands of Dakota County residents, businesses and farms,” said Mike Slavik, chair of the Dakota County Commissioners. “As a not-for-profit co-op with more than 105,000 members, they are a major contributor to the economic success and high-quality of life in Dakota County.”

Dakota Electric annual meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 27

allie.shetlerDEA — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 19:20:26 +0000

This post contains outdated information and is kept for archived purposes only.

Dakota Electric Association will hold its Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 27, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church social hall at 22120 Denmark Ave., Farmington (next to Dakota Electric’s office). The meeting begins at 7 p.m.; doors open at 6 p.m., and refreshments will be served before the meeting.

Dakota Electric members will have the opportunity to hear reports from officers and directors, ask questions and hear election results at the meeting.

Balloting materials will be mailed to members on April 10. Members can vote online (www.dakotaelectric.com) using the electronic passcode included with their ballots, or by mailing the ballot in the postage-paid envelope to Survey and Ballot Systems. Ballots must be received at Survey and Ballot Systems office no later than noon on April 27, or members may bring their ballots to the annual meeting. Ballots should not be dropped off or mailed to Dakota Electric Association’s office.

Once again this year, members may use a mobile device to scan the QR code located with the balloting materials to be quickly logged in to vote.

Following are the five candidates running for four seats on the board of directors:

District 1

John (Jack) DeYoe, Lakeville, incumbent

District 2

Janet Lekson, Rosemount, incumbent

District 3

Margaret D. Schreiner, Eagan, incumbent
Douglas Bonar, Farmington

District 4

Paul Bakken, Eagan, incumbent

All directors are elected by membership vote to serve three-year terms on the 12-person board of directors. The ballot will also contain a minor bylaw change.