Mike Coleman - District 3
Mike Coleman
President
• Lives in Corinth Township in Humboldt County
• Attended Humboldt High School and Iowa Central Community College
• Farmer
• Married and has three children
• Farm Bureau member, and former treasurer, vice president, president and voting delegate
• Current co-leader of the West Grove Hustlers 4-H Club
• Previously: Director on Soil/Water Conservation Board; ISA Research Advisory Council
• Enjoys camping, hunting, fishing, golfing and spending time with family
• Earned Credentialed Cooperative Director certification
• Midland Power (formerly Humboldt County REC) director since 2009, currently serves as President
• Midland Power Cooperative member since 2004
Rick Thompson - District 3
Rick Thompson
Vice President
• Lives north of LuVerne in Kossuth County
• Farms corn and soybeans in partnership with his dad
• Hog and cow-calf producer
• Married and has one son and three daughters
• Member and elder at Zion Lutheran Church in LuVerne
• Past member of the Kossuth County Pork Producers
• Enjoys spending time with family, riding his motorcycle and taking care of their
cow-calf herd
• Director at your cooperative since 2008
• Earned Credentialed Cooperative Director certification
• Member of your co-op since 1996
Randy Christensen - District 1
Randy Christensen
Secretary
• Lives in Scranton Township, Greene County
• Graduate of Iowa State University, Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Studies
• Pioneer sales representative
• Fourth-generation hog farmer, custom finishing 5000 head annually
• Owns and operates row crop and custom spraying operation with brother Matt
• Assists parents, with family row crop operation
• Married and has two children
• Treasurer and volunteer firefighter at Ralston Fire Department
• Greene County Pork Producers board member
• Greene County Farm Bureau board member
• Member and Elder at First Presbyterian Church in Jefferson
• Member of Iowa Pork Producers Association
• Received the Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award in May 2009
• Director at your cooperative since 2011, currently serving as Secretary
• Earned Credentialed Cooperative Director certification
• Member of your cooperative since 2005
Kim Rinker - District 1
Kim Rinker
Treasurer
• Lives four miles south of Beaver, in Beaver Township, in Boone County
• Grew up in northwest Iowa, then moved and graduated from Ames High School
• Received a Paraprofessional Accounting, AS degree from Des Moines Area Community College
• Farmer of cow-calf herd and accountant for Iowa State University
• Wife of the late Jay Perry Rinker. Has two sons, a daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren
• Member of Ogden Community United Methodist Church
• Vice President of Boone County ISU Extension board
• Finance Committee of the Iowa Extension Council Association
• Boone County 4-H volunteer
• Midland Power director since 2013, currently serves as Treasurer
• Earned Credentialed Cooperative Director certification
• Enjoys running and exercising and spending time with family
• Member of your co-op since 1989
Joel Skow - District 3
Joel Skow
Asst. Secretary/Treasurer
•Lives west of Wesley in Kossuth County
•Received a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture from Iowa State University
•Farmer, raises corn, soy beans and livestock
•Married and has two children
•Belongs to Trinity Lutheran Church of Algona
•Enjoys family time, hunting, fishing, golfing
•Director at your cooperative since 2009
•Earned Credentialed Cooperative Director certification
•Member of your cooperative since 2000
Paul Skartvedt - District 4
Paul Skartvedt
- Lives in Hamilton County between Radcliffe and Ellsworth
- Born and raised in the Radcliffe area
- Member of the Concord Sherman 4-H Club along with the Hubbard Radcliffe FFA chapter in school
- Graduated from Hubbard Radcliffe High School
- Graduated from Iowa State with a degree in agriculture studies
- Married to Shannon with four kids: Lily, attending Iowa State University; Ty, attending SDSU; and Landen and Tessa, attending South Hamilton High School
- Owner/operator of Touchdown Acres, raising cattle and registered Suffolk sheep
- Director of sales and regulatory manager for Autogenous Vaccines at ARKO Laboratories in Jewell
- Co-founder of Eagle’s Catch Fish Farm
- Iowa Pork Producers Alliance and FAD task force member
- Past president and board member of the United Suffolk Sheep Association
- Iowa Pork Producer board member and research committee member
- Former Midland Power Nominating Committee member
- Faith Church Sunday school treasurer
- South Hamilton School Foundation board
- Hardin County Youth 4-H advisory board
- Hardin County Cattlemen board of directors
- Iowa State University Letter Winners Club board member
- Iowa State University football three-year letter winner
- Midland Power Cooperative member since 2000
Jim Vierkandt - District 4
Jim Vierkandt
• Lives in Buckeye Township, Hardin County, two miles south of Buckeye
• Born and raised in the rural Buckeye area
• Graduate of Radcliffe High School and Ellsworth Community College
• Married to Steph and has three grown children: Luke, Rebecca, and Leah
• Grandpa to four grandchildren: Carter, Cora, Joanna, and Elizabeth
• Farms with his son, Luke
• Grain and livestock farmer
• Vice President of the Hardin County Pork Producers Board
• Former member and President of the ISU Hardin County Extension Council
• Elder, member, and Sunday School Teacher of St. Paul Lutheran Church Buckeye, Iowa
• Current Buckeye Township Trustee
• Member of your co-op since 1984
Francis Buckel - District 4
Tom Ingebritson
• Born and raised in Nashua, Iowa
• Served eight years in the Navy Reserves; two years active duty
• Member of the Nashua VFW
• Graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a bachelor of arts degree in accounting
• Married to wife, Susan, for 49 years and we have three children and five grandchildren
• Employed at Hardin County Rural Electric Cooperative for 15 years, starting as an accountant and later serving as office manager
• Employed at Franklin Rural Electric Cooperative for 24 years serving as general manager
• Final two years of employment served as a shared general manager between Franklin Rural Electric Cooperative and Grundy County Rural Electric Cooperative
• Member of the First United Methodist Church of Iowa Falls, serving as co-chair of the Trustees Committee
• Member of your cooperative since 2010
Paul Heineman - District 1
Paul Heineman
•Lives in Boone County, northwest of Ogden
•Graduate of Iowa State University, degree in agricultural mechanization
•Farmer
•Married and has 3 children
•Member of Zion Lutheran Church in Ogden
•Midland Power’s representative on Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) board of directors, currently serves as president
•Past board member of Boxholm Cooperative
•Past board member of Farm Bureau
•Past board member of Boone County Extension Council
•Midland Power Cooperative board member since 1999
•Graduate of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Credentialed Cooperative Director program and Board Leadership program
•Midland Power Cooperative member since 1980
Bill Harleen - District 2
Bill Harleen
• Lives northwest of Slater, in Boone County
• Grew up in central Iowa
• Attended some college at Iowa State University
• Farmer
• Excavation business
• Married and has three children and four grandchildren
• Member of Ogden Community United Methodist Church
• Farm Bureau member
• Church trustee
• Garden Township trustee
• Member of your co-op since 1988
Jim Byriel - District 2
Jim Byriel
•Lives northwest of Ames in Story County
•Graduate of Ames High School
•Self-employed residential contractor
•Accredited contractor with the State of Iowa, knowledgeable of codes, rules, and according regulations
•Married and has two children
•Gilbert Community Schools - Athletic Booster member & volunteer
•Gilbert Community School playground construction and expansion volunteer
•Hard worker, with a high level of attention to detail
•Supported area residents by assisting and consulting with home development, and home improvement and maintenance projects
•Member of your cooperative since 1997
Doug Robey - District 2
Doug Robey
- Lives west of Ames in Boone County
- Grew up in Nevada, Iowa
- Plant manager for building material company
- Married and has 3 grown children
- Serves on Foundation Board for Youth and Shelter Services
- Earned NSGA Safety Leadership Award
- Earned Iowa Limestone Producers Safety Award
- Enjoys playing golf, dirt track racing and is an avid sports fan
- Midland Power member since 2013
Board Information
Nominations & Elections
At the beginning of each year, a nominating committee (members elected by fellow members) seeks candidates to run for the board and the following year's nominating committee. Contact information for the nominating committee is published in the co-op's newsletter. Eligible candidates willing to run for the board or nominating committee will appear on the official ballot for the corresponding district.
Each co-op membership is eligible to cast one ballot during the annual cooperative election process. An official notice of annual meeting and a corresponding ballot will be mailed to each membership's address on file. The membership may use the mailed official ballot and envelope to vote in advance of the annual meeting or vote in-person during the annual meeting. Typically, each district will elect one director and up to three nominating committee members to represent the corresponding district.
Board meetings take place most months. The majority of board meetings take place at our Boone headquarters, 205 S. Story St. For a schedule of upcoming board meetings or to request to be added to the agenda, please call (800) 833-8876.
Members interested in attending an upcoming board meeting should first contact the co-op. Often, the CEO can address a member's concern or request. If it is the member's desire, after discussion with the CEO, to present the subject matter to the Board, then the member should request to be placed upon the agenda and give written notice of the subject matter upon which they desire to address the meeting. Such written notice shall be received at the headquarters of the Cooperative on or before fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting date. When the request is received, the CEO will convey the request to the President of the Board. The Board President will determine whether the member shall be allowed to address the Board. The President (or CEO at the direction of the President) will in any event respond to the member's request in writing, and if granted, notify the member of the date and time the member is to appear before the Board.
Midland Power Cooperative’s board of directors is comprised of 12 member-owners of the cooperative, with three directors being democratically elected by the membership from each of the co-op’s four board districts. Directors serve three-year terms and must reside within the district they represent. As a member-owned electric cooperative, directors serve as representatives for the membership, establishing organizational priorities and policies. As a volunteer board, directors are required to meet 11 times a year, but spend numerous hours outside the board room attending meetings, trainings, and community functions. Directors also spend time reviewing materials in preparation for board meetings. Members interested in running for the board of directors, are encouraged to contact the cooperative to learn more.