The Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives (IAEC) held its annual meeting Dec. 5-6 in West Des Moines. The event included recognition for electric cooperative employees who have achieved 25 years of service to their cooperative, as well as employees who completed the IAEC’s Cooperative Leadership in Iowa Program (CLIP).
Manager of Communications/HR Jodee Eckels and GIS Mapping & SCADA Tech Kevin Foley were both recognized for 25 years of service to Clarke Electric.
“Jodee brings so much to Clarke Electric Cooperative,” said General Manager Dave Opie. “She has worked hard to make our cooperative more professional, effective, compliant, and probably most importantly, a great place to work. She is always thinking of ways to improve our culture, invest in our employees and help our Board. I am blessed to get to work with Jodee as a key person on our team.”
“Kevin brings so many positive attributes to our Cooperative,” said Opie. “Especially in the technology arena, Kevin has the natural ability to work the many details, whether it's hardware or software, to create integrated systems that are effective and useful. Much of his work takes hours of extreme detailed work, but the end results are impressive. Kevin will take on projects that no one else will touch, but the project gets done.”
Cori Smith, customer service/cashier, recognized for completing the 2024 Cooperative Leadership in Iowa Program (CLIP), along with 17 other graduates. Cori committed to a year-long calendar of in-person, virtual and on-demand training sessions where she gained leadership skills and learned about various co-op roles during the program.
“I am so proud of Cori for taking the initiative and time to invest in her future through the CLIP program,” said Opie. “She is amazingly friendly and helpful, in person and on the phone. Cori is a natural leader, and she is putting in the effort to improve and grow. I feel lucky to have Cori on our team.”
Congratulations to these Clarke Electric employees for their service and dedication to our cooperative!