MID-WEST ELECTRIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION (MECA)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

The Mid-West Electric Consumers Association (MECA) is seeking a dynamic and strategic Executive Director to lead its advocacy efforts on behalf of preference power customers in its representative territory. 

Governance

MECA is governed by a 34-member board representing 313 municipal and cooperative utilities across nine states in the Upper Midwestern region of the Western Area Power Administration’s service area including the Upper Great Plains and Rocky Mountain territories. Directors are elected for two-year terms without term limits. Board governance includes a President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer, alongside key committees: Power & Water, Resolutions, and Organization.

Membership & Scope

MECA represents utilities in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota (western), Iowa (western), Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming. Member systems are often small, rural co-ops with low density—many serving fewer than one customer per mile of line. The WAPA hydropower allocation is essential for these utilities, often covering 50% or more of their load. Multiple joint action agencies and G&T cooperatives comprise the largest members of MECA and each represents the interests of multiple municipal and cooperative utilities within their utility membership. 

Main Web Site – Information/Issues – News – Board – Board Meeting Schedule

Mission & Purpose

MECA promotes and protects the interests of its nonprofit, consumer-owned utility members who receive power and transmission at cost from the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA). It advocates for the continued success of federally marketed hydropower, primarily from the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, but including other programs in the region.

Executive Director Profile

MECA seeks Executive Director candidates with a deep understanding of federal hydropower and an ability to lead a small, mission-driven organization. The MECA Board and membership are extremely pleased with the positioning, service, and value of the association and seek candidates capable to continue the organization’s success in representing and defending preference power while seeking opportunities for the association to create additional value. The next Executive Director must embody humility, integrity, a capability to juggle myriad responsibilities, and a passion for preference power and hydropower, all characteristics consistently associated with the organization’s current leadership success. The board seeks a self-starter who communicates clearly, listens deeply, is a natural collaborator, and builds strong and trusting relationships with agencies, congressional offices, the board, and members. While MECA is a watchdog organization, it also seeks to continue as a partner with the agencies it monitors to assist them in removing barriers to objectives and securing the future of the federal hydropower program.

Experience navigating Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs) and navigating federal regulatory and legal processes will be highly valued in the candidate pool. Any past record of proactively pursuing opportunities to engage industry stakeholders in a common cause is desired.

Additional Desired Executive Director Traits

• Self-Motivated & Agile: MECA employs only one employee additional to the Executive Director. A lean operator who enjoys wearing many hats while leveraging relationships from member and partner organizations is an absolute necessity.
• Consensus Builder: Candidates must offer a proven background melding diverse board and member interests with a natural tendency to proactively engage stakeholders in the purpose of the association.
• Strong Communicator: Candidates must offer exceptional communication skills. Experience providing presentations to large and small audiences and a skill to communicate effectively with laymen and technicians is a high priority. A matured listening skill is equally desired. The Executive Director must operate with full transparency and open communication as a common practice. General people-skill and a natural talent for relationship development and maintenance is a must for the role.
• Strategic and Organization Leadership: The Board seeks proven capability to both assist to facilitate and lead a collaborative and inclusive strategic planning process, ultimately taking full ownership of member-guided objectives. The Executive Director must strike a balance in knowing when to lead and when to facilitate as a leader.
• Business Savvy: The Executive Director is tasked with not only relationship development and regulatory and legislative engagement but also management of a small business that requires budgetary attention and cost control.
• Effective Advocate: Especially with WAPA, the Department of Energy, The Corps of Engineers, Congress, and partner associations and allies such as NRECA, APPA, and other sister customer associations.
• Legally Astute: Legal education could be advantageous to candidates but is not mandatory.
• Politically Savvy: Deep understanding of the wide variety of policy and political interests and the navigation of political bodies at all levels to ensure member messaging is effectively communicated and understood. Politically aware without partisanship – MECA’s members serve a wide variety of interests in the nine-state territory.
• Vision: An engagement level and capability to lead members in identifying the proper strategy for the short- and long-term future of preference power.
• Builder of Trust: With federal agencies, legislative staff, and across a diverse board and membership. The Executive Director must continue building positive momentum and relationships with WAPA and other federal partners
• Grassroots Orientation: Understands and values members’ communities and rural interests while offering a history of positive engagement with public power and cooperative utilities.
• Travel Inclination: Candidates should anticipate a generally moderate travel schedule with high travel during seasonal periods of each year, particularly late winter and spring months. Candidates should also bring a desire and zero hesitation to proactively engage with member organizations at their locations and during collaborative meetings. Quarterly, and on special occasions, the Executive Director should expect to travel to Washington D.C. for meetings with congressional and agency staff.
• Network: Ideally, candidates will offer an existing network of applicable industry and governmental connections to include Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs), congressional contacts at state levels and with the Department of Energy, and broad reaching utility leadership connections to include hydroelectric professionals in the Upper Midwest Region.
• Ethics and Integrity: Candidate must display a track record of high ethics and integrity.

Candidate Profile Summary

     An ideal candidate for the MECA Executive Director role:

• Has demonstrated leadership in a similarly lean organization.
• Possesses a history of strategic advocacy on behalf of rural and municipal utilities.
• Is an excellent communicator, capable of translating complex regulatory, legal, and technical issues into clear, actionable insight.
• Can develop a positive reputation with any congressional entity, power administration, or agency office and be welcomed as an ally.
• Understands hydropower technology, operations, political navigation, and customer positioning and is committed to long-term success of hydropower in the United States.
• Offers the personality and passion to sustain and build on MECA’s legacy of consensus, transparency, and integrity.
• Manages an effective small business in a cost-conscious manner. 

Events & Touchpoints with Membership

MECA hosts quarterly and annual meetings, including site tours, legislative visits in Washington D.C., and collaborative gatherings through committees and other meetings. 

Benefits and Relocation

MECA offers a full complement of NRECA health benefits to include the Retirement & Security program. A detailed benefits summary is available upon request. 

Residency in or near Denver, Colorado, is preferred by member leadership due to proximity to associated organizations and ease of travel through Denver. Candidates promoting alternative residency options are certainly invited to apply. MECA will cover the customary costs of the movement of household goods. 

Timeline

August 4 – Preferred date for resume submission

August 27/28 – Semi-finalist virtual interviews

September 15/16 – Finalist interviews in Denver, CO

October – Executive Director begins employment

CONTACT INFORMATION AND RESUME SUBMITTAL (PDF PREFERRED)

Patrick Prouse                                    Allen Fry
Senior Executive Recruiter           Executive Recruiter
Mycoff Fry Partners LLC             Mycoff Fry Partners LLC
pprouse@mfpllc.us                       afry@mfpllc.us
Cell - (720) 201-1828                     Cell - (720) 621-2348    
(800) 525-9082                               (800) 525-9082
www.mfpllc.us

About Mid-West Electric Consumers Association (MECA)

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