Greatco Ops

The Board of Directors of Northeast Missouri Electric Power Cooperative (Northeast Power) is seeking an experienced, principled, and forward-thinking leader to serve as the cooperative’s next Chief Executive Officer / General Manager. The preferred start date is January 2027. The new leader will replace Doug Aeilts, who is retiring after more than 20 years of exceptional service to the Northeast Power members.

Northeast Power has partnered with GreatCo-Ops (www.greatcoops.com) to assist with this search.

Northeast Power is seeking a CEO who demonstrates exceptional leadership, strong communication skills, and a proven ability to build and sustain trust-based relationships. The ideal candidate will bring a strategic mindset and a collaborative approach to guiding the cooperative and strengthening the three-tiered cooperative system it serves. This leader will foster an organizational culture that empowers Northeast Power’s employees to excel and consistently deliver safe, reliable, and affordable transmission service to the cooperative’s member-distribution cooperatives.

It is vital that the CEO is firmly committed to safety, integrity, and transparency, placing these principles at the heart of their leadership approach and grounding every decision in accountability and service to the membership. The CEO must also embody self-awareness and a teamwork-oriented mindset that reinforces Northeast Power’s mission of powering its member cooperatives with safe, reliable, affordable electricity and value-added services.

Northeast Power’s CEO will lead the cooperative in achieving excellence across organizational culture, safety, system reliability, transmission operations, and financial strength. Success in this role depends on the ability to build and sustain strong, collaborative relationships with the board of directors, employees, the general managers and staff of the member-distribution cooperatives, Associated Electric Cooperative Inc., regulatory agencies, business partners, statewide associations, and other key stakeholders.

About Northeast Power

Northeast Power is a not-for-profit electric transmission cooperative headquartered in Palmyra, Missouri. Founded in 1948 by three rural electric distribution cooperatives, the cooperative today is owned by and serves eight member-distribution cooperatives — five in northeast Missouri and three in southeast Iowa.

Northeast Power operates as the second tier of a three-tiered, not-for-profit cooperative system. In 1961, it joined with five other cooperatives to form Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (Associated), which is responsible for generating and procuring power. Within this partnership, Northeast Power’s role is to provide transmission service and deliver wholesale power to its member-distribution cooperatives, which in turn serve the homes, farms, and businesses at the end of the line.

Northeast Power maintains more than 1,000 miles of transmission line, more than 100 substations, and numerous switch stations. Its eight member-distribution cooperatives deliver electricity to tens of thousands of meters across more than 30 counties in northeast Missouri and southeast Iowa. Guided by its values of safety, unity, integrity, accountability, and innovation, Northeast Power is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative committed to operational excellence, public safety, and the long-term reliability of the regional transmission system.

Beyond the wires, Northeast Power invests in the communities it serves. Through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program and its own Revolving Loan Fund, the cooperative supports business growth and job creation across its member-distribution cooperatives’ territories. It also advances public safety through its Energizing Safety campaign and supports education, workforce training, and charitable initiatives in partnership with its members and Associated.

Northeast Power is governed by an eighteen-member board of directors, composed of two directors from each of its eight member-distribution cooperatives and two directors from Associated. The board looks forward to partnering with the cooperative’s next CEO to advance its mission and continue its legacy of trusted, collaborative service.

For additional information about Northeast Power, please visit www.northeast-power.coop.

About the Region

Northeast Power is headquartered in Palmyra, the county seat of Marion County in northeast Missouri. Set on rich, productive farmland a few miles west of the Mississippi River, Palmyra — known locally as “The Flower City” — offers the charm, affordability, and close-knit community of small-town life. It lies about 12 miles northwest of Hannibal, the boyhood home of Mark Twain, and roughly 17 miles from Quincy, Illinois, giving residents convenient access to additional shopping, dining, healthcare, and cultural amenities.

The regional economy is anchored by agriculture — corn, soybeans, and wheat grown on some of the most productive land in the country — along with advanced manufacturing, food production, logistics, healthcare, and energy. Major area employers include BASF and Northeast Power itself, and the region benefits from strong road, rail, and river infrastructure.

The area offers abundant outdoor recreation, from fishing, boating, and camping at Mark Twain Lake and Wakonda State Park, to hunting and hiking across the surrounding countryside. The Mississippi River and the historic riverfront district of Hannibal draw visitors from around the world, while the region’s four distinct seasons, low cost of living, and welcoming communities make it an appealing place to live and raise a family.

The nearest commercial air service is available at Quincy Regional Airport (UIN), approximately 30 minutes away, with additional connections through St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), roughly a 90-minute to two-hour drive to the south. Hannibal Regional Airport (HAE) serves general and executive aviation.

Qualifications

Required

Applications from those who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

• Verifiable, progressive leadership experience 
• Excellent leadership and communication skills
• An ability to develop a compelling vision and strategic plan that aligns with the long-term goals of the board of directors
• Demonstrated success in building high-performance teams and excellent organizational cultures where employees thrive
• A clear emphasis on ensuring a strong safety culture and safety outcomes
• Highly developed skills in communicating and coordinating with member-distribution cooperative executives on business plans and initiatives
• A demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with the board of directors, executive teams, employees, member cooperatives, and key external stakeholders
• The ability to build a workplace that aligns with Northeast Power’s vision, values, and policies and adheres to federal and state employment regulations
• An understanding of — and an appreciation for — the cooperative business model and Seven Cooperative Principles
• A commitment to professional growth and development for self and employees
• A willingness to travel for meetings at the local, regional, and national levels
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university

Preferred

• A minimum of five years of leadership experience within the electric utility industry, preferably within an electric cooperative
• A sound understanding of wholesale power supply, transmission operations, and the electric utility industry
• Knowledge of electric utility operations, power supply, finance, strategic planning, and risk management
• An understanding of electric utility industry trends, their likely effects on cooperatives, and ways to leverage those trends to benefit Northeast Power and its member cooperatives
• Experience with transmission operations and familiarity with NERC reliability standards and compliance obligations
• An understanding of the regulatory, political, and legislative environments facing the electric utility industry
• An advanced degree or certification in an area relevant to leading an electric utility, including but not limited to engineering, management, finance, accounting, economics, or law

Compensation and Benefits

In addition to a highly competitive salary, Northeast Power’s new CEO will enjoy the following benefits: a defined benefit pension (NRECA Retirement Security Plan) and a 401(k) with employer match; a pension restoration plan (EBR); a 457(b) deferred compensation plan; two NRECA medical plan options with cooperative-paid employee premiums; dental and vision insurance; a health savings account with cooperative contributions; a Section 125 plan; group term life and AD&D insurance, with supplemental, spouse, and child life options; long-term disability insurance; long-term care insurance; business travel accident insurance; an AirMedCare membership; ten paid holidays; vacation and sick leave; and a cooperative-provided vehicle.

Application Process and Deadline

Interested individuals who meet the required qualifications must email a cover letter and resume to Monica Beavers, Director of Client Services at GreatCo-Ops, at mbeavers@greatcoops.com. In addition to discussing the applicant’s fit for the role, the cover letter must also include the individual’s perspectives on one significant trend in the electric utility industry and how it will likely affect Northeast Power as a transmission cooperative and its member cooperatives.

Professional references will be requested later from applicants who advance in the process. Finalists will undergo a comprehensive background check. The selected candidate must also undergo a pre-employment drug test.

Applications are strongly preferred by September 4, 2026 at noon Central Time. However, applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.

Northeast Power is an equal opportunity employer.