Annual Meeting of Members

Jeff Elliott married LuAnn and began farming in 1977 in Benton and Black Hawk counties, where he continues today with nearly 50 years in agriculture. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business/Finance from Drake University. Jeff joined the ECI REC Board of Directors in 1990 and has held many roles, including President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer. He earned his Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate in 1998, completed the Board Leadership Program in 2010, and continues to maintain his Director Gold Certificate.

Jeff is a member of the Iowa Farm Bureau, Iowa Soybean Association, and the Iowa Corn Growers Association. He is also active in the American Lutheran Church in LaPorte City. In his free time, he enjoys college basketball, attending car shows and cruises, and spending time with his children, their spouses, and grandchildren.

Matt Werner is a crop farmer in Benton and Black Hawk Counties and has been an ECI REC member since 1995. He earned an Ag Business degree from Hawkeye Community College and previously worked as an ag loan officer with U.S. Bank, as well as in custom grain hauling and delivery for Anderson Erickson Dairy.

Matt and his wife, Andrea, live near Mt. Auburn and have three children: Jacob, an IT manager in Des Moines; Josie, a chemical engineering student at Iowa State University; and Jaren, a junior at Union High School. Matt currently serves as a director for Tama Benton Coop, treasurer of his homeowners association, and previously served on the Benton County Farm Bureau board, Lions Club, and Sacred Heart Finance Board.

He enjoys spending time with family, traveling, playing cards, watching college basketball, and boating at Lake of the Ozarks. Matt looks forward to the opportunity to give back to the cooperative and help continue the tradition of dependable service for ECI REC members.

Steve Rau’s association with REC began when he started farming over 40 years ago. Steve graduated with a degree in Farm Implement Mechanics from Northeast Iowa Technical Institute. Steve and his wife Missy raised their three sons on the family farm in rural Fayette County.

Steve joined the ECI REC Board of Directors in 2005 and has held many roles, including Secretary/Treasurer and has been serving as the President of the Board since 2010. Steve earned his Credentialed Cooperative Director and Director Gold Certificates and completed the Board Leadership Program in 2010. He values attending the yearly NRECA training courses because they are educational and provide useful information to share with the board.

In his spare time, Steve serves as the President of Fayette County Corn Growers. He is a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus. He also enjoys riding bike trails, cheering on the Iowa State Cyclones and spending time with his grandchildren.

Janice Martins, a resident of rural Fairbank, Iowa, is a full-time farmer with deep agricultural roots. She graduated from Starmont High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa in Social Work and Psychology. Janice began her career as a mental health professional before marrying her husband, Doug, in 1995 and transitioning to farming full-time on his Century Family Farm.

Raised on a small dairy farm near Strawberry Point, Janice grew up in a large family with eight siblings, shaping her strong work ethic and commitment to rural communities. Janice and Doug have three children: Garrett, who works for the Iowa DNR and farms; Emily, a crop insurance adjuster who also farms; and Lydia, a PhD student at Virginia Tech.

Janice is actively involved in her community, serving as a volunteer EMT and firefighter for Fairbank and Oran. She also participates in the Fairbank Community Club, Buchanan County Honor Guard, IC Catholic Church, 4-H, and the Bremer County Cattleman Board. Janice values family, especially during fall harvest, and proudly supports the ISU Cyclones. She looks forward to learning more about rural electric service and would be honored to serve ECI REC members.