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Investing in Our Future
DELIVERING RELIABLE POWER TODAY is important, but planning for tomorrow is just as critical. At East-Central Iowa REC, investing in our future means preparing the next generation of employees, building leadership skills, and creating opportunities for growth within our Cooperative.
This forward-looking approach helps ensure that knowledge is shared, experience is passed on, and ECI REC remains strong for years to come.
Learning Through Experience
One way we invest in the future is through hands-on learning opportunities, such as job shadowing. Recently, students had the opportunity to spend time with our employees to learn more about electric careers, safety practices, and the work that goes into keeping power reliable. Experiences like these help introduce young people to the cooperative difference and give them a real-world look at the many career paths available within the electric industry.
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Developing Leaders From Within
Preparing for the future also means developing leadership at every level. ECI REC supports employee participation in professional development and leadership programs that strengthen skills, encourage collaboration, and reinforce cooperative values.
Employees participate in programs such as leadership development initiatives, safety summits, and field leader training that’s designed to prepare them for future responsibilities. One recent example of this investment: In December 2025, Ben Donnelly, a lineworker, completed the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives’ Cooperative Leadership in Iowa Program (CLIP), helping build leadership capacity across our Cooperative.
Growing Careers at ECI REC
Investing in people also means creating pathways for career growth within our organization.
Travis Schellhorn recently transitioned from a lineworker role into an engineering design technician position—bringing valuable field experience into system planning and design. Internal career moves like this strengthen our Cooperative by combining hands-on knowledge with technical planning, supporting both safety and reliability.
These transitions reflect ECI REC’s commitment to recognizing talent, supporting growth, and building a well-rounded team for the future.
Looking Ahead
From job shadowing and leadership development to internal career advancement, investing in our future helps ensure ECI REC remains a strong, member-focused cooperative—today and tomorrow
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