News & Events

(Estherville) Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative is excited to announce the board of directors selected Ryan Craig as its new president and chief executive officer. Craig assumes his new role beginning September 11, 2023.

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“The Cooperative’s board of directors selected Craig from numerous qualified candidates following a comprehensive search,” stated Board Chair Jerry Beck. “We are excited about this new chapter and look forward to Craig’s valuable contributions to lead Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative into the future.”

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Craig is familiar with the Cooperative’s service territory as he grew up on a farm in rural Ringsted, Iowa. “My family and I are very excited about the opportunity,” stated Craig. “I look forward to working with the Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative team to serve our member-owners and communities.”

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With an impressive track record and extensive experience in electric and gas distribution and wind energy generation, Craig brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative. Prior to joining the Cooperative, Craig held key positions at Alliant Energy, most recently serving as the Senior Operations Manager. During his tenure, Craig successfully led an electric distribution operation which serves thousands of customers in Northwest Iowa comprising of 49 communities, 13 counties and over 3,700 square miles of service territory. Furthermore, Craig oversaw seven operation facilities, which includes electric, gas and wind operations, and led approximately 60 employees in Northwest Iowa.

 

Craig’s career journey has taken him from the ranks of the Air Force to the innovative world of wind energy. He served in the United States Air Force from 2002-2014 and has earned various honors and awards with the United States Air Force and the United States Air National Guard. Prior to Alliant Energy, Craig was a site manager and senior lead technician in the wind energy sector. Craig holds an associate of arts degree in wind energy and turbine technology from Iowa Lakes Community College and a bachelor’s degree from Bellevue University in Business Management.

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Craig and wife, Stephanie, have three children and live on the Cooperative’s lines by Milford, Iowa.

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Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative is an electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Estherville, Iowa. ILEC serves over 13,130 members and maintains 4,800 miles of distribution line in Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth, Palo Alto and Pocahontas counties. ILEC also owns and operates two wind generation facilities, which are comprised of 14 1.5 megawatt G.E. turbines. Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative’s mission is to provide reliable, competitively priced energy and other valuable services to benefit our members, our customers, and the communities we serve.