Elected to the SWCE board of directors June 3 were (from left): Anton Seykora, District 2; Dennis Ringhofer, District 4; and Weston Wilson, District 6.
Two new directors; SWCE hosts 89th annual meeting
Thu, 06/12/2025 - 12:45am
Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric members in attendance for the co-op’s 89th annual meeting at its headquarters in Owatonna Tuesday, June 3, learned the results of the co-op’s mail-in ballot for three director seats.
Steele-Waseca Cooperative Attorney Tricia Lancaster announced to the 487 registered members in attendance that a total of 1,304 mail-in ballots were received by Survey & Ballot Systems, who managed and audited the results. In District 2, Anton H. Seykora of rural Ellendale was elected to a three-year term with 720 votes to 549 for Candidate Lianne M. Possin of rural New Richland. District 4 Incumbent Dennis C. Ringhofer of rural Owatonna was unopposed and re-elected to a three-year term with 1,177 votes. In District 6, Weston L. Wilson of rural Owatonna was elected to a three-year term with 544 votes; candidates Alex Ebenhoh of rural Claremont and Michael T. Herman of Owatonna received 507 and 202 votes respectively.
With guests, the co-op’s annual meeting had 1,024 in attendance. Steele-Waseca’s 2024 Youth Tour Delegate Langston Richter of Faribault had a PowerPoint presentation on his experience last year in Washington, D.C. Steele-Waseca Member Services Supervisor Randy Sobrack announced no applications were received for the 2025 Youth Tour and announced changes were being developed to encourage applications for the Tour in 2026.
The annual meeting included member approval of the co-op’s financial report, and remarks from General Manager Syd Briggs regarding a summary of the past year for Steele-Waseca and plans in the works for the upcoming year. Following the conclusion of the annual meeting, the co-op’s board of directors met for their reorganizational meeting, which included no officer changes. Continuing is Rodney D. Krell of Blooming Prairie, president; PJ Duchene of Faribault, vice president; Ronald D. Sommers of Northfield, secretary/treasurer; and Scott J. Carlson of Faribault,assistant secretary/treasurer.
Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric has nearly 12,000 service locations in a nine-county area including: Blue Earth, Dodge, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, LeSueur, Rice, Steele, and Waseca counties.