Farm boy learns new angle of electric industry
When members of Capital Electric Cooperative run as
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This summer, Rodney helped his brothers-in-law harvest near New Salem. |
for a board director position, most do not have much experience in the electrical industry; they simply have a desire to serve their co-op and community.
Rodney Eckroth, a member from south Bismarck since 1989, has both.
A graduate of Flasher High School and the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, Rodney worked for Minnkota Power Electric Cooperative for almost 35 years. He started at the Milton R. Young power plant as an apprentice mechanic and later earned his journeyman status. During the startup of Young’s Unit 2, Rodney was promoted to supervisor and then department manager. He retired last fall as the maintenance superintendent.
Over the years, he experienced constant challenges in the generation industry as technology and times evolved.
“Back in the 1980s, we made a lot of power. It was cheap, and there were all kinds of it. Then it all changed.
“When the environment and energy conservation became a focus in the 1990s, we performed evaluations on equipment and started programs on equipment efficiencies. We did a lot of upgrades and added pollution control equipment,” he says.
“There was never a dull moment. It was a 365, 24/7 job. When I retired I thought, ‘It’s hard to believe that a farm boy from Flasher could have got as much done in 30-some years.’ It was pretty amazing,” he reflects.
In his first year of retirement “what-to-do” transition, he decided to run for the Capital Electric Cooperative board of directors last summer, just to “see what the distribution guys do.”
The membership elected Rodney to the board at the 2008 annual meeting. Since then, he has attended three meetings and says he’s just listening and taking it all in.
“The issues are similar to what the generation group does. They all look at streamlining and getting as much as they can out of the energy they bring in, while keeping as affordable and reliable as possible,” he says. “This is just a different angle.”
Retirement has been good for Rodney, although he may be busier now than when he worked at the plant at Center. He says his wife, Luwanna, claims she has a hard time tracking him down.
This summer, Rodney kept busy helping his brothers-in-law harvest near New Salem. He also does a lot of fishing, hunting and bike riding, and is currently restoring a tractor that belonged to his father.
Rodney and Luwanna recently booked their dream drip for February. They will travel to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, and scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef. Rodney is a certified instructor and Luwanna is a good sport.
When she’s not traveling with her husband, Luwanna works as a registered nurse at Mid Dakota Clinic in Bismarck. She and Rodney have two grown daughters: Amber works as a registered nurse at St. Alexius in Bismarck and Stephanie lives in Lubbock, Texas, while earning her Ph.D. at Texas Tech.
Capital Electric Cooperative welcomes Rodney Eckroth to the board of directors. If you know Rodney or any of the other directors who serve on the Capital Electric board of directors, please thank them for their service and commitment to their electric cooperative.