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I am running for the Riverland Energy Cooperative Board of Directors in District 7, which serves portions of La Crosse County, including Holmen and Onalaska. As you know, this area continues its tremendous growth, and soon a new school will be built north of Holmen.

What makes me uniquely qualified for this position is the fact that I worked for 24 years in the electric and gas utility industry. For 24 years, I served residential and commercial/industrial customers in the utility industry in many roles including marketing, energy conservation, demand side management programs, economic development and developing/delivering training programs.

I was considered a “nontraditional female” in the utility world because there weren’t many females in these roles. Over time, however, more women have joined the ranks and are represented in organizations that used to be male dominated.

In addition, we have seen women and diverse populations join the ranks of local county government boards, city councils, township boards, and state boards. However, there is currently no diversity on the Riverland Energy Cooperative board, and of the three District Director seats open, there is only one female candidate — me.

I think we all know that diversity brings new ideas, innovation, and change to a board. My qualifications speak for themselves: 24 years experience in the utility business, one three-year term on the board, a master’s degree from UW-Stout, a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Viterbo University, two associate degrees from Western Technical College, a variety of leadership and local community involvement. I grew up on a dairy farm served by an electric cooperative and am currently employed as an instructor and professional career advisor at Winona State University.

Ballots are being mailed by Riverland Energy on March 14 to District 7 members; exercise your right to vote and bring “diversity and experience” to the board. Vote Larsen. Thank you.