Board of Director Candidates

Richard Dehmer is a director candidate for District 4. He and his wife Nancy have been WH members for 40 years and live in Buffalo. They have three children and five grandchildren.

Dehmer is an accomplished business leader with more than four decades of experience in the construction and acoustics industries. He has a proven ability to scale up operations, manage financial responsibilities, and lead teams effectively. Dehmer retired from Acoustics Associates in 2022, having increased the organization's annual sales by nearly $45 million, and more than doubling the number of employees. During his 44 year tenure at the company, he advanced from a project estimator role to president, led overall business strategy and operations, and grew his skills in project management and sales.

Dehmer is currently the vice president of his homeowner's association, serves as a financial fiduciary for three private entities, and is in his tenth year in his role as president of his church's investment committee.

"I believe my past experience will allow me to be a productive member of the board. My top priority will be to look out for the interests of our members and ensure they're getting the best value for electricity and services provided.”

John Reynolds, Buffalo, is the incumbent director in District 4. Reynolds has served on the WH Board of Directors for four years and currently serves as WH’s Vice-Chair and WH Holding’s Chair. Reynolds has earned the Credentialed Cooperative Director Certificate as well as the Board Leadership Certificate. Currently, Reynolds serves on the Minnesota Rural Electric Association Board. John and his wife, Stacie, have been WH members for over 23 years and have three daughters.

Reynolds has spent the last 27 years in leadership positions within the manufacturing industry, including his current role as Vice President of Operations for a medical device manufacturer. In this role, he is responsible for the operational performance of multiple manufacturing sites in the U.S. and Europe. He is also a small business owner employing 25 employees at Northland Machine Inc. in Grand Rapids, MN. Prior to his career in manufacturing, Reynolds attended St. John’s University in Collegeville with an Army ROTC scholarship and received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics.
After graduating, he entered active-duty service as an Armor Officer for four years, where he achieved the rank of captain.

“I enjoy representing District 4, and if re-elected will continue to work to maintain the high level of service, reliability and value to members.”

Mike Tieva, Maple Grove, is the incumbent director in District 6. Tieva has served on the WH Board of Directors for 10 years and currently serves as WH’s Secretary/Treasurer and WH Holding’s Vice-Chair. Tieva has earned his Credentialed Cooperative Director, Board Leadership and Director Gold Certificates. Tieva and his wife, Jennifer, have been WH members for 20 years and have three children.

Tieva is the president and owner of Northland Mechanical Contractors, Inc. located in New Hope, Minnesota, and has been with the company for 37 years. He has served as a management trustee on three boards for the past 16 years: Pipe Trade Services MN Welfare Fund, Pipe Trades Services MN Retiree Health Fund, and PTSMN Health Care Services, Inc. Tieva is also a director with Heartland Group Insurance Captive. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato, in business administration, and is a graduate of the Minneapolis Pipefitters Joint Apprenticeship Training Program. Tieva’s favorite pastime is coaching his children in the Osseo Maple Grove Hockey Association program.

“As a WH Director, my primary responsibility is to look out for the interests of the members. I strive to provide increasingly clean, safe, reliable and affordable electricity and competitive services to the members that Wright-Hennepin Cooperative serves.”

David Silver, Maple Grove, was the director of District 8 from 2020 to 2022. David and his wife, Gail, have been members of WH for 32 years and have one son.

During his time on the WH Board, he voted on four capital credit returns. Silver was a 40-year member of the Local Union 160, IBEW and completed his construction apprenticeship to earn his Journeyman Lineman’s license. He continued working in construction before being hired by Northern States Power (Xcel Energy Inc.) as a substation electrician and worked his way up through positions including Foreman, Lead and General Foreman. He was challenged to meet and surpass safety goals, improve customer satisfaction and cultivate an efficient cost-effective workforce. He also worked to prepare non-benefit employees for potential company benefit positions. He retired from the company in October 2013 after 28 years. While at Xcel, Silver worked on distribution line upgrades, underground distribution installation, storm restoration and PCB hazardous waste disposal projects. Silver served in the U.S. Army as a Military Policeman. He is a member of Shamrock Golf Course and is a volunteer at Cross Food Shelf in Rogers.

“I would be honored to once again share my experience and knowledge in support of our cooperative.”

Mark Skinner, Maple Grove, is the incumbent director of District 8. A Wright-Hennepin member for 35 years, he has served as a Director for three years and earned his Credentialed Cooperative Director Certificate. He and wife Martha have three children and seven grandchildren.

Skinner is a retired engineer. His professional career focused on power and control systems, through which he developed strong fiscal, technical, and leadership skills. He received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin, was a Registered Professional Engineer through the State of Minnesota and Certified Electrical Professional through the National Association of Electrical Distributors. Skinner enjoys cycling and cross country skiing. In addition, he volunteers for his Home Owners Association, Three Rivers Park District and AARP.

“It is an honor to represent my neighbors on the Board at Wright-Hennepin. While our industry faces challenges, I am excited and ready to continue my service for another term. Many take it for granted, but electricity is essential for quality of life, the economy and national security. The objectives remain the same: safe, reliable, affordable electricity where the planet is respected and all members receive great value and a life enhanced by electricity.”

Keath Young is a director candidate for District 8. He and his wife Lesley have been WH members for more than six years and live in Plymouth.

Young is an accomplished executive with 25 years of expertise in improving organizational finance and operational processes. He has provided guidance and direction to numerous leaders, boards, shareholders, and business partners worldwide. Areas of particular expertise include strategy, business planning, fiscal control, risk management, contract and legal compliance, as well as financial analysis, budgets, and projections. In Young’s current position as Chief Operations Officer for Fireaway Inc., he is responsible for the organization’s manufacturing and international shipping operations, finance, accounting, and human resources functions. Since joining Fireaway, he has established multiple financial reporting and auditing processes, leading to several years of profitable revenue growth.

Young has previously volunteered as a board member with Giving Voice Initiative and served 16 years as Utility Commissioner of Centennial Utilities.

"The ever-growing demands placed on the electric industry for both increased reliability of service combined with greater production will certainly be a focus for the next many years. Should I be fortunate enough to serve as a WH Director, I will do my best to meet these and other needs."