Whetstone Valley Electric Cooperative announced today that Dave Page has been selected as the next general manager of the cooperative. He will replace Steve... Whetstone Valley Electric Names New General Manager

Whetstone Valley Electric Cooperative announced today that Dave Page has been selected as the next general manager of the cooperative. He will replace Steve Ahles, who will end his 30-year career in December.

DavePage1Page has been employed at Whetstone for 19 years serving in many capacities, including network administration, purchasing, plant accounting and most recently as Information Technology Manager/Staff Assistant. A native of Henry and a graduate of Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, Page worked for 12 years in the telecommunications industry before joining Whetstone.

Bill Tostenson, WVEC board president, stated “We were very pleased to have a number of high quality candidates for this important position. Dave possess every quality we were looking for in a GM. We feel he will continue the vision forward and carry on the legacy of service to our cooperative members and our partnership with the communities we serve.”

Fourteen applications were received for the position. Seven completed interviews over the telephone. Six were then selected for a traditional interview. “This is the hardest task a coop board has to do,” explained Tostenson. “That is hiring a new general manager.”

Page will begin his new duties January 1, 2016. Page and wife, Denise, who is a lab technician at the Ortonville Hospital, have two daughters. Jessica is an RN in Colorado Springs, CO, and Alyssa is planting a United Methodist Church in Waterford City, ND.

Ahles has made a mark on the community of Milbank and will be a big hole to fill within the cooperative. “Steve left a big footprint on this community not only within the cooperative but with other organizations,” noted Tostenson. “But I am confident Dave can fill those shoes.”

Thinking back on his time with the coop, what impressed Ahles the most was watching people get through difficult times and come together as a team. He has also seen several changes in technology and levels of services provided and witnessed its progression throughout the years.

Ahles has no definite plans for his retirement, but just felt after 30 years, the time seemed right for him to step away. Ahles hopes to take up banjo playing as well as spending the winter time in warmer climates and with his three daughters and their families in the San Francisco and Milwaukee areas.

Headquartered in Milbank, Whetstone Valley Electric Cooperative serves 2,700 members at 3,400 service locations in Grant and Roberts Counties. With electric distribution assets of $26 million, the cooperative’s 22 employees provide electricity distribution of nearly 100 million kilo-watt hours each year. Whetstone is also engages in electrical contracting and provides HVAC sales and service, security and life-safety monitoring.

Staff Writer

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