October 10, 2025
WPPI Energy celebrates providing the power to thrive in 45
An Update from WPPI
Locally owned municipal utilities staff and community officials recently gathered in Green Bay to celebrate the 45th anniversary of WPPI Energy. The utilities and individuals received awards for leadership, community service and advocacy during the celebration, which was marked during the 2025 annual meeting held at Lambeau Field.
The event, titled, “The Power to Thrive,” hosted individuals from utilities that are member-owners of the joint action agency. They were recognized for their work in the electric industry.
“This gathering truly demonstrated how our members’ work has helped ensure their communities thrive over the last 45 years, and they continue to do so today,” said Mike Peters, president and CEO of WPPI Energy. “All of these individual efforts come together to highlight the value locally owned electric utilities provide for everyone they serve.”
WPPI presented 17 awards during the ceremony.
Shining Star
The Shining Star Award recognizes managers and employees who show growth and leadership with proven dedication to strategic initiatives within the utility. These individuals have gone above and beyond the call of duty.
- Lucas Caine – Oconomowoc Utilities
- Jordy Schmitz – Mount Horeb Utilities
- Mark Wainio – Negaunee Electric Department
- Virgil Johnson – River Falls Municipal Utilities
Community Service
Named in honor of late public power champion Richard “Dixie” Kirchoff, the Community Service Awards recognize member utility managers and public officials who demonstrate the utility’s value through their active participation in the community and commitment to volunteerism.
- Mayor Danny Helgerson – City of Westby
- John Andres – Sun Prairie Utilities
- Mike Gargano – Reedsburg Utility Commission
- Jim Krueger – Reedsburg Utility Commission
- Scott Morrissette – River Falls Municipal Utilities
- Todd Tessmann – Hustisford Utilities
Individual Achievement
This award recognizes a member utility manager or employee who has made a significant contribution to the success of WPPI Energy through actively participating as part of a committee, task force or other group work for at least five years.
- Brian Hoops – Stoughton Utilities
- Jim Stawicki – Sturgeon Bay Utilities
- Mike Thimm – Hartford Utilities
Distinguished Service
This award recognizes an effort to build grassroots support for policies that benefit WPPI member utilities and customers. It highlights someone who has contributed to raising public awareness of locally owned utilities. It is named after former Cedarburg mayor and long-time utility commissioner Jim Coutts, one of the most ardent supporters of public power and WPPI until his passing in November 2020.
Another mayor was this year’s award recipient. Lodi Mayor Ann Groves Lloyd has spent the last five years in her position advocating for her city and public power, though her work began long before she was elected to the position.
She has attended the American Public Power Association Legislative Rally as part of a group of local representatives from WPPI communities since 2017 and focuses on protecting utility and customer interests every day.
Utility Leadership
The Utility Leadership Award recognizes a WPPI Energy member utility that displays excellence and leadership. This utility helps to advance strategic initiatives, provides benefits to the membership and supports public power and joint action.
Oconomowoc Utilities was the recipient of this award, honored for their hard work in accommodating a quickly expanding city and their leadership of excellence in adapting new, effective technology to help fellow WPPI members.
Joint Action Leadership
Nine Joint Action Leadership Certification graduates were also recognized at the annual meeting. The program offered through WPPI Energy is a two-year commitment that broadens the participant’s knowledge in five key topics within the electric utility industry.
- Lori Ewoldt – Sun Prairie Utilities
- Paul Fabian – Two Rivers Utilities
- Adrianna Fier – Maquoketa Municipal Electric Utility
- Dave Graff – Crystal Falls Electric Department
- Beth Rank – Oconto Falls Municipal Utilities
- Gina Sampe – Two Rivers Utilities
- John Schuh – Oconomowoc Utilities
- Owen VandeKolk – Waupun Utilities
Milestones
WPPI Energy member utilities have a proven record of service. Some have been providing municipal electricity to their communities for over a century or nearly as long.
WPPI recognized member utilities with milestone anniversaries in 2025:
- Cuba City Light & Water – 125 Years
- Menasha Utilities – 120 Years
- New Richmond Utilities – 135 Years
- Oconomowoc Utilities – 125 Years
- River Falls Municipal Utilities – 125 Years
- Sun Prairie Utilities – 115 Years
- Waunakee Utilities – 110 Years
- Westby Utilities – 110 Years
- Whitehall Electric Utility – 95 Years
Volunteer Power
WPPI celebrated a member of its own staff who spends each day serving two member utility communities, one where she originally grew up. Energy Services Manager Markie Bscherer works in both Algoma Utilities and Sturgeon Bay Utilities offices.
The Volunteer Power Award recognizes a person who demonstrates exceptional leadership in their volunteer work and contributes to the betterment of the place where they volunteer. Bscherer is in her ninth year on the board of advisors for the Women’s Fund of Door County, the largest charitable organization in the region dedicated to supporting women and girls, which has a mission of encouraging potential, supporting health and wellness and promoting economic opportunity.
Hall of Fame
Every inductee in the Joint Action Hall of Fame has made major contributions to the development and success of WPPI Energy. They have also made a significant positive impact on joint action through their contributions.
Two recently retired WPPI staff received this prestigious honor during the annual meeting: Tim Noeldner and Tom Paque.
Noeldner retired as senior vice president of Power Supply in December after decades in joint action. He was instrumental in shaping WPPI’s long-term planning and resource management. As a strong leader, his work to develop a comprehensive planning approach ensured the joint action agency is prepared for future needs and challenges.
Paque retired as senior vice president of business strategy, a title fitting for someone who spent three decades building programs and creating services that helped WPPI make significant contributions to the success of its member utilities. His leadership even contributed to the addition of new members as WPPI experienced 20% growth in less than a decade of his first day with the joint action agency.
Both Noeldner and Paque demonstrated a commitment to excellence that has ensured all the communities served by WPPI member utilities can continue to thrive.