McVay Promoted to Assistant General Manager

Wheatland Electric Cooperative Inc. has a new assistant general manager. Jim McVay, the cooperative’s general counsel since Jan. 2018, was given the additional role following the departure of Trey Grebe. 

An attorney from Great Bend, McVay received his bachelor’s degree in political science and Juris Doctor from Washburn University. He served 23 years in the U.S. Marine Corps and has been an attorney in Kansas for 30 years, trying several hundred bench and jury trials. McVay will also retain his role as Wheatland’s general counsel. 

Grebe, whose last day was Jan. 3, 2022, served as our assistant general manager since Aug. 2016 and is assuming a new role at Medina Electric Cooperative in Hondo, Texas, as CEO. 

He said the thing he will miss the most about working at Wheatland are the people he interacted with daily. We wish Grebe the best in his new role at Medina and appreciate his years of service to Wheatland Electric Cooperative Inc.

Goddard Promoted to Director of Finance

Wheatland Electric Cooperative Inc. has a new director of finance. Traci Goddard, our former manager of accounting, has stepped into the role following the retirement of Radona Ayers. 

Goddard, who has been with Wheatland since 2015, was born and raised in Dodge City and received her MBA in accounting from Saint Leo University in Florida. She is a certified public accountant, licensed in the state of Kansas.

As head of finance, Goddard is responsible for the day-to-day operations, as well as the administrative, regulatory, and reporting duties of the co-op. 

Ayers, whose last day at Wheatland was Jan. 7, 2022, served as manager of accounting at Wheatland from Oct. 2004 prior to being promoted to finance director in Nov. 2014. She said she has enjoyed the diversity of challenges during her time at the cooperative and being part of what she called a “cooperative family.”

“I remember during the spring blizzard 2017 URSA weather event and being at the office at 6 a.m. to make breakfast burritos for the lineworkers, everyone pulling together to pitch in however and whenever they could,” she said. 

We wish Ayers the best in her retirement and thank her for her many years of service to Wheatland Electric Cooperative Inc.

Conine Promoted to Director of Member Services and Corporate Communications

Congratulations to Alli Conine on her promotion from manager to director of member services and corporate communications as of Jan. 1, 2022.

A familiar face around Wheatland Electric since 2015, Conine served as manager of the department since 2018. She leads 
her team in all internal and external communications for the cooperative, in addition to coordinating all community and school programs and membership meetings. 

“I am proud of the progress our team has made in increasing Wheatland’s visibility and membership engagement in 
the communities we serve,” Conine said. “I look forward to my expanded role and the opportunity to contribute further in Wheatland’s vision of providing essential services to enhance the lives of our members.”

Conine, a native of Great Bend, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Family Studies and Human Services from Kansas State University and Certified Key Accounts Executive (CKAE) credentials through NRECA (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association).