In the wake of retirements by long-standing employees, Wheatland Electric Cooperative, Inc. (WEC) has promoted several employees. Our succession planning identifies and develops future leaders within the co-op to ensure continuity of leadership and smooth transition of key roles. These employees also learned from their successors.

NICOLE SEMENKO, former payroll specialist, steps into her new role as manager of human resources, following the retirement of BARBARA KIRK, who served WEC for nearly two decades.

Kirk, who retired March 8, started her career with WEC in October 2005, as a payroll specialist and was later promoted to manager of human resources in December 2015. Kirk became the human resources director in December 2017.

“I’m very thankful for the opportunities I have been given and the learning and growing I have done,” Kirk said. “I’ve worked on projects with many people over the years and have made friendships. I feel by doing the many HR functions, I’ve helped my fellow employees serve our communities.”

Semenko trained alongside Kirk for nearly a year following Kirk’s announcement of her impending retirement.

KLAUS TO RETIRE; BARRETT, PETERSON PROMOTED

RICK KLAUS, director of operations, has announced he will retire Sept. 6, 2024. Klaus’ career began at WEC in April 1982, as a groundman in District 5 (comprising Finney, eastern Kearny, and northwestern Gray counties).

In November 1985, he was promoted to journeyman lineman, and then to District 5 foreman in 1990. In June 1998, he was promoted to fore-man of the District 5 substation crew. Klaus became the District 5 manager in May 2014, and ultimately in charge of operations across Districts 1-5 in December 2015. In December 2018, he was promoted to director of operations for all of WEC.

“Rick has done a tremendous job during his service to WEC,” said Bruce W. Mueller, CEO/general manager. “He has earned the admiration and respect from the members and employees who have worked with him over his 42-year-long career.”

BRANDON BARRETT, WEC’s manager of engineering since December 2020, has over a decade of experience at WEC. He is currently training alongside Klaus to step into the director of operations position upon Klaus’ retirement. Barrett started his WEC career as a part-time engineering summer intern in 2009, before completing an additional three internships with WEC during college.

In December 2011, he was hired as a full-time electrical engineer. In December 2017, he was promoted to electrical engineer II and ultimately manager of engineering, his current role, in December 2020.

To fill the role previously held by Barrett, CURTIS PETERSON, formerly District 5 manager, has been promoted to manager of operations. In this new role, Peterson is responsible for assuring that the WEC electrical facilities are constructed, maintained and operated in a safe, efficient and consistent manner across all WEC districts and meet National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) code requirements.

He is also responsible for assuring that adequate planning occurs for the orderly development of distribution and substation facilities and will be working with WEC’s Manager of Safety Quinten Wheeler to promote safe and efficient work practices for all operations personnel.

Peterson has served WEC since June 1993, when he was first hired part time as a member of a District 5 line crew. He was promoted to journeyman line-man in December 1996, and District 5 manager in December 2018.

KASSELMAN AND JONES EARN CISSP

WEC strives to ensure our employees are both educated and trained at the highest Nicole Semenko standards of our industry. Two members of our information technology department recently completed the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) an independent information security certification granted by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium.

JEVIN KASSELMAN, director of IT, and JAKE JONES, systems administrator, have both earned this certification, demonstrating a high level of proficiency, experience and commitment to excellence in the field of information security and protecting organizations like WEC from cyberthreats.