Hays, Kan.—Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, our generation and transmission provider, is pleased to announce board leadership changes and new board appointments.
Josh Young, representing Wheatland Electric Cooperative Inc. (WEC), and Nick Zerr, representing Western Cooperative Electric, were elected as directors on the Sunflower Board of Directors.
John Sullivan, also from WEC, and Terry Hobbs, from Western, were selected to serve as alternate directors.
In addition, Kenny Wehkamp, the board director representing Victory Electric Cooperative, was elected chairman of the board.
Each of Sunflower’s six member cooperatives—which, in addition to WEC, also include Lane-Scott Electric Cooperative, Pioneer Electric Cooperative, Victory Electric Cooperative, Western Cooperative Electric, and Prairie Land Electric Cooperative—have two representatives elected by local distribution cooperative members.
Sunflower’s board meets monthly to strategize on the current and future operation of Sunflower and the best approaches to continue providing its members with reliable wholesale energy at the lowest possible cost.
Young, a WEC board member since 2020 and its current vice president, previously served as Sunflower’s alternate director. He succeeds Wes Campbell, who served as a Sunflower director for 10 years and was chairman at the time of his retirement earlier this year.
A lifelong resident of western Kansas, Young brings a strong background in agriculture, banking, and community leadership.
“I’m honored to have been selected to serve on the Sunflower board,” Young said. “This opportunity represents both a privilege and a responsibility, and I am grateful. I look forward to working alongside fellow board members to support Sunflower’s vision and contribute to its continued success.”
Sullivan, a member of the Wheatland board since 2011, is the chief financial officer of the Great Bend Cooperative Association and has more than three decades of experience in the grain cooperative sector. He succeeds Young in the alternate director role.
“Serving as an alternate on the Sunflower Board is a great opportunity to broaden my understanding of how the generation side of the cooperative supports distribution,” Sullivan said. “I look forward to building new connections and gaining deeper insight into the electric cooperative world.”
Sunflower is proud to welcome its newest directors, alternate directors, and board chairman. Their diverse professional backgrounds—spanning agriculture, finance, healthcare, education, and public service—enhance the board’s ability to navigate challenges and seize opportunities in today’s rapidly evolving energy landscape.
Together, this team of proven leaders will help guide Sunflower’s strategic direction, ensuring our member cooperatives and the communities they serve continue to benefit from safe, reliable, and cost-effective electricity for years to come.
About Sunflower—Sunflower Electric Power Corporation is a regional wholesale power supplier operating a system of solar, wind, natural gas, and coal-based electric generating plants and approximately 2,400 miles of electric transmission infrastructure. The focus of Sunflower’s 400+ workforce is supplying reliable energy at the lowest possible cost to its seven members who serve electric consumers living in central and western Kansas. In addition to its six member cooperatives, Southern Pioneer Electric Company is also a member of Sunflower.
