Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives

09/09/2026

09/09/2026

Watch this video to learn more about 2026 Shine the Light winner Ellen Campbell of Panora, who was nominated by a member-consumer of Guthrie County REC.

Ellen was recognized for her work with Stitch and Chatter, a quilting club that meets regularly at First Christian Church in Panora. After retiring from Panora Schools in 2015, Ellen volunteered with Stitch and Chatter as a way to bring people together to help others. And the quilting club is working to stitch together a stronger community, one square at a time. Learn more at https://www.panorafcc.org/stitch-and-chatter.

The Touchstone Energy Cooperatives of Iowa have donated $3,000 to her charity in Ellen's honor.

Special thanks to Central Iowa Power Cooperative for editing this video.

09/09/2026

Learn more about 2026 Shine the Light winner Belinda Seay of Moravia, who was nominated by 3 member-consumers of Chariton Valley Electric Cooperative.

Belinda was recognized for her work with Monroe County Helping Hands, Inc., which operates a thrift shop and food bank in Albia. Belinda has volunteered with Helping Hands for 10 years and serves as the clothing supervisor in the thrift store. She was nominated because she cares for others with deep compassion.

The Touchstone Energy Cooperatives of Iowa have donated $3,000 to this charity in Belinda's honor.

09/09/2026

Get to know 2026 Shine the Light winner Megan Gleeson of West Burlington, who was nominated by a member-consumer of Eastern Iowa Light & Power Cooperative.

Megan was recognized for her efforts with the Rally For Reid Foundation, which she and her husband Bill founded after the tragic death of their son to childhood cancer in 2020. Rally for Reid aims to support other families impacted by childhood cancer while also raising funds for pediatric cancer research. The Touchstone Energy Cooperatives of Iowa have made a $3,000 donation to this charity in Megan's honor.

Special thanks to Central Iowa Power Cooperative for editing this video.

09/09/2026

DRUM ROLL, PLEASE... we are excited to announce the winners of our 2026 Shine the Light contest! These 3 volunteers were selected from a pool of 83 nominations and we've made a $3,000 donation to each local charity in the volunteers' honor:

- Megan Gleeson of West Burlington was nominated by a member of Eastern Iowa Light & Power Cooperative for her work with the Rally For Reid Foundation which helps families battling childhood cancer.

- Belinda Seay of Moravia was nominated by 3 members of Chariton Valley Electric Cooperative for her work with Monroe County Helping Hands, Inc., a thrift store and food bank.

- Ellen Campbell of Panora was nominated by a member of Guthrie County REC for her work with the Stitch and Chatter Quilt Club, which provides blankets and garments for those in need.

Read their stories in the September issue of Iowa Electric Cooperative Living and online at https://www.ieclmagazine.com/featured-articles/meet-the-2026-shine-the-light-winners. We’ll share our winner videos with you in upcoming social posts!

Thanks to all of the electric cooperative member-consumers who took time in June to nominate local volunteers through our statewide Shine the Light contest.

09/08/2026

Our team of 18 electric co-op linemen from IA, OK and CO head out to Guatemala in one week! Once they land, they will work in a remote area of the country for about 3 weeks to build out electric infrastructure to power at least 80 homes, an elementary school and a health center in the rural villages of Montenegro and El Estucal. They will face language barriers, equipment challenges, climate adjustments and cultural differences as they power lives and empower these communities.

Here's a photo of our 7 linemen from Iowa:
- Scott Meinecke, IAEC (Iowa Team Leader)
- Jeremiah Ruby, Nishnabotna Valley REC
- Jeremy Jochims, Harrison County Rural Electric Cooperative
- Wes Held, Prairie Energy Cooperative
- Adam Hawkins, TIP Rural Electric Cooperative
- Jackson Rice, Heartland Power Cooperative
- Cody Stackhouse, Southwest Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative

09/04/2026

We wish you a relaxing Labor Day weekend as we celebrate the efforts of Iowa electric co-op employees. They work hard to keep power safe, reliable and affordable for the Iowans who depend on us every day.

09/03/2026

School is back in session and we have a great opportunity for high school students to score scholarship funds! Iowa students interested in public service, advocacy or leadership are invited to register for our Iowa Youth Leadership Academy webinars! We'll mail you a box of freebies and attendees could win a $500 or $1,000 scholarship. Details at https://www.iowarec.org/youth-tour/iowa-youth-leadership-academy1

09/01/2026

We love seeing member photos celebrating rural Iowa life featured on the cover of Iowa Electric Cooperative Living! Here's another great example:

Our September issue will be arriving soon, featuring a cuddly cow cover photo provided by a member-consumer of Access Energy Cooperative!