Meet Director Glenn Mitzel

Ask Glenn Mitzel about his passions outside of work, and you’ll get a myriad of answers… most of which the layperson would classify as within the boundaries of “work.”

With a career as a controls and automation software engineer and over 25 years of experience as a lecturer at North Dakota State University, Mitzel’s schedule is fully booked.

“I don’t really know what free time is,” Mitzel laughed.

One of the biggest pieces of the “Glenn Mitzel experience” takes place monthly at Cass County Electric Cooperative’s (CCEC) headquarters, with countless engagements and correspondences in between.

Mitzel has served as chair of the CCEC board of directors since spring 2023 and has been a board member since 2013. Spend five minutes with the man, and his passion for the cooperative and its members resonates with the utmost pride.

As Mitzel reflects on the past, present, and future, he couldn’t be more optimistic about the cooperative’s trajectory.

Always a part of me
Growing up on a farm near Hope, North Dakota, and graduating from Valley City High School, Mitzel had a spread of co-op influences around him from a young age.

“My dad’s best friend was a director for Sheyenne Valley Electric Cooperative and my dad was on the local farmers elevator board (a cooperative), so I guess I’ve been around cooperatives my whole life,” Mitzel said.

The trend continued in college. A graduate of the University of North Dakota, Mitzel spent time as an engineering intern at Nodak Electric Cooperative in Grand Forks prior to obtaining his master’s of engineering physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

“I’ve been very fortunate to see the cooperative world from many angles,” Mitzel said. “It’s fostered a deep appreciation for the cooperative business model, but also has best equipped me for the position that I’m in today.”

Equipped to succeed
Of the nine-member board, Mitzel is one of the longest tenured. Reflecting on his start, Mitzel has experienced no shortage of versatility.

“It wasn’t until I was elected (to the board) that I truly realized the breadth of topics that we have the opportunity to work on,” Mitzel said.

That variety hasn’t come without its challenges; Mitzel cites power supply, regulation, and market supply as just a few of the issues that the board is faced with.

“The change that’s happening is certainly the most unique and challenging part of the role,” Mitzel said. “There are issues that the board never fathomed years ago that are now top issues because the industry is changing rapidly.”

Yet great leadership is rooted in versatility, and CCEC’s board showcases versatility that rivals the issues they face.

“We’ve got a broad spectrum of backgrounds represented. Everything from a retired Navy pilot to a retired FBI agent, a finance manager, business owners, former university instructors, and farmers,” Mitzel said. “We think about and view things differently, but that helps us power through to reach the best solutions for our members.”