Iowa rural electric cooperative association chooses Kansas attorney as next leader

A Kansas attorney will lead a statewide group that lobbies for Iowa's rural electric cooperatives as the association's current executive retires.

The Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives board said it chosen Leslie Kaufman of Topeka, Kansas, as the association’s next executive vice president and general manager. She will replace Chuck Soderberg, the group's current leader, who retires Aug. 1 following an electric cooperative career spanning 45 years.

In a statement, Kenny VandenBerg, the association's board president, called Kaufman a seasoned industry veteran who "brings a unique combination of skills and experience to lead the association into a new era.”

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Kaufman, who begins her new job July 29, most recently worked as the Kansas Electric Cooperatives' government relations vice president and legal counsel. She joined the organization in 2017.

Prior to that, Kaufman held lobbying and executive positions at the Kansas Cooperative Council for 14 years and served eight years in the public policy department for the Kansas Farm Bureau.

A licensed attorney, Kaufman earned her law degree at Washburn University School of Law in Topeka and is a member of the Electric Cooperative Bar Association and the Kansas Bar Association. She earned her bachelor's degree in history and business administration from MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas.

Soderberg, a former Iowa House member, became the group's executive vice president in 2015. Before that, he worked at Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative, called NIPCO, for 36 years.

The statewide trade association represents 39 rural electric and nine generation and transmission cooperatives, lobbying for them on state and federal legislation and regulations. It also provides members safety, training and educational services.

The state's rural electric cooperatives provide power to 650,000 Iowans in all 99 counties and invest in rural economic development opportunities.

Donnelle Eller covers agriculture, the environment and energy for the Register. Reach her at deller@registermedia.com or 515-284-8457.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa rural electric cooperative association chooses Kansas attorney as next leader