CEO’s Message – November 2024

Remembering Keven Groenewold

1 of the many great things about my job is the opportunity to interact with colleagues from around the country. I know many co-op professionals around Arizona also appreciate the time they spend with their counterparts— either here or around the nation. Developing camaraderie, piecing together a professional network, and living the shared experience of walking in “someone else’s moccasins” make our jobs even that more enriching.

The Rural Electric Statewide Managers Association branch of the co-op family recently lost a cherished friend and colleague. Keven Groenewold served for parts of 3 decades as the head of the New Mexico statewide association. He retired about 2 years ago and was looking forward to seeing his kids marry, having grandchildren, enjoying time with his wife, Yolanda, and spending time at his cherished cabin. Unfortunately, he did not get his chance to do those things.

I first met Keven when I went to work for the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, based in Colorado. Tri-State is the power supplier to most of the co-ops in New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming and several in Nebraska. It owns a power plant here in Arizona. 1 of my jobs at Tri-State was the “care and feeding” of the statewide associations in those states, so I got to know the managers of each of those organizations well, including Keven.

New Mexico is an interesting place. Its co-ops are diverse—in geography, demographics, and temperament. Keven had to be quite a diplomat to hold those co-ops together while finding common ground for advocacy at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe and the Capitol in Washington, D.C. I spent many, many days in New Mexico during my Tri-State tenure. I can tell you some stories. Like the time a U.S. senator blew off a meeting with a number of us in D.C. because of a “schedule conflict,” and we saw him walking his dog. Keven later confronted him about it. Or another time when some “special inventory” from the statewide offices went missing and later was found in the car trunk of a co-op board member. Keven got it back. Or when a state senator hit me up for a contribution outside the Senate Chamber. I suggested she talk to the manager of the New Mexico political action committee (Keven), who stood next to me. Those are the ones I can write about. There are many others, best shared over a libation.

Speaking of which, my favorite memories with Keven are sitting on the countertop in the kitchen at the New Mexico statewide offices in Santa Fe after a long day (and/or night). We shared some of the above-mentioned special inventory and talked about our exploits, our families, and just life. Keven was great at staying in touch—calling every once in a while just to check in and offer words of encouragement insight or gossip. He was supportive when I became a fellow RESMA member and continued to be a good friend after he retired.

I’m going to miss his calls, his snark, his stories, and his friendship. A lot. Godspeed, Keven.

Dave Lock
CEO