Power Fund Board

Fred Hubbell
Voting Member
Power Fund Board Chair

Fred S. Hubbell was a member of the Executive Board and Chairman of Insurance and Asset Management Americas for ING Group. Mr. Hubbell retired from ING Group's Executive Board effective April 25, 2006. Mr. Hubbell was formerly Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Equitable of Iowa Companies, an insurance holding company, serving in his position as Chairman from May 1993 to October 1997, and as President and Chief Executive Officer from May 1989 to October 1997.

John Bilsten

Algona Municipal Utilities

John Bilsten is the General Manager for Algona Municipal Utilities and has served in that position since October 1999. Algona Municipal Utilities is a community owned water, electric, cable TV, high speed internet and telephone utility that serves Algona and the surrounding area. Algona Municipal Utilities has been very active in renewable energy and partially owns and manages the operations and maintenance for the Iowa Distributed Wind Generation Project located near Algona. John is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration. John is a past President of the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities; serves on the Advisory Council of the Iowa Energy Center; the Board of the Iowa Public Power Agency; and has been active in power supply and transmission issues in Iowa.

President
Northwest Iowa Community College

Dr. Bill Giddings serves as President of Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon. He is in his fourth year in this position. Prior to serving at NCC, Dr. Giddings held the position of College Executive Vice President of Educational Services at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska, and served as Campus President of Central Community College in Grand Island, Nebraska for 12 years, where he was awarded the Nebraska Community College Association Outstanding Chief Executive Officer’s Award in 1999. He began his community college career at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge in 1974 where he served 18 years in capacities of instructor, program coordinator, associate dean and dean. Dr. Giddings holds an undergraduate degree in Mathematics, a master’s degree in Education, and a doctorate in Higher Education Administration, all from Iowa State University in Ames.

President
Iowa State University

Dr. Gregory L. Geoffroy became President of Iowa State University on July 1, 2001, after serving as Provost and Senior Vice President at the University of Maryland, College Park, for four years, and as a faculty member and administrator at Penn State University for 23 years. He received a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Louisville in 1968, served as an officer in the United States Navy from 1969-70, and earned his doctorate in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1974. A nationally known researcher in organometallic chemistry, Dr. Geoffroy has published more than 200 research articles in refereed journals, is co-author of the book Organometallic Photochemistry, and has presented more than 200 invited lectures throughout the United States and in nine other nations. He currently serves on the FBI's National Security Higher Education Advisory Board and the Big 12 Conference Board of Directors. He also serves as a member of the World Food Prize Advisory Committee and the Iowa Business Council, and is president of the Iowa 4-H Foundation.

Peter Hemken
Voting Member
DuPont Company, V. President/General Manager for Bio-Based Materials

Peter C. Hemken is vice president and general manager for DuPont Applied BioSciences - BioMaterials, and DuPont Agriculture & Nutrition - Biofuels. He also has responsibility for Agriculture & Nutrition business development and several functions within DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred. Mr. Hemken joined DuPont in 1977 and has worked in engineering, technical, manufacturing, marketing and business management roles located in the United States and Japan. Born in Webster City, Iowa, Mr. Hemken graduated with honors from Iowa State University with a BS degree in Chemical Engineering and earned an MBA degree from the University of Richmond.

Ex-Officio Member
Grand View College, President

Kent L. Henning became the thirteenth president of Grand View College on January 17, 2000.  Previously, Mr. Henning worked 20 years in college advancement, including service at Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin; George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia; Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, Durham, North Carolina; and Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa. Mr. Henning graduated from Wartburg College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and communication arts, and in 1989, graduated the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University with an MBA.

Patricia Higby
Voting Member
Univ. of Northern Iowa Center for Energy & Environmental Education

Pat Higby has served as energy educator at the University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Energy and Environmental Education since 2001. She was previously an adjunct instructor in the UNI physics department and an instructor in the Upward Bound Math and Science program. A member of the boards of directors of the Iowa Renewable Energy Association, the Iowa Association for Energy Efficiency and Electrathon America, Ms. Higby holds a B.A. degree and two M.A. degrees from UNI, and has done graduate work at Iowa State University.

Hubert Houser
Ex-Officio Member
Senator

Hubert M. Houser is the Iowa State Senator from the 49th District; serving in the Iowa Senate since 2002. Senator Houser currently serves on several committees in the Iowa Senate - the Agriculture committee; the Local Government committee; the Transportation committee; and the Economic Growth committee, where he is the ranking member. Senator Houser also serves on the Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee. Senator Houser’s prior political experience includes serving as a representative in the Iowa House from 1992-2001, serving on the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors from 1979-1993, and serving two terms on the Carson-Macedonia School Board.

Carrie La Seur
Voting Member
Plains Justice, President

Carrie La Seur is Founder and President of Plains Justice, a Cedar Rapids-based public interest environmental law center that works for environmental justice through community partnerships in the northern plains states. An energy and environmental lawyer and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa, Dr. La Seur earned her J.D. from Yale Law School. She also earned a doctorate in modern languages as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, and a Bachelors degree in French and English from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. Following a clerkship with the Federal Court of Australia, Dr. La Seur has practiced in Illinois, Iowa, and North Dakota since 2003.

Voting Member
Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Director

Richard became Director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in January 2007. Prior to the DNR, Mr. Leopold was the Executive Director of the Iowa Environmental Council since September of 2003. From 1999-2002, Mr. Leopold served as the coordinator for IOWATER, Iowa's statewide volunteer water-quality monitoring program. Mr. Leopold holds an M.S. in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University. He obtained his B.S. in biology from Minnesota State University and an associates degree in natural resources technology from Central Lakes College in Brainerd, Minnesota.

John Norris
Voting Member
Iowa Utilities Board,
Utilities Board Chair

John Norris has served as Chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) since March 2005. Mr. Norris is also President of the Organization of MISO States and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Regulatory Research Institute. Mr. Norris is a National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners member, serving on its Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment. In addition, Mr. Norris is the IUB representative to the Advisory Councils of the Iowa Energy Center and the Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research. Mr. Norris received his B.A. degree from Simpson College, graduated with distinction from the University of Iowa Law School, and was Chief of Staff for former Governor Tom Vilsack.

Bill Northey
Voting Member
Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship,
Secretary of Agriculture

Bill Northey is a fourth generation farmer from Spirit Lake, Iowa who grows corn and soybeans.  Mr. Northey returned to Spirit Lake to farm with his grandfather after graduating from Iowa State University in 1981. Mr. Northey is serving his first term as Secretary of Agriculture after being elected in November of 2006. As Secretary of Agriculture, Mr. Northey’s priorities are advancing the opportunities available through renewable energy, promoting conservation and stewardship, and telling the story of Iowa agriculture.

Lucy Norton
Voting Member
Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Managing Director

Lucy Norton serves as the Managing Director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), the trade association representing Iowa’s renewable fuels industry. Ms. Norton manages the association’s marketing programs, member services and communications. Prior to joining the IRFA, Ms. Norton served as Director of Marketing for the Iowa Corn Promotion Board and Iowa Corn Growers Association, and served on the Advisory Committee of the Office of Renewable Fuels and the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Board. Ms. Norton is past-president of the Iowa Chapter of the National Agri-Marketing Association and has served on numerous NAMA committees.

Nathan Reichert
Ex-Officio Member
Representative

Nathan K. Reichert is the Iowa State Representative from the 80th District; serving in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2005. Representative Reichert received his MBA from the University of Iowa. Representative Reichert currently serves on several committees in the Iowa House - the Agriculture committee; the Appropriations committee; the Commerce committee; and the Natural Resources committee. Representative Reichert also serves as vice-chair of the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Capitals Appropriations Subcommittee.

Ex-Officio Member
Representative

Chuck Soderberg is the Iowa State Representative from the 3rd District; serving in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2004. Representative Soderberg currently serves on several committees in the Iowa House - the Human Resources committee; the Natural Resources committee; the Ways and Means committee; and the Commerce committee, where he is the ranking member.

Ex-Officio Member
Senator

Roger Stewart is the Iowa State Senator from the 13th District; serving in the Iowa Senate since 2002. Senator Stewart currently serves on several committees in the Iowa Senate - the Commerce committee; the Local Government committee; the Ways and Means committee; and the Economic Growth committee, where he is chair. Senator Stewart also serves on the Administration and Regulation Appropriations Subcommittee.

Michael Tramontina
Voting Member
Iowa Department of Economic Development, Director

Mike Tramontina has served as Director of the Iowa Dept of Economic Development under Governor Chet Culver and Lt Governor Patty Judge since January, 2007. Prior to taking up the post, Mr. Tramontina served as Director of the Iowa Department of Management and as Executive Director of the Iowa Finance Authority. Mr. Tramontina has also served in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as Secretary’s Representative for the Great Plains region, and as Deputy State Treasurer. Mr. Tramontina is a native of Sioux City and a graduate of University of Iowa.

Thomas Wind
Vice Chair
Wind Utility Consulting

Tom Wind is the owner of Wind Utility Consulting and specializes in small wind generation projects and in the integration of large wind turbines into the utility grid system. Mr. Wind graduated from Iowa State University in 1974 with a BS in Electrical Engineering. Mr. Wind was employed at Iowa Southern Utilities for 15 years before becoming a self-employed consulting engineer in 1989. Mr. Wind is a member of the American Wind Energy Association, the Utility Wind Integration Group, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and the Technical Advisory Group for wind generation for the U.S. National Committee of the International Electrotechnical Committee.