Fall 2026 professional section meetings gathered co-op employees to network and learn

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As part of its commitment to the professional development of cooperative employees across the state, Indiana Electric Cooperatives holds professional section meetings twice a year. Each of these meetings allows professionals to network with their peers in similar roles at other co-ops and receive updates, education, and enrichment relevant to their work.

The Fall 2026 professional section meetings were held from mid-September through early November. Accountants and office managers, customer service representatives, human resources and administrators, information technology, marketing, member services, and communicators, and operations and engineering each held multi-day sessions. In addition to featured speakers, each meeting included roundtable discussions and a networking reception.

The professional section meetings are a cornerstone of IEC’s professional development programming. Each meeting is planned by a committee of co-op and G&T employees in coordination with an IEC liaison. Dates for the Spring 2027 professional section meetings will be scheduled in late November.

Human Resources and Administrators

The human resources and administrators (HRA) professional section met Sept. 17-18. Sessions included:

  • “Stress Strong,” an interactive presentation from Sayward Fry about managing change and preventing burnout.
  • An expert presentation from Makeda Boehm about the potential of artificial intelligence to streamline HR workflows.
  • “From Order-Taker to Strategic Partner,” a strategic session about strengthening the role of HR professionals as business partners to the C-suite.

Marketing, Member Services, and Communicators

The marketing, member services, and communicators (MMSC) professional section met Sept. 24-25. The group participated in a brainstorming session as part of IEC’s ongoing strategic plan and enjoyed a keynote from Sarah Mullins about owning one’s internal energy for greater productivity and healthier workplace relationships. In a breakout session, the energy advisors completed a two-part training in cutting-edge heat pump technologies. Abby Asher was awarded the 2026 Tom Taylor Award, given each year to a co-op communicator who embodies the late Taylor’s philosophy of “non sibi, sed aliis” — “not for self, but for others.”

Accountants and Office Managers

The accountants and office managers professional section meeting was Sept. 28-29. The agenda included:

  • Training from the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) on the new CompassPro financial planning platform.
  • An overview from the Department of Local Government Finance on what’s new in property taxes and the UD-45 filing.
  • A government relations update from IEC CEO John Cassady.

Customer Service Representatives

The customer service representatives (CSR) section held two meetings: Oct. 27-28 and Oct. 29-30. Each meeting had the same agenda, allowing CSR professionals greater flexibility to attend. The agenda for the meetings, themed “Harvesting Connections,” included an IEC strategic planning update, a government relations update, industry knowledge sessions, and a presentation by keynote speaker George Rogers of Lighthouse Research and Advisory. The attendees also completed a community service project to benefit Firefly Children & Family Alliance.

Operations and Engineering

The final professional section meeting on the Fall 2026 calendar was operations and engineering (O&E), which was Nov. 4-6. The agenda for the O&E meeting includes:

  • Informative sessions on traffic control, capital credits, substation maintenance, and amorphous core transformers.
  • Committee meetings for the safety committee and Rural Electric Apprenticeship Program (REAP).
  • A keynote address about leadership from Retired U.S. Army First Sergeant Matt Eversmann.