DAFTER — Cloverland’s board of directors announced the appointment of Michael (Mike) Heise as the cooperative’s new president and chief executive officer, effective Feb.11. In this leadership role, Heise will focus on top priorities for Cloverland, which include developing its four-year work plan into a more robust strategic plan and vision, addressing its financial position and strengthening industry relationships to build a stronger cooperative.

“Mike’s experience, expertise and fluent knowledge of utility management made him the best choice,” said Board Chairperson Jason St. Onge. “He will be great not only for Cloverland, but the Eastern Upper Peninsula. We are excited to have him on board.”

Heise brings more than 25 years of utility and facility management experience leading customer-driven service organizations. Most recently, he directed business development for American Electric Power (AEP) OnSite Partners in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to AEP, Heise served as chief operating officer for Power Systems Design & Quality Lines in Findlay, Ohio.

“I am honored that the board of directors has selected me as the next CEO of Cloverland Electric Cooperative,” says Heise. “I am excited about this wonderful opportunity and look forward to becoming part of the Cloverland family and community. My family and I are excited about this new chapter of our lives.”

Cloverland’s chief financial officer and director of power marketing and regulatory affairs, Aaron Wallin, who has been serving as interim president and CEO, is looking forward to welcoming the new CEO.

“I am pleased to have Mike on board and look forward to leveraging his expertise in providing reliable energy at an affordable price. Mike is exactly the right person to lead Cloverland and I anticipate a bright future for the cooperative,” said Wallin, who will return his full attention to his CFO role to focus on improving the cooperative’s financial health while keeping rates affordable.

Last August, board members engaged Dr. Peter Mitchell of Proactive Transition Management to conduct the executive search for candidates qualified to serve as the cooperative’s president and CEO. Dr. Mitchell conducted a series of listening sessions with the board, staff and community to establish the ideal candidate’s credentials, experience and leadership style. More than 20 candidates expressed interest in the opportunity and the field was narrowed to 10 whose profiles aligned well with the role’s requirements. The board then selected three strong candidates for further vetting and interviews before arriving with the unanimous decision of Heise.

Heise, an electrical engineering graduate of the University of Toledo, resides in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, with his wife of 25 years. Together, they have two sons who are both enrolled at the University of Akron in Ohio.

Michael Heise

Michael Heise brings more than 25 years of utility and engineering experience conceptualizing ideas, seizing opportunities and leading sophisticated customer-driven organizations with profit and loss responsibility for budgets exceeding $50 million. A strategic visionary with a clear sense of purpose and urgency when faced with diverse situational challenges, Heise has experience transforming struggling businesses into vital, streamlined and growing organizations.

He is skilled with establishing operational excellence within culturally diverse environments, translating conceptual models into specific growth strategies and infusing organizations with customer-centric policies with service and safety as top priority. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science in electrical engineering with an emphasis on power engineering from the University of Toledo.

Cloverland Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit, member-owned utility located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It serves over 42,000 homes and businesses in Chippewa, Delta, Mackinac, Luce, and Schoolcraft counties.