The Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association Announces New CEO

Mark Lambrecht Photo courtesy of Montana Electric Cooperatives' Association The Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association is pleased to announce it is under new leadership following the retirement of CEO, Gary Wiens. After a national search, MECA’s board of directors selected Mark Lambrecht of Helena as the organization’s new CEO. Gary Wiens, who spent 32 years with MECA – 26 as assistant general manager and the past six as CEO, will retire July 11. The MECA Board and the 25 MECA member electric cooperatives recognize Wiens for his years of dedicated service, congratulate him on an outstanding career and wish him well in retirement. Lambrecht, who is MECA’s government relations director, starts as the statewide association’s CEO July 6. He led MECA’s successful efforts at the past two Montana Legislative Sessions and elevated its stature at the federal level, working closely with the Montana Congressional delegation and federal agencies on issues important to electric cooperatives. Prior to his tenure with MECA, Lambrecht was assistant director of national conservation lands and community partnerships for the federal Bureau of Land Management, a senior executive position at agency headquarters, where he oversaw financial and personnel management of 38 million acres of federal lands. His career spans more than 35 years with significant experience in organizational management, energy and natural resource policy, government and public affairs and environmental management. He holds a master’s degree in resource conservation from the University of Montana and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Gonzaga University. “I am very grateful to the MECA board, staff and members for entrusting me to lead the organization to a future of sustained success. I’m fully committed to giving co-ops my best every day to help them meet their obligations to provide safe, affordable and reliable electricity to their members. I also want to express my appreciation for Gary Wiens’ decades of dedicated, excellent service to the organization. It’s an honor for me to have the opportunity to carry on his legacy,” Lambrecht said. The Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association (MECA) represents 25 electric distribution cooperatives serving more than 400,000 Montanans, and reaching into four other states. The association provides communications, legislative lobbying, safety/loss control and education and training services, among other benefits, for its members.