IAEE Leadership Spotlight - Ethan Hohenadel, Board Member

I started in the energy industry in March 2008 and joined the IAEE board in 2013.  What originally drew me to the board was my work on energy efficiency through work.  I was hired by the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives as a data analyst.  Part of that role included working as a project manager on the cooperative energy efficiency filings.  Shortly after I was hired, the cooperatives began a process to evaluate the potential for energy and capacity savings within their service territories.  A large portion of my early time in the industry was spent working with our selected consultants to complete the assessment of potential and develop goals for energy efficiency savings.  Following this assessment, I spent significant time collecting and analyzing data from cooperatives to measure performance towards those goals.  This early work helped inspire me to join the IAEE board.

During my time on the board, I have seen the association grow tremendously and face some significant challenges.  The Iowa Energy Summit has continued to evolve and bring in new and exciting speakers.  My time as IAEE board chair also saw significant changes and challenges.  We have added additional events and engaged many new partners to help advance energy efficiency in Iowa.  Additionally, we went through an exhaustive strategic planning process to evaluate where the organization was and where we would like it to go.

While the pandemic and staffing issues created immense challenges, I am extremely proud of the hard work the board put forth to “play the hand we were dealt” to charge forward towards meeting those plans.  We put together a completely virtual Iowa Energy Summit to provide members with great speakers providing critical information.  We hired our first executive director to help continue to grow the organization.  We partnered with Momentum is Building and the Beneficial Electrification League to broaden the IAEE’s reach to other organizations and potential members who share a passion for energy efficiency.  Additionally, we partnered with the Iowa Realtors Association to provide education, training, and certification for realtors seeking to make energy efficiency a bigger part of the real estate buying process.

While I am stepping away from my leadership role and spot on the board, I am not stepping away from the association or its core mission.  I am extremely confident that the IAEE board and its new leadership will continue to grow the organization and increase member value in exciting new ways.