Bryon E. Stilley has been appointed as the Vice President of Engineering and Operations at Cuivre River Electric Cooperative (CREC). Stilley started on August 11 and is transitioning into the role which will be vacated by Rick Didion, who is retiring later this year.

Stilley brings extensive experience to CREC. He started his cooperative career at Goodhue County Electric Cooperative, in Zumbrota, Minnesota as an apprentice lineman and worked his way up to a journeyman. He then became the assistant manager of engineering at Crow Wing Cooperative Power and Light Company, a 40,000-member cooperative in Brainerd, Minnesota. Stilley also worked as the operations manager at Chariton Valley Electric Cooperative, in Albia, Iowa, and was later named general manager. He most recently served as the chief operating officer at Sangre de Cristo Electric in Buena Vista, Colorado. 

Stilley’s education includes powerline coursework from Jackson Technical College, and Dakota County Technical College, both in Minnesota. He received his Journeyman Licensure from the Denny Merchant Program in Brookings, South Dakota, and holds a B.A. in Organization and Communication Management from Concordia University, St. Paul Minnesota.  

CREC currently employs 130 employees who are based at the co-op’s headquarters in Troy and the branch office located in Lake Saint Louis.