Logan County Electric Cooperative welcomes its newest president and general manager Joe Waltz.
Waltz has a 30-year career with electric co ops, spending time wearing many hats in the field as a meter reader, a supervisor, a manager, a director of operations and now as a president and general manager.
In fulfilling so many roles in the industry, Waltz said he can see many sides to a situation.
“I understand what our staff is doing to support our membership,” he said.
He first discovered his passion during a college internship as a meter reader.
“I realized what I really wanted to do with my life was to serve or be in the utility business,” he said.
In 1988, Waltz began his professional career as a meter reader for Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative in Manassas, Virginia.
He spent 15 years there and concluded his time as the director of fiber optic development.
In 2005 in Front Royal, Virginia, Waltz led its municipal electric utility and served as the director of energy services until 2016. Waltz was also town manager until 2019.
And Logan County has found a way into Waltz’s heart.
“After a 6.5 hour drive here, it was our first visit. We were just meeting people in the community,” Waltz said. “There was just this openness and friendliness and hospitality that just won me over. My wife said she never felt at home like she did here. That was something for us being from out of state. It drew me here. I want to be part of this community.”
Waltz said in doing what he does he is fulfilling one of his dreams.
“I wanted to lead a co op because of the uniqueness in a nonprofit and how it’s controlled by members and everything is done for its members,” he said.
As a co op, the nonprofit LCEC provides electricity to more than 4,800 customers — or who they call members — in Logan County.
“Our main purpose is to serve our members,” Waltz said. “We are owned by those who we serve.”
Each year LCEC hosts an election in which members get to determine who the trustees are to dictate how LCEC is run.
“They’re our stakeholders,” Waltz said. “It’s locally controlled.”
And Waltz said he genuinely enjoys his job.
Because of his all-the-time enthusiasm about it, his wife Mary has nicknamed him “Electric Joe.”
“When you can find something in your life like that, it just makes coming to work everyday not working,” Waltz said. “It’s real for me — almost a hobby.”
Waltz’s plans for Logan County include continuing “to provide the best quality and reliable service.”
He also sees the value in focusing on economic development for Logan County.
“I think it’s our duty to explore different business opportunities and fill the need for our memberships,” Waltz said.
One way to fill a need, is to expand broadband, or internet capabilities, across the county.
“Overall we are just looking for partnership with the community,” he said.
Waltz would also like to bring leadership to both inside the co op and to the community, as well.
“Logan County can be an active member and be part of the team that brings Logan County into the future,” he said.
