CIPCO utility names new CEO

DES MOINES — Central Iowa Power Cooperative this week named Andrew St. John as the cooperative’s next CEO and executive vice president.

He will begin his new job June 5 following the retirement of Bill Cherrier.

“Over the past seven years, Andrew has demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic planning abilities as vice president and CFO,” CIPCO board President Paul Heineman said in a news release. “We’re pleased to promote a cooperative leader familiar with CIPCO’s member-owners, power supply portfolio and our strategic partners.”

St. John said he was honored by the appointment, noting 300,000-plus Iowans in 58 counties depend on the co-op to provide “safe, reliable and cost-effective power.”

The utility has offices in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Creston and Wilton.

The board also thanked Cherrier for his leadership. He joined CIPCO in October 2017, bringing 35 years of experience in the utility industry with him.

St. John joined CIPCO in 2016 and played “an influential role” in pulling together CIPCO’s most recent strategic plan, the news release stated.

He also managed the impact from the early retirement of the Duane Arnold Energy Center near Palo, and be brought 157 megawatts of new wind, 106 megawatts of solar and 55 megawatts of natural gas capacity into the CIPCO resource portfolio, according to the news release.

Before joining CIPCO, St. John oversaw financial reporting at Businessolver Inc. and served power and utility clients within Deloitte & Touche’s audit practice.

He is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in accounting and is an Iowa-licensed CPA. He and his wife, Natalie, live in Polk City with their daughter, Charlotte.