By Mike Finney

GREENWOOD — The top position at the Delaware Electric Cooperative is officially switching hands Thursday, but outgoing President and CEO Bill Andrew is confident the nonprofit utility will remain on a positive course.

Mr. Andrew is retiring from his leadership role at DEC, finishing up a 44-year career in the electric business, with 23 at DEC, a member-owned electric utility powering more than 107,000 homes, farms and businesses in Kent and Sussex counties.

While Mr. Andrew is heading into retirement, the co-op’s board of directors has named Greg Starheim to fill his position at the 170-employee Greenwood-based company after a comprehensive national search.

Mr. Starheim will take over as the leader of DEC on Thursday after most recently serving as the senior vice president of business and industry development at the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corp.

“I’m humbled to be given the opportunity to lead DEC,” Mr. Starheim said. “The co-op has some of the most innovative and committed employees in the nation, and our focus will remain on how to provide clean, affordable power and exceptional service to our 107,000 members.”

Mr. Andrew said he is confident Mr. Starheim will be successful in his endeavors with the co-op.

“Greg will provide the leadership and vision to ensure DEC continues to be a national leader in renewable energy, conservation and innovation,” said Mr. Andrew. “He is excited to meet our members and visit the communities the co-op proudly powers. DEC and our members will be in good hands.”

After decades working at General Electric, Mr. Starheim joined the co-op world in 2003, serving as CEO and general manager of the Delaware County Electric Cooperative in New York.

From 2012-15, he served as president and CEO of Kenergy Corp., a 56,000-member electric cooperative headquartered in Henderson, Kentucky. He is an expert in power supply and finance, as well as in delivering high levels of customer satisfaction, bringing more than 37 years of experience in the industry to DEC.

“The energy industry is currently undergoing an unprecedented transformation,” said DEC board member Michael Brown, who worked closely with CarterBaldwin Executive Search and other board members to select the new CEO.

“The board is confident that Greg’s expertise will guide the co-op and its dedicated employees through these changes and allow DEC to provide members with energy that is even more reliable, sustainable and affordable.”

However, Mr. Andrew has left some big shoes to fill.

“Bill (Andrew) has been a tremendous leader for DEC, and he leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of service to our members, staff and community,” said Board Chairman William J. Wells. “He has led Delaware to be one of the most innovative and accomplished electric cooperatives in the country, while also always placing focus on DEC’s most valuable asset: our people.

“Bill has worked closely with the board to ensure DEC is in a solid financial position to maintain future success.”

Mr. Andrew said he will always relish the nearly quarter-century he spent working at DEC.

“The most exciting part of my job is just seeing my people, my team, my family work to become the best co-op in the nation or one of them,” he said. “I’m proud of our innovation and what we’ve been able to accomplish and how we came from a not very well-known or very well-respected cooperative to being a very well-known and very respected cooperative.

“Our innovation, our technology and working with a member and making changes on the fly to help everybody get better. That’s probably what I’m most proud of. I’m pretty happy with where we are, and I’m looking forward to the next team taking it to the next level.”