Tune into WOL 1450 AM, 95.9 FM or the WOL Livestream on Thursday, September 11 at 10:30 a.m. EDT for Everything Co-op, hosted by Vernon Oakes.

This week’s episode continues our celebration of the 2025 Cooperative Hall of Fame inductees with a special conversation featuring honoree Lori Capouch, former Rural Development Director for the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC). Lori will reflect on her career and share lessons from her work in strengthening rural communities—ranging from sustaining grocery stores to expanding childcare and food access.

Tennessee lineworker helps bring electricity to his Guatemalan homeland

This week on Everything Co-op, a tribute to Cooperative Hall of Fame inductee Randy Lee

Lori is a recently retired rural development professional who spent her career helping communities establish the businesses they envisioned. She most recently served as Rural Development Director for NDAREC, where she managed the Rural Electric and Telecommunications Development Center in Mandan, North Dakota. She also led the Rural Development Finance Corporation, a $9 million revolving loan fund that supports rural businesses, and previously directed the North Dakota Agricultural Products Utilization Commission, a state agency providing grants for high-risk startup ventures.

Beyond her work with NDAREC, Lori provided contracted services to the North Dakota Rural Rehabilitation Corporation and the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education. She was also secretary/treasurer of the Dakotas America governing board, which invests New Market Tax Credits in economically distressed communities nationwide. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the North Dakota Consensus Council.

Throughout her career, Lori’s signature efforts focused on strengthening cooperative and nonprofit enterprises in North Dakota’s rural communities, with a particular emphasis on improving food access, sustaining local grocery stores, expanding childcare, and advancing small-scale meat processing.

Lori holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, and is a certified Economic Development Finance Professional through the National Development Council.

For her lifelong dedication and personification of cooperative values, Lori Capouch will be inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame on October 9 in Washington, DC. Visit heroes.coop for tickets and sponsorship info.