Steve Kettler, a veteran administrator with 45 years of experience in the electric cooperative industry, will serve as the newest member of the NCBA CLUSA Board of Directors.
Kettler assumed his current role as senior vice president of Strategic Business Development and Support for the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation earlier this month. He previously served the corporation as vice president of Portfolio Management, managing a $5 billion loan portfolio and CFC’s relationships with more than 300 distribution electric cooperatives. Kettler joined CFC in 2001 as a regional vice president overseeing the Midwest states of Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota.
“Steve is a champion of the cooperative business model and its great potential to empower communities and strengthen local economics,” said NCBA CLUSA President and CEO Mike Beall. “We are excited to benefit from his experience and expertise in the area of cooperative leadership. As a board member, Steve will be in a position to help amplify NCBA CLUSA’s mission to support and advance cooperatives worldwide.”
Kettler replaces outgoing board member Leigh Grantham. He is expected to attend the May 6 board meeting.
Kettler’s early career helped shape his passion for the cooperative business model, he said. In college, Kettler worked as a temporary summer employee at an electric cooperative in his native Minnesota. He later worked for more than a decade as a Marketing & Communication manager at another electric cooperative in the southwest of the state.
“These experiences helped me see first-hand the value of the cooperative business model in delivering services that make a difference in the lives of our members,” Kettler said. “I truly cannot see myself working for any organization other than a cooperative.”
Kettler brings a broad range of financial and administrative experience to the NCBA CLUSA board and is dedicated to communicating the cooperative story to both membership and the wider community.
“Steve has been a strong advocate of the cooperative business model throughout his career,” CFC CEO Sheldon C. Petersen said. “I know he will do well representing CFC and our member-owners through his appointment to the NCBA Board.”
Kettler is also regional vice president for the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, based in Dulles, Virginia.
The premier lender for electric cooperatives, CFC provides its members with financing to supplement the loan programs of the Rural Utilities Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Loans from CFC help member-owners acquire, construct and operate the utility infrastructure needed to deliver services that improve quality of life in rural areas.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NCBA CLUSA is a trade association and international development organization with projects in Senegal, Niger, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Indonesia and Timor-Leste. These projects provide sustainable community development in agriculture and food security, community-based healthcare, democracy and governance, and natural resource management.