Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative Board of Trustees and CEO
The Paulding Putnam Electric Co-op Board of Trustees consists of nine co-op members who each represent one district within the territory served by PPEC. The democratically elected trustees are responsible for establishing, reviewing, and revising corporate policies to ensure that service to the PPEC membership is foremost in mind while maintaining a stable yet competitive position in the industry by setting rate structures.
- District 1: Joseph Kohnen – Marion, Madison, Monroe, Preble, and Union Townships in Allen and Adams Counties, Indiana (represents 1,066 active members)
- District 2: William Dowler – Van Wert County in Ohio (represents 1,006 active members)
- District 3: Timothy Derck – Carryall, Crane, Benton, and Harrison Townships in Paulding County, Ohio (represents 897 active members)
- District 4: Bill Beckman – Emerald, Jackson, Blue Creek, and Paulding Townships in Paulding County, Ohio; Delaware township in Defiance County, Ohio (represents 943 active members)
- District 5: Steven McMichael – Maumee, Adams, Jefferson, and Jackson Townships in Allen County, Indiana (represents 1,970 active members)
- District 6: Dr. John Saxton – Auglaize, Brown, Latty, and Washington Townships in Paulding County, Ohio; Defiance and Highland Townships in Defiance County, Ohio (represents 1,075 active members)
- District 7: Kenneth Niese – Monroe, Palmer, Liberty, and Greensburg Townships in Putnam County, Ohio (represents 1,412 active members)
- District 8: Adam Schnipke – Perry, Jackson, Monterey, and Jennings Townships in Putnam County, Ohio; Marion Township in Allen County, Ohio (represents 1,197 active members)
- District 9: Dr. Ronald Black -- Sugarcreek, Pleasant, Union, Ottawa, and Riley Townships in Putnam County, Ohio (represents 1,393 active members)
PPEC believes in transparency relating to how our cooperative is run. Below are the meeting highlight PDFs from prior board meetings. The PPEC board of trustees typically meets on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 5:30 pm.
2023 Highlights |
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2022 Highlights |
2021 Highlights |
2020 Highlights |
2019 Highlights |
All board members are required to complete the below Annual Certification form each year at the April board meeting, stating they will abide by the rules of the cooperative.
For members to attend a board meeting, they must comply with policy #B014 and request in advance to make a presentation to the PPEC Board of Trustees under the following conditions outlined in the policy below. Members wanting to attend may print the policy PDF, complete page 3, and return it to the co-op, or may use the online submission form below.
In order to be placed on the meeting agenda, all member requests must include a list of discussion topics and must be received by the President and CEO no later than five (5) business days prior to the regularly scheduled board meeting. (Board meetings are typically held on the third Thursday of the month at 5 pm).
Three of our nine board districts are up for election each year on a rotating cycle. As a democratically run cooperative, each board member is elected by the membership.
Joseph Kohnen
Trustee - District 1
Joseph Kohnen – Marion, Madison, Monroe, Preble, and Union Townships in Allen and Adams Counties, Indiana (represents 1,066 active members)
Joseph grew up in Wapakoneta, Ohio and was one of five boys in the family. Later in life, he moved to Monroeville, Indiana where he works as a software developer for Grain/Ag/Petroleum Industries. He is married to Carol (Gordon) from Payne, Ohio; they have three children and six grandchildren.
William Dowler
District 2
William Dowler – Van Wert County in Ohio (represents 1,006 active members)
Bill Dowler was born 200 feet from his current home in Union Township in Van Wert, Ohio, where he has been a farmer for the last 52 years. He was the only boy in his family of three children. He is married to Kathy, his wife of 47 years. They have two boys and four grandkids.
Timothy Derck
District 3
Timothy Derck – Carryall, Crane, Benton, and Harrison Townships in Paulding County, Ohio (represents 897 active members)
Timothy Derck grew up in Antwerp, where he currently lives with his wife and “Falcon Flame” Lisa. The term comes from meeting at Bowling Green State University during college. They raised three kids, who are now married with four grandkids, a grand dog, and a horse. He has worked for the family-owned business Antwerp Insurance Agency, Inc. since 1980, as well as the family’s 1,100-acre grain farm.
Bill Beckman
District 4
Bill Beckman – Emerald, Jackson, Blue Creek, and Paulding Townships in Paulding County, Ohio; Delaware township in Defiance County, Ohio (represents 943 active members)
Bill Beckman grew up in Paulding, and lives there to this day with his wife Rachel, whom he raised three kids with. He works with program delivery of the H2OHIO program in 24 counties in Northwest Ohio as a nutrient specialist.
Steven McMichael
District 5
Steven McMichael – Maumee, Adams, Jefferson, and Jackson Townships in Allen County, Indiana (represents 1,970 active members)
Steve Mcmichael was born in rural Pennsylvania, but grew up in Adams Township Indiana. In present day, he lives in New Haven with his wife of 35 years, Judy, as the mayor of the city. They also have two kids — one of which is a PPEC member — and a beagle/dauschand mix named Zelda.
Dr. John Saxton
District 6
Dr. John Saxton – Auglaize, Brown, Latty, and Washington Townships in Paulding County, Ohio; Defiance and Highland Townships in Defiance County, Ohio (represents 1,075 active members)
Dr. John Saxton grew up in Oakwood Ohio, and lives there currently as well. He's a retired chiropractor, having both owned and operated his own chiropractic center in Oakwood for forty-five years. He lives with his spouse, Karen (Giesige) Saxton, and their five children Beth, Brian, Chip, Cory, and Wendy. They have forteen grandkids and five great grandkids.
Kenneth Niese
District 7
Kenneth Niese – Monroe, Palmer, Liberty, and Greensburg Townships in Putnam County, Ohio (represents 1,412 active members)
Ken Niese is a retired farmer that lives with his wife, Marge Niese. They have four kids that are now adults, as well as ten grandchildren. He's a member of many groups, including St. Nicholas Catholic Church Maintenance Comittee, the Miller City Sportsman Club, the Ottowa Knights of Columbus, the Farm Bureau, and the Putnam Co. Historical Society.
Adam Schnipke
District 8
Adam Schnipke – Perry, Jackson, Monterey, and Jennings Townships in Putnam County, Ohio; Marion Township in Allen County, Ohio (represents 1,197 active members)
Adam Schnipke currently lives in Ottoville, Ohio, where he and his wife, Beining (married for seventeen years with four children), built their house together exactly halfway between their original homes. It remains there on Beining's grandparent's farm, and stands almost two exact miles from where they grew up as children. Adam now works as a self-employed contractor with Schnipke Contracting LLC, which was passed down to him from his great grandfather, who started the business.
Dr. Ronald Black
District 9
Dr. Ronald Black -- Sugarcreek, Pleasant, Union, Ottawa, and Riley Townships in Putnam County, Ohio (represents 1,393 active members)
Dr. Ronald Black grew up and still resides in the Ottawa area, where he worked as a chiropractor for 44 years. He is married to Linda, and they celebrate 52 years of marriage this year. They have two kids and four grandkids.