We are excited to welcome Nick Eltzroth, our Engineering Manager, to the team! He studied electrical engineering at Ohio Northern and earned his MBA from Ball State University. He and his family reside in the New Haven/Fort Wayne area.

Here’s a fun Q&A with Nick to help our members get to know the newest member of our PPEC family.

Tell us a bit about your family and where you're from.

My wife Claire and I have been married for five years on September 15th. We have a 10-month-old son, August (Augie), and a Mini Labradoodle named Kona. 

We are in the process of moving to the New Haven / Fort Wayne, IN area from Granger, IN (a suburb of South Bend). I am coming from another electric co-op in Michigan (Midwest Energy & Communications – Cassopolis, MI).

Why did you want to work at PPEC?

I’ve always worked in the Electric Co-op world, working for MEC before PPEC and Holmes-Wayne before that when I graduated from college. I love everything electric cooperatives are about and hope to stay within the co-op world for my entire career. Paulding Putnam has always been on my wife, Claire, and I’s radar because we both grew up near PPEC service territory. My wife grew up in Mercer County to the south (Midwest Electric Co-op lines), and I was born in Fort Wayne. Once we had our first kid, we wanted to make sure we moved back towards family to be close to family as our son (and hopefully future kids) grow up.

Tell us about your work history.

I recently worked at another Ohio Electric Cooperatives (OEC) member, Midwest Energy & Communications (MEC), where I was also the Engineering Manager. I basically did the exact same thing I am tasked to do here at PPEC. Before MEC, I worked at another OEC member, Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, where I was the System Engineer. 

What will you be doing here at PPEC?

By job title, I will be the Engineering Manger but one of the great things about working at a co-op is that each day is different and that we wear many hats. My top priority is giving guidance and direction inside the engineering department, but I’m looking forward to helping in any way I can to make the organization better and the service we provide to our members better.

My goal is to help PPEC continue its success as a small-town electric cooperative and to retire from PPEC in 30-plus years after a long career here. I hope to leave my mark on the community. 

What are you looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to getting to know my new co-op family and community. I am also excited to be closer to both my family and my wife’s family. Now that we have kids, it's awesome to be closer to family.

What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of work?

I am a big golfer when not working. My wife and I like to travel. We have a trip to the northeast / New England states scheduled. We also run a lot of races (5k, 10k, half marathons.) Both my wife and I played college athletics, so we are pretty active people. 

A fun fact about you?

I am a two-time state champion in Ohio baseball (2012 and 2013).

A favorite quote or motto that inspires you or you like to live by.

“Leadership is diving for a loose ball, getting the crowd involved, getting other players involved. It’s being able to take it as well as dish it out. That’s the only way you’re going to get respect from the players.”

I’ll never ask someone to do something for me that I wouldn’t do myself. My motto has always been to lead by example, which is how you earn respect from your peers and get the most out of your employees/teammates/etc.

Anything else you would like to share?

Every day is a chance to learn something new. Whether it is something at home or at work, we should all strive to learn something new every day. It could be from the little thing at home to the biggest thing at a job. It keeps the mind going (and learning), which keeps the body young.