Duane Highley, Chief Executive Officer
Duane joined Tri-State in 2019 and has 36 years of experience with cooperatives. Previously serving as President/CEO for Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC) and Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), he led an organization that provided reliable, affordable, responsible power through 17 member systems to 1.3 million consumers. Duane serves on the Southwest Power Pool Members Committee and serves as Co-Chair of the Electric Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC), coordinating security efforts between electric utilities and the U.S. Government.
Ellen Connor, Senior Vice President, Organizational Services and Chief Technology Officer
Ellen joined Tri-State in 1999 and has more than 37 years of experience in the electric utility industry. Previously, Ellen served Tri-State as senior manager, financial planning and analysis and insurance; senior manager, enterprise risk management; and management of various finance functions. Prior to Tri-State’s merger with the former Plains Electric G&T, Ellen served as chief financial officer of Plains. Ellen has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and isa certified treasury professional.