Leadership Team

Duane joined Tri-State in 2019 and has 39 years of experience with cooperatives. He previously served as President/CEO for Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC) and Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI). Duane serves as Co-Chair of the Electric Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC), coordinating security efforts between electric utilities and the U.S. Government.

Elda has served in numerous human resources roles since joining Tri-State in 1997. As CAO/CHRO, she oversees a variety of service functions, including: human resources, people and culture, payroll, training, IT, cyber security, fleet, facilities and records. Elda has a master’s degree in Language and Interpersonal Communication, and is an SHRM Senior Certified Professional and an HRCI certified Senior Professional in Human Resources.

Bob joined Tri-State in 2014, serving first as Vice President, Strategy before becoming Chief of Staff in June 2022. As Chief of Staff, Bob works closely with the CEO and oversees Government Relations and External Affairs, Communications, and Strategy. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President at Hill & Knowlton Strategies. Bob has more than 20 years of experience in the energy industry and more than 25 years of experience in governmental relations, communications and public affairs. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Colorado State University.

Clifton Karnei joined Tri-State as the Interim CFO in 2025. He previously served as the Executive Vice President and General Manager of Brazos Electric Power Cooperative, Inc., the largest generation and transmission cooperative in Texas until he retired in 2023. Clifton holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting, summa cum laude, from the University of Texas at San Antonio and is a certified public accountant. He has served in leadership roles on the boards of several national energy organizations, including the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), ACES Power Marketing, and the National Renewables Cooperative Organization (NRCO). 

Chris joined Tri-State in 2008 and has served in numerous engineering and management roles, including Vice President of Engineering and Construction and Vice President of Transmission Engineering. As SVP of Operations, he oversees Tri-State’s mining, generation, and transmission operations and construction. Before Tri-State, he contributed to advancements in renewable energy integration at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and served as an electrical engineer in both cooperative and consulting capacities. He began his career in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear plant supervisor and instructor. He holds a master's degree in engineering systems and a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. 

Reg joined Tri-State in January 2022 and is responsible for developing and implementing competitive energy services, managing beneficial electrification programs and overseeing member relations. Prior to Tri-State, he served as General Manager of San Isabel Electric Association, Inc. for 13 years and has more than 30 years of experience in the electric cooperative utility industry. Reg has a Master of Business Administration degree from Colorado State University and bachelor’s degrees in business administration and economics from North Dakota State University.

Jay joined Tri-State in October 2022. Prior to Tri-State, he was an equity member of Sherman & Howard, LLC in Denver, where he counseled and represented clients in matters involving corporate governance, internal investigations, contractual disputes, construction law and matters related to FERC and PUC regulation. He has more than 20 years of legal experience, and began his legal career as a clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. Jay has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Yale University, and a Juris Doctor degree cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School. He is the incoming chair (2023-2025) of the Colorado Legal Aid Foundation.

Lisa has served in numerous energy management roles since joining Tri-State in July 2004, including her previous role as Vice President of Planning and Analytics with responsibility for Tri-State’s resource planning process. With over 30 years of experience in the energy industry, she has also held roles in energy trading and operations, organized market implementation, and fuel supply and transportation and is currently engaged on key reliability and greenhouse gas initiatives within the industry. Lisa has held a NERC Balancing, Interchange and Transmission certification since 2007 and has a Bachelor of Science degree in political science.