McKenzie Electric welcomes new staff
McKenzie Electric would like to welcome Trait Thorne, engineering coordinator, Alyssa Strong, accounting coordinator, Saige Feilmeier, member accounts representative, and Alex Helgeson as an apprentice lineman.
Trait Thorne - Engineering Coordinator
As the new Engineering Coordinator, Trait will be tasked with handling new requests for power, work order information flow, planned outages, and general support of the Engineering Services Department.
Trait grew up on a ranch in central South Dakota, near White River and attended college at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, S.D., graduating with a degree in Professional Accountancy in 2016. Growing up in a co-op community serviced by West Central Cooperative, she saw firsthand how much of an impact co-ops can have on their communities. From supporting area youth, to providing scholarships to college students, it’s no wonder her favorite co-op principle is Concern for Community!
Her hobbies include spending time outdoors hiking, kayaking, riding horse, and roping. She also enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephew that are now only a short drive away.
Alyssa Strong - Accounting Coordinator
Joining McKenzie Electric as an Accounting Coordinator, Alyssa will be supporting the accounting department with various processes including but not limited to budget, reconciliation, and the annual audit.
Alyssa is from Bottineau, North Dakota, and with her 5-year background in banking she’s sure to fit right in with the accounting team at MEC. When asked which co-op principle she likes the most, Concern for Community was at the top of her list since she enjoys being part of the community and helping others.
In her free time, Alyssa enjoys hiking, camping, golfing, and spending time with family and friends.
Saige Feilmeier - Member Accounts Representative
Did you know McKenzie Electric has over 4,400 member accounts? As a Member Accounts Representative, Saige’s duties include accepting payments, transferring accounts, and assisting the Billing Supervisor with the billing process.
Saige grew up in Watford City where she was an active member of 4-H, FFA, track and field, cross country, and High School rodeo, in which she held the title of 2011 North Dakota High School Rodeo Queen. With experience in the co-op world as a Member Account Representative overseeing accounts payable and capital credits, Co-Op Principle #7, concern for community still holds the number 1 spot in her eyes.
In her free-time, Saige loves spending time with her family (one of whom is a lineworker at MEC) and friends. After undergoing foot surgery, she hopes to return to breakaway roping and once again be an active member of the ND Cutting Horse Association.
Alex Helgeson - Apprentice Lineman
As a new addition to McKenzie Electric’s line crew, Alex will be part of the team that keeps power moving through the lines no matter the climate in western North Dakota. A recent graduate from Bismarck State College’s Lineworker Program, Alex is ready to get firsthand experience on what it takes to be the backbone of a rural electric cooperative.
Moving from Polson, Montana, to Fargo, Alex worked as an electrician where he became interested in the distribution side of electricity and decided to pursue his apprenticeship as a lineworker. As a newcomer to the cooperative culture, Alex believes the most important co-op principle is Education, Training, and Information, all of which are invaluable and necessary in the field.
When he’s not changing fuses or restoring outages, Alex likes to spend as much of his free time as possible with his Family. His son Mayson and dog Rosemary love being outside, so he always has an eager group ready to find somewhere new to explore.