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After serving for 27 years in multiple positions within Highline Electric Association, Dennis Herman is now the general manager of the cooperative. — The Holyoke Enterprise | Johnson Publications

Herman takes the helm at Highline

    It’s still a busy time of transition as Dennis Herman just assumed the role of Highline Electric Association’s general manager July 1, but he’s already excited about the future of the cooperative and the industry as a whole.
    During his 27 years with Highline, Herman has held numerous positions. He started as a system engineer in 1992, building, designing, planning and troubleshooting for the people working in operations.
    In 2005, he became the manager of corporate services, where he handled billing, accounting, financial reporting and the like. On an interim basis, he also served as manager of member services and manager of engineering.
    Through that, Herman has what he considers a well-rounded background in which he’s experienced just about every aspect of the company. Those experiences have instilled a firm belief that the cooperative business model is the best way for a business to be run.
    That, combined with a great appreciation for the community of Holyoke as a place to live and raise his children, makes it little wonder that he’s spent nearly three decades in a career at Highline.
    Originally, Herman is from Pine Bluffs, Wyoming. He earned his bachelor’s in electrical engineering from University of Wyoming and a master’s in business administration with an emphasis in finance and accounting from Regis University.
    Ultimately, though, northeast Colorado became home when he married Trudy, whose roots are here, and they raised their three children as Holyoke natives as well.
    Trudy is a speech language pathologist for BOCES. Their oldest, Austin, just finished his sophomore year at Colorado State University. Daughters Josie and Lauren are entering their senior and sophomore years at Holyoke High School this August.
    As Highline’s general manager, Herman succeeds Mark Farnsworth, who retired after 17 years with the cooperative. Farnsworth was honored with a June 28 open house to send him off.
    Herman’s promotion coincides with a transformative time in electric utilities. As the cost of installing solar at home gets progressively lower, for example, it’s expected to be seen more and more. Regulation around that will be incredibly important, he explained.
    This year, Highline is working on a big solar project near Sterling. That, among other things, gives Herman much to look forward to in his first few months as general manager. His driving focus through it all, however, is simply to make the lives of people in northeastern Colorado and western Nebraska better.

Holyoke Enterprise

970-854-2811 (Phone)

130 N Interocean Ave
PO Box 297
Holyoke CO 80734