Kevin Nordt will join Dairyland as Chief Strategy Officer on Nov. 13, 2023. Nordt comes to Dairyland with over 30 years of utility and leadership experience in the energy industry. He is transitioning to Dairyland from his role as Chief Resource Officer for Grant County Public Utility District in Ephrata, Wash., where he had previously served as Chief Executive Officer before stepping down for health reasons. Nordt served in additional leadership positions at Grant County PUD, including Chief Financial Officer and Director, Power Management.
Nordt also currently serves as Board Chair for Warm Springs Power & Water Enterprises, a wholly owned business enterprise of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs.
As Chief Strategy Officer, Nordt will have oversight of Dairyland’s Strategic Planning initiatives, including exploration of nuclear small modular reactors (SMRs) and the development of natural gas fuel strategies as Dairyland prepares for the Nemadji Trail Energy Center to be in service. He will provide leadership and direction to ensure Dairyland’s strategic and sustainability goals are met or exceeded during the energy transition, in alignment with safety, environmental, reliability, regulatory and budgetary requirements.
“Dairyland is pleased to welcome Kevin as a strong, strategic leader with comprehensive utility experience at a pivotal time in the energy industry,” said Dairyland Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ben Porath. “Kevin’s expertise will be an asset to our cooperative system as we plan for sustainable, innovative power supply solutions for future generations.”
Nordt’s educational achievements include a bachelor’s degree in mathematical physics from St. John’s University; master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Wisconsin; graduate study in mathematics and computational finance and executive level utility course certifications.
An advocate for community service, Nordt has volunteered with youth academics, college mentor programs and as a Cub Scout leader. Outside of work, Nordt enjoys reading, hiking and jazz music.