Dairyland Power Cooperative is proud to announce Vice President & Chief Information Officer (CIO) Nate Melby has been named a finalist for the 2025 National CIO of the Year ORBIE® Award in the Nonprofit/Public Sector category. The ORBIE Awards recognize CIOs who have demonstrated excellence in technology leadership.

Finalists and winners are selected through an independent peer review process, led by prior ORBIE recipients. The selection criteria include leadership and management effectiveness, business value created by technology innovation and cybersecurity, and engagement in industry and community endeavors. Winners will be announced at a reception in New York City this August.

Melby’s recognition as a National ORBIE Finalist is a testament to his leadership and innovative contributions to the field of information technology, especially in the areas of IT infrastructure, cybersecurity and business operations. In 2024, Nate won the Wisconsin CIO of the Year ORBIE Award in the Large Corporate category, after being nominated in the same category in 2023.

“We are fortunate to have Nate as a leader at Dairyland and are incredibly proud of his achievements and his recognition as a National ORBIE Finalist,” said President and CEO Brent Ridge. “His dedication to innovation has led to significant advancements for our cooperative system.”

Nate joined Dairyland in 2016 and has been instrumental in leading the strategy, development and implementation of IT initiatives and systems. His leadership and commitment to excellence have ensured that Dairyland is at the forefront of technological innovation.