Steven Johnson named CEO at Itasca-Mantrap Electric Cooperative

The Itasca-Mantrap Electric Cooperative Board of Directors has hired Steven Johnson as its new President & Chief Executive Officer. Johnson’s duties as CEO will begin December 2, 2024. He will be replacing Christine Fox, who is retiring after 10 years with the cooperative. The board's national search resulted in a large number of candidates, and an extensive round of interviews concluded that Johnson was the best person to lead the cooperative forward.

Johnson has been in the electric cooperative industry for over 25 years having served most recently as the CEO for the Yampa Valley Electric Cooperative in Steamboat Springs, CO. Prior to that, he was the Chief Operations Officer for Yampa Valley and the Operations Manager for Meeker Cooperative in Litchfield, Minnesota. Steve became familiar with Itasca-Mantrap through his work for Star Energy in Alexandria, Minnesota.

Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in natural resources management and policy from the University of Minnesota Crookston. Regarding his appointment as CEO, Steve said, "I’m excited to be joining the team at Itasca-Mantrap and relocating back to my home state of Minnesota. I'm honored to lead this cooperative into the future and honor the cooperative’s reputation. I am humbled to carry this legacy forward. “

Brian Behrens, Itasca-Mantrap’s Board Chair, stated, “we were incredibly pleased to find a candidate with the experience that matched exactly what we were looking for. Steve will be able to not only continue the success we are having now but also lead us into the future. He has the knowledge and experience to be a great CEO for years to come.”