DULUTH, Minnesota, August 22, 2022–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ALLETE Inc. (NYSE:ALE) today announced several key leadership changes as the company continues to advance its sustainability strategy in action.
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Nicole Johnson (Photo: Business Wire)
Nicole Johnson has been named president of ALLETE Clean Energy. Johnson previously served as ALLETE’s Chief Administrative Officer and continues to serve as ALLETE’s Vice President. ALLETE also announced that Al Rudeck, currently President of ALLETE Clean Energy, will assume the newly created role of ALLETE Head of Security and External Affairs. Josh Skelton, COO of Minnesota Power, will assume an expanded leadership role as vice president of ALLETE.
“Today’s leadership changes are part of a larger strategic alignment of people and teams,” said Bethany Owen, President, President and CEO of ALLETE. “These changes position our business for the future and leverage a strong talent pipeline as we grow ALLETE and support our family of companies while paving the way for a sustainable, clean energy future.”
Nicole Johnson at the head of ALLETE Clean Energy
Johnson, who was part of the formation of ALLETE Clean Energy more than 10 years ago, has served as the General Manager of ALLETE since 2019. She will maintain her current role as Vice President of ALLETE while serving as President of ALLETE. ALLETE Clean Energy.
“Nicole has helped develop and implement ALLETE’s strategic vision across all of our businesses while fostering a strong values-based culture,” said Owen. “His experience with the launch of ALLETE Clean Energy over a decade ago and the recent acquisition of New Energy Equity, along with his strong business acumen, strategic thinking and focus on external and internal relationships, make her well suited to this new role while she remains engaged at the ALLETE level in strategy development and execution.”
Johnson joined ALLETE as an intern in 1996 and was promoted to Vice President of Human Resources in 2016. As Executive Director, she oversaw Human Resources, Cyber Technology Services, Environment and Land Management. During her more than 25 years with the company, she has developed a solid experience in human resources, mergers and acquisitions.
Johnson serves on the ALLETE Boards of New Energy Equity and Superior Water, Light and Power, and will begin serving on the ALLETE Clean Energy Board effective today. Johnson has served on the Board of Directors for the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, the Chancellor’s Advisory Council for the University of Minnesota – Duluth (UMD), and the Duluth Workforce Council. She currently serves on the Dean’s Business Advisory Council of UMD’s Labovitz School of Business and Economics and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Steering Committee.
Al Rudeck will take on the newly created role of ALLETE
Under Rudeck’s leadership, ALLETE Clean Energy has grown into ALLETE’s second-largest company with a strong reputation as a respected, customer- and partnership-focused wind energy developer and operator in eight states.
As ALLETE’s new head of security and external affairs, Rudeck will have responsibility and broad oversight of the security and government affairs areas of the company.
“Improving and elevating our safety processes and performance are core ALLETE values, and the legislative arena – including the recently enacted Cut Inflation Act – has never had a higher great potential for all of ALLETE’s businesses and for the customers and communities we serve,” Owen said. “Al’s passion for the safety of our people and our operations, along with his strategic insights, extensive experience and connections to the community and industry in both regulated and unregulated areas, will serve ALLETE well in this new role.”
Rudeck has served as President of ALLETE Clean Energy since 2016. Previously, he was Vice President of Strategy and Planning at Minnesota Power and held various other positions at Minnesota Power. He serves on the Minnesota Chamber Board of Commerce, Lignite Energy Council, AEIC Board of Directors, University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD)/Natural Resources Research Institute Advisory Board, UMD Advisory Board Swenson College and chairs the Northland Region Board of Thrivent Financial.
Josh Skelton elected VP-ALLETE
Skelton, who currently serves as chief operating officer of Minnesota Power, will expand his role to include vice president of ALLETE. He oversees Minnesota Power’s strategy and planning, transmission and distribution operations, and generation operations and will have expanded responsibilities with the addition of regulatory affairs.
“I look forward to Josh’s operational expertise and strategic insights at the ALLETE level as we continue to execute Minnesota Power’s strategy, while meeting evolving regulatory and customer expectations,” said said Owen.
Skelton started with the company in 1999 as an intern and worked as an installation engineer, technical superintendent, and business unit manager at Minnesota Power’s generation facilities. He also served as general manager and vice president of generation operations and was named chief operating officer of Minnesota Power in 2020.
Skelton has served on the board of the Range Engineering Council and the Minnesota Power Foundation, the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, the Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital Board, and currently serves on the Grand Rapids Community Foundation and the Minnesota Safety Council .
ALLETE, Inc. is an energy company headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota. In addition to its electric utilities, Minnesota Power and Superior Water, Light and Power of Wisconsin, ALLETE owns Duluth-based ALLETE Clean Energy; BNI Energy in Bismarck, North Dakota; and New Energy Equity headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland; and holds an 8% stake in American Transmission Co. More information about ALLETE is available at www.allete.com.
ALE-CORP
Statements contained in this release and statements ALLETE may make orally in connection with this release that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and investors are directed to the risks discussed in ALLETE’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission..
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contacts
Amy Rutledge
Director, Corporate Communications
218-723-7400
arutledge@allete.com