Missouri River Energy Services (MRES) announced that Matthew E. Schull will become president and chief executive officer (CEO) effective May 12, 2023.
Schull replaces Thomas J. Heller, who has led the organization for over 30 years and will become president emeritus on May 12 ahead of his planned retirement on June 30.
The MRES Board of Directors engaged MyCoff Fry Partners, a utility industry executive search firm, to initiate a nationwide search in August 2022.
Schull brings a wealth of expertise and experience working with public power communities, MRES said. He has over 30 years of electric utility experience. Schull served as chief operating officer of ElectriCities of North Carolina since May 2016. He joined ElectriCities in 2003 as manager of power supply for North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number 1 and became vice president in 2009. ElectriCities is a not-for-profit membership organization of municipally owned electric utilities with a mission, programs and services similar to MRES.
Before joining ElectriCities, Schull was employed by Progress Energy for three years, Wisconsin Energy Corporation for eight years, and Madison Gas & Electric Company for two years in various leadership, power marketing, operations and engineering roles.
Schull has a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master of business administration in finance from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He is a registered professional engineer in North Carolina and Wisconsin.
“We are very fortunate to have Matt joining the MRES team,” said Vernell Roberts, chair of the MRES Board of Directors. “His broad knowledge of the electric industry, experience with the member-focused joint-action business model, and expertise in strategic leadership will provide great value to MRES and its members. We are excited for the opportunity to work with him.”
MRES is a joint-action agency made up of 61 member municipalities in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. MRES provides its members with wholesale electricity along with a host of energy-related services.
In September 2021, Stantec announced it was selected by MRES to conduct a feasibility study for the 1,800 MW Gregory County Pumped Storage Project on Lake Francis Case on the Missouri River, near Lucas, S.D. MRES also celebrated the dedication of the 36.4 MW Red Rock Hydroelectric Project in September 2020. The powerhouse was built at the existing Red Rock Dam on the Des Moines River in Iowa, U.S. It is a rolled earthfill embankment dam with a gravity concrete control section and is 5,200 feet long and 95 feet high. It was built in the 1960s to provide flood control.
