Board of Directors

John Parkes (Board Chairman) was elected to the board in 2023. His experience includes serving as executive director of Goodhue County Habitat for Humanity from 2016 until 2020, working as a trained energy auditor from 2009 until 2013, and previously as a residential home builder. Parkes lives with his wife in the Beldenville area.

Scott Donnelly (Vice Chair) was appointed to the board in February 2025. Donnelly is employed as a credit examiner with the Farm Credit Administration and has been a PPCS member for 34 years. He brings strong financial management skills, including audit experience, to the board. He served on the Consolidated Energy Cooperative board from 2001 to 2014. His work evaluating the credit risk of several electric cooperatives provides a baseline understanding of the operating and regulatory challenges electric cooperatives face. He has served as the Treasurer of the Ellsworth FFA since 2012. Donnelly and his wife live in the Hager City area.

Paul Solyntjes (Secretary/Treasurer) was elected to the PPCS board in April 2025 and is semi-retired from the community banking industry. He is a lifetime Ellsworth Rod and Gun Club member and has served with the Lund Volunteer Fire Department since January 2024. He has served on the boards of the Northwest Wisconsin Chapter of the American Red Cross, Chippewa Valley Habitat for Humanity, the Ellsworth Board of Education, St. John’s Hospital (Red Wing), the Ellsworth Economic Development Committee, and Neighborworks Home Partners. Solyntjes has been a PPCS member for five years and lives with his wife in the Stockholm area.

Jeff Nielsen was appointed to the board in May 2026 and is a lifelong resident of Pierce County and a five-year member of PPCS. He and his wife live in the River Falls area. Though semi-retired, Nielsen has extensive management experience and has received extensive training in board governance and the cooperative business model. He has been an active member of the River Falls FFA Alumni, Pierce County Snowmobile Council, and the River Falls Knights of Columbus.

Andrew Augustine was elected to the board in 2026.  He is in his first full term. Augustine is an engineer and has been a member of PPCS for over 30 years. He has been a member of the Ellsworth FFA Alumni for 10 years, serving on committees for scholarships and the annual tractor pull. Augustine lives outside of Ellsworth.

Ann Young was elected to the board in 2019.  She is a financial consultant for Salo, LLC, where she provides financial expertise to a variety of companies.  For most of her career, she worked for CHS, where she held a variety of finance and accounting roles. Young serves as PPCS' representative on the Dairyland Power Cooperative board of directors. She is committed to representing the needs of all members and to ensuring a strong and vibrant future for PPCS. Ann and her husband live outside of Ellsworth.

Leroy Clark was elected to the board in 2024. He is currently a school bus driver and a retired dairyman. Clark has been a cooperative member for 15 years and has significant board experience, including serving on the Board of Directors for FCS of NW Wisconsin/AgStar from 2003 to 2005. He is actively involved in several organizations, such as the St. Croix Valley Master Gardeners Association, where he serves as President, and the Wisconsin Jersey Breeders Association. Clark believes it is a responsibility of co-op members to serve, and he is committed to improving rural infrastructure through his advocacy for electric service and broadband internet access.

Glen Fisher was elected to the PPCS board in April 2025. Fisher is an energy advisor and a Certified Energy Manager. He serves as the alternate on the Dairyland Power Cooperative board of directors. He has expertise in electric generation and transmission systems, wholesale power purchasing, electric distribution grids, commercial/industrial energy users, and the electric power mix in the Midwest, and has been a member of the cooperative for four years. Fisher and his wife live in the Diamond Bluff area.

Paul Tonsager is a semi-retired farmer in the Ellsworth area and has been a cooperative member for 34 years. He was elected to the PPCS board in April 2025. He also serves on his church council and the Wisconsin Farm Bureau board. His prior experience includes serving on the board of the Ellsworth Co-op Creamery.