From a Landline to Online … Meet Beth Knudson! Powerful’s Website Success Strategist

September 24, 2024

I have been working in the rural electric industry since I was about 7 years old. Well Okay, that’s not entirely true but growing up, my dad was the General Manager of Roseau Electric Cooperative: a distribution co-op in northern Minnesota.

FUN FACT: Roseau Electric provides power to the northernmost region of the 48 contiguous United States: The Northwest Angle. That’s right. I’m from WAY up north. Oh geez – I don’t have an accent though hey!

If there was an outage or other “energy appreciation” event, often people would just call our house to let my dad know and ask when their power would be up and running again.

I had pretty top-notch phone manners and message taking skills for these chats with the locals. Anybody born after about 1990 may have a tough time picturing this but stay with me:

We had a handwritten list of phone numbers.
Yes. A paper list.
It hung next to a corded phone on our kitchen wall. (Oh my gosh I feel old!)
Included on this list of phone numbers, right in the mix with emergency contacts, neighbors, grandmas, aunties, uncles, and the local ice arena, was the home phone number of the line superintendent and the number for the Roseau Electric Co-op.
I still remember the last one: 463-1543. I primarily used it in the summertime to call my dad and tattle on my brother when I couldn’t get a hold of Mom.

I didn’t really think about the fact that my dad worked for the electric cooperative. Apart from the abundance of “I have dual heat! – Roseau Electric Cooperative” camouflage foam & mesh baseball caps and the “Watt’s Cooking?” cookbook my mom contributed to every few years, there wasn’t much that identified me as a co-op gal.

I graduated college with a degree in education and a minor in mass comm and worked as a web specialist for a national gym and fitness company. I lived in different areas of the country until I started having kids and decided it would be best to move back home to Minny.

My first co-op gig. Clearly Logan and Samma were excited!

In looking for jobs, my dad suggested MREA. The Minnesota Rural Electric Association. I knew nothing about this industry and, to be honest, it didn’t seem very interesting. I applied and figured – “Hey. If I get the job, at least it will get me back to Minnesota and I can start looking for something I’m actually passionate about.”

Welp, thirteen years later, I can honestly say I’m quite passionate about the energy industry, electric cooperatives, and public power utilities as a whole. 2011 Beth would be shocked!

I have formed some of my closest friendships with colleagues and members I’ve met over the years in this dynamic and exciting industry.

I was the state Youth Tour director for the Minnesota and Wisconsin statewide associations and was the national director of this incredible program from 2016 to 2024. (Shout out to Leanna, Annie, Daniel and Caleigh – four outstanding program alums-turned-colleagues at Powerful!)

I am also an instructor for NRECA and CFC and enjoy traveling all over the country to provide members with employee and board leadership training.

My family, collectively and affectionately known as the Anoka County 6 Pack. My favorite bunch of crazies!

My husband and I have four kids – Three sons and a daughter. When I first started with MREA over a decade ago, I overheard my daughter tell a friend that I make electricity for a living. Her big brother was quick to correct her. He said, “She doesn’t MAKE electricity. She SELLS electricity.” – Clearly both were a ways off but I hope that now that I’ve been in the industry for a while, their response is closer to “She helps find solutions to make life better for people in the rural utility space.”

And as Powerful’s Success Strategist (how cool is my title, by the way?!) you betcha I’m excited to jump in and help our members and clients in rural America find cutting-edge digital solutions that make connecting with their communities seamless and rewarding!