The board of directors of Egyptian Electric Cooperative Association (EECA) held a special board meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 14 to select EECA’s next general manager. Shane Hermetz, who has held the position of interim manager since former General Manager Jim Riddle retired in July, was hired as the new general manager, effective immediately.
“Shane has shown excellent capabilities during his time as the interim manager,” says Ken Jarrett, president of EECA’s board of directors. “We feel he knows our business, our system and day-to-day operations better than anyone, and therefore is more than qualified for the permanent position as Egyptian Electric’s general manager. It was not a decision taken lightly, but feel at the end of the day we made the best decision for the benefit of the cooperative.” Hermetz has served in a variety of roles at EECA since his arrival in 2004, most recently serving as the assistant manager. He is a 1993 graduate of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale (SIU-C) with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, and he is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Illinois.
He began his career in Springfield, Ill. at the municipal utility City Water, Light and Power as an entry level system engineer. He progressed to the position of superintendent of transmission and distribution engineering prior to being hired as the engineering manager with EECA.
Hermetz and his wife Valoree have been married 21 years and have two children – now ages 19 and 17. His son is a sophomore at SIU-C studying electrical engineering, and his daughter is preparing to graduate from Herrin High School in May 2018. 
“I am truly humbled for the trust that the board of directors has placed in me and extremely honored to be given the opportunity to serve as the next general manager of EECA,” Hermetz says.
