Happy Retirement!

URE is celebrating the retirement of Dave Speicher, CFO/VP of finance and accounting, after 31 years of dedicated service. His leadership and contributions have helped shape URE into the cooperative it is today.

Dave’s connection to URE began even before his first day on the job. Before joining the cooperative, he could often be found on the basketball court at the local YMCA, where he played pickup games with future colleague Anthony Smith. Known for his sharp shooting skills, especially from 3-point range, Dave left a lasting impression on those he played with. Not long after, he brought that same precision and focus to URE, where he quickly rose to lead the cooperative’s accounting and financial operations.

When Dave started in 1994, URE looked much different than it does today. The cooperative served about 5,000 electric meters and had $24 million in utility plant assets. Personal computers were just being introduced, and email had yet to become part of daily operations. Over the course of his career, Dave witnessed, and helped guide, tremendous growth. Today, URE serves more than 13,000 electric meters and more than 1,500 natural gas meters, with more than $123 million in utility plant assets. Dave was also instrumental in the development and growth of URE’s natural gas division, helping build it into a strong and sustainable part of the cooperative.

Throughout that growth, Dave played a critical role in ensuring the cooperative’s financial strength and stability. Known for his ability to analyze complex data and identify trends, he helped leadership make informed decisions that supported URE’s long-term success. His work in forecasting energy sales, managing financial ratios, and developing fair, competitive rates helped position URE to meet the needs of its members both today and into the future. His attention to detail, paired with a clear understanding of the bigger picture, made him a trusted adviser and a true steward of the cooperative’s finances.

While Dave’s technical expertise is widely respected, it’s his personality and relationships that many will remember most. He has a unique ability to make complex financial topics engaging and understandable, often bringing a sense of humor, and even a bit of chocolate for correctly answered quiz questions during employee presentations! Whether collaborating on a project, sharing a meal, or mentoring colleagues, Dave built lasting connections across the organization.

“Dave has been an extremely important part of the URE team for decades,” says CEO/president Anthony Smith. “He brings excellent financial analysis and decision-making to advance URE’s mission. I will miss our long discussions on rate-making philosophy and financial metrics, but most of all I’ll miss his can-do attitude and friendly personality here at the office. We may be losing an employee, but I’ll continue to cherish our friendship as he heads into retirement.”

For Dave, the people are what made his time at URE most meaningful. “Over my 31 years, I’ve been blessed to have great people working around me,” he says. “I’ve had great bosses, great boards, and great employees to work with.”

As he looks ahead to retirement, Dave is looking forward to being on his own schedule and being able to go places with his wife, Tami, and dedicate more time to the nonprofit organizations he’s passionate about.

Reflecting on his career, Dave shared his gratitude for the opportunity to serve. He said he is “very thankful to God for putting me in the right place at the right time with the right qualifications to get hired by URE in 1994.” He added that he “can’t imagine having a better place, in my hometown no less, to use my skills and talents to make a career and to help lead a phenomenal company.”

As Dave begins this next chapter, he leaves behind a legacy defined by integrity, insight and a deep commitment to the cooperative and its members. URE is grateful for his 31 years of service and wishes him the very best as he enjoys a well-earned retirement.