ARLINGTON, Va. – NRECA International leader Dan Waddle will be inducted into the Cooperative Development Foundation’s (CDF) Hall of Fame as part of the 2022 class.
In his 31 years at NRECA International, Waddle has led the development of scalable and sustainable electrification programs that improve education, health care, safety, and economic opportunities in communities around the world. Partnering with partners such as USAID and World Bank and electric cooperatives from throughout the United States, NRECA International has brought electric service to remote communities throughout Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa.
These cooperative ventures provide electric power to support agriculture, small and medium community enterprises, improved lighting and telecommunications for schools and health facilities, and for other public facilities, including security lighting in village streets and common areas. NRECA International also leads projects in national electrification planning; utility management; electrification design and construction oversight; and mini-grid design.
“I’m humbled and honored to be recognized by CDF, which shares our mission of improving economic opportunity for people around the world,” Waddle said. “This achievement reflects the tireless efforts of the entire NRECA International team and electric cooperative volunteers to advance global electrification efforts as an essential element that improves the quality of life in rural communities.”
“This recognition of Dan’s leadership of NRECA International and his personal commitment to global electrification is well deserved. He has led countless projects to bring safe, reliable and affordable electricity to communities around the globe,” NRECA Chief Executive Officer Jim Matheson said. “NRECA International has worked to bring electricity to more than 160 million people. Dan’s vision and enduring commitment has played a significant role in that success.”
The CDF Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place October 6 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Rich Larochelle, chair of the CDF board, said that this year’s inductees “embody cooperative values and a vision for an inclusive economy that spans across cooperative sectors and international borders.”
NRECA International designs and implements rural electrification programs that bring power to remote international communities. To date, the organization has helped establish more than 250 electric utilities and electric cooperatives in 48 countries.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is the national trade association representing nearly 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation’s landscape. As local businesses built by the consumers they serve, electric cooperatives have meaningful ties to rural America and invest $12 billion annually in their communities.
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