Powder River Energy is owned by YOU. As members and owners, you elect a board of ten Directors which are responsible for making the big decisions, including the hiring and appointment of Powder River Energy’s senior manager.
PRECorp’s day to day operations are overseen by your Chief Executive Officer Brian Mills.
BRIAN MILLS
Chief Executive Officer
Brian is a Crook County, Wyoming, native. Raised on a farm/ranch operation near Devils Tower, he has first-hand experience of PRECorp’s cooperative spirit.
After graduating from Dickinson State University with a B.S. in Education with minors in Computer Science and Business Administration, he spent a few years teaching and coaching in the Rapid City Area School District. Brian returned to Crook County when he came to work for PRECorp in the IT Department. Four years later he moved over to the HR department as the Manager of Training and Development during which time Brian earned an MBA. In 2010, Brian accepted the VP of HR position which was eventually restructured to be titled the Human Resources Officer in 2012. Brian managed all internal employee programs, staffing, employee and retiree benefits, personnel records, training and development.
In 2022, Brian was promoted to Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Mike Easley who served 22 years in that role.
BILL MERTZ
Chief Financial and Administration Officer
Bill Mertz joined the PRECorp team in 2021. Bill has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Arizona; with unofficial minors in Organizational Behavior and Management & Policy, along with a Masters Certification in Lean Six Sigma from Villanova University, and a Strategic Financial Planning certification from the University of Wisconsin.
Bill has vast experience in the cooperative industry, as well as strategic planning and leadership work in the private sector. He comes to PRECorp from San Miguel Power Association in Colorado where he was CFO.
Bill is also General Manager of Members 1st Power Cooperative, a Generation & Transmission cooperative comprised of PRECorp, Tongue River Electric Cooperative (Mont.), and Fergus Electric Cooperative (Mont.) that purchases its wholesale power from Basin Electric Cooperative.
TROY BIFULCO
VP of Information Technology and Services
Troy Bifulco joined the PRECorp team in 2002. Troy has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and a minor in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota. Troy was raised in the Black Hills of South Dakota. At Powder River Energy Corporation, he has held many positions, starting as a support technician in the Information Technology (I.T.) department and growing into leadership. As Vice-President of I.T., Troy's responsible for the I.T. Strategy, Budget, and Management of Cooperative I.T. Systems, including Data Centers, System Hardware and Software, Mobile Radio system, Communications Networks, and Cyber Security. His passions include helping people and learning new technologies.
JEFF BUMGARNER
Vice President of Member Service
Jeff Bumgarner has spent more than 30 years in the utility industry working for a large multi-state electric utility. He’s held management positions from customer care and new business development to marketing, demand-side management and resource planning. Jeff got his start as a Customer Service Representative in Cottage Grove, Ore., assuming increasing roles and responsibilities over time. Jeff joined the PRECorp team in 2016 and brings experience in the legislative and regulatory arenas as well as a strong commitment to member service.
RICH HALLORAN
VP of System Operations
Rich Halloran was named VP of System Operations in 2018. Rich joined the PRECorp team in 2008 and has served in several different capacities in the company from Control System Engineer to, most recently, Manager of Service Operations. Rich grew up in Millington, Michigan. Rich started his career in the US Navy onboard an aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, as an electrician in reactor department. He obtained a Bachelors Degree in Engineering from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan in 2003. During his Career at PRECorp, he was a member of the Smart Grid team and worked heavily on the design and installation of the SCADA system enabling system operations to restore power remotely dramatically decreasing outage times and making maintenance activities more efficient. He is currently serving as lead in the Automated Metering Infrastructure project which will, among other things will provide more detailed usage data to the membership and provide detailed load data to engineering enabling them to make more cost effective decisions on infrastructure installations. Rich lives in Gillette and has two great children, a son attending college and a daughter attending school in Gillette.
QUENTIN ROGERS
Vice President of Engineering and Technical Services
Quentin is a fifth generation Campbell County resident who grew up amidst the agriculture, oil, and coal industries served by Powder River Energy Corporation.
He obtained his Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Wyoming in Electrical Engineering with a Computer Science minor prior to working as a Reliability Test Engineer and Metrology Laboratory Manager for an electronics manufacturer in eastern Nebraska. After eight years, Quentin returned home in 2007 to northeast Wyoming to work for Powder River Energy Corporation as a Distribution Engineer and has since managed the Distribution Engineering team, System Planning team, and now leads the Engineering Department that is responsible for distribution line design, right of way, environmental permitting, transmission and substation design, system studies, long term planning, and various other engineering related tasks and studies. He is a graduate of the 2009 Robert I. Kabbot Management Internship Program (MIP) and has undertaken numerous other leadership studies and technical programs throughout his career.
Along with spending time with his wife and children, Quentin assists local sports clubs with web design skills; serves on community boards; dabbles in photography; and has written and published the novel “The Hike: Survivors”.
Human Resources
VP of Human Resources
Janet brings 12 years of experience working with Parke County Rural Electric Cooperative in Rockville, Ind, and 2 years with Tipmont Rural Electric Cooperative in Linden, Ind. During her years at these cooperatives Janet had the opportunity to work with teams in Member Services, Operations, and Engineering. Janet established the Human Resources teams within both cooperatives.
Janet’s work history also includes 20 years of tenure in international higher education in the Netherlands, as a senior lecturer, program administrator, university confidential advisor, and online program manager.
Janet has a Master of Science degree in Human Resources Management from the University of Liverpool in England, supported by a PGA in Organizational and Business Psychology, and a teaching in Higher Education certificate from Rijks University in the Netherlands.