On Wednesday, the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative’s (NOVEC) Board of Directors named Kristen Senechal as the organization’s next president and CEO.

“After an eight-month national search, the Board selected [Senechal] because of her extensive knowledge and more than 15 years of experience in the electric utility industry,” Board Chairman Wade House said. “The Board also is impressed with her leadership style of prioritizing people first.”

Senechal is the executive vice president of transmission and chief operating officer at Lower Colorado River Authority (LRCA) in Austin, Texas. She joined LRCA in 2017 following nine years at CenterPoint Energy in Houston.

“Like Texas, NOVEC’s service territory is experiencing a number of trends that impact both service and cost of electricity, including increased demand [for] electric vehicles, baseload generation retirements, increasingly complex customer or member demands and an influx of large loads that impact both cost and need for new infrastructure,” Senechal said.

She’ll be moving to Northern Virginia with her fiance and two dogs, to begin with the organization on March 17. Senechal will succeed David E. Schleicher, who is retiring as the president and CEO on April 1; she’ll take over as president and CEO on April 2. Schleicher has been in the role since April 2022 and previously served as the organization’s chief operating officer.

Senechal has a doctorate in molecular biology from the University of California, Los Angeles; a master’s of business administration from the University of Houston; and a bachelor’s in molecular biology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) recently sent six of its lineworkers to assist the Southside Electric Cooperative (SEC) in Crewe, Va., in restoring power to the area following recent snowfall.

NOVEC sent its crew of six men, pictured above, on Jan. 7 to work for three days with SEC, which serves more than 59,000 people. The recent winter storm, according to a NOVEC press release, left 28,000 in the area without power.

“It was good to know we were helping people,” Jake Till, one of NOVEC’s lineworkers, said. “It’s a small, close-knit community. The lineworkers at Southside appreciated our support.”

The men worked mainly in the rural towns of Altavista and Bedford. They worked nearly 16-hour days in freezing temperatures, navigating the poor road conditions and ice.

Mark DeChristopher, NOVEC’s manager of system construction, said the cooperative was monitoring the needs of other cooperatives in the area to see if they needed assistance.

“Electric coops from VMDAEC [Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives] remain in constant contact and discuss the potential need for mutual aid to assist in restoration efforts,” DeChristopher said.

The crew returned to the area on Jan. 10 following three days of hard work with the SEC crews.

On October 23, NOVEC employees participated in the sixth annual Day of Caring at the Willing Warriors Retreat in Haymarket, partnering with NOVEC HELPS to volunteer for landscaping, gardening, and other tasks. The event also included a $2,500 donation to the retreat, which provides a respite for wounded service members and their families.

Press Release:

On Oct. 23, NOVEC employees partnered with NOVEC Hands Engaged in Local Public Service (HELPS) for the sixth annual Day of Caring at the Willing Warriors Retreat in Haymarket. NOVEC HELPS is a NOVEC-supported, employee-run 501(c)(3).

Since its opening in 2015, the Willing Warriors Retreat at Bull Run has served as a temporary “home-away-from-home” for service members who are recovering at Walter Reed Medical Center or Fort Belvoir Hospital. The retreat provides veterans and their families with a relaxing environment where they can bond and create long-lasting memories away from the hospital environment.

During the 2024 Day of Caring, more than 30 volunteers worked in two shifts – landscaping, gardening, cleaning, and completing house projects. NOVEC HELPS also made a monetary donation of $2,500 to Willing Warriors.

“NOVEC HELPS is proud to partner with Willing Warriors again for the Day of Caring,” said NOVEC HELPS Chair and NOVEC Quality Assurance and Training Coordinator Nan Musick. “Working at the retreat is a small way of showing our appreciation to U.S. service members while honoring them and their families for the sacrifices they’ve made.”

“Having volunteers like those from NOVEC at The Warrior Retreat at Bull Run allows us to continue providing vital services to our nation’s wounded warriors and their families,” said Faith Lillemo, Willing Warriors administrator and volunteer coordinator. “Their support helps create a peaceful, welcoming environment where healing and meaningful connections can take place. Volunteer efforts like this are the lifeblood of our mission, enabling us to offer these heroes a much-needed respite and a sense of community during their stay.”

The Willing Warriors Retreat is always looking for volunteers. Visit www.willingwarriors.org for more information.