Hodnik will lead Minnesota Power parent company
Minnesota Power's parent company, Allete, announced this morning that Don Shippar, Allete's chairman chief executive officer, will retire at the end of April after 33 years with the company and be replaced by Alan Hodnik.
Hodnik, the firm's president, will take the lead job on May 1. Shippar will continue as chairman of Allete's board of directors, according to a company news release.
Hodnik, 50, joined Minnesota Power in 1982 and has rapidly moved up the Duluth-based utility's ranks. He has been vice president of operations and senior vice president of Minnesota Power operations, as well as leading transmission, generation and engineering for Minnesota Power, Superior Water, Light and Power and BNI Coal, also Allete companies. He also serves on the board of directors of SMDC Health Systems and the Area Partnership for Economic Expansion.
An Aurora native, Hodnik served as the Iron Range city's mayor from 1988 to 1998 while working for Minnesota Power. Hodnik lives in Hermantown.
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Shippar, 60, started with the company in 1976 and, as its leader, oversaw development of renewable energy, transmission and emissions reductions efforts at the firm's northern Minnesota and North Dakota facilities in recent years. He has been CEO since 2006.
In addition to Minnesota Power, the Superior utility, and BNI Coal, Allete also owns property in Florida and has an equity investment in American Transmission Company, which operates primary electrical lines.
