2020 Board of Director Candidates

HAL TRUAX
Incumbent, Area 4

Hal Truax is the incumbent director seeking re-election in Area Four. He is a lifetime resident of Middle Township and a graduate of Pittsboro High School. Truax has completed the Purdue University agriculture short course, the Lincoln Technical Institute automotive diesel course, and Indiana Agriculture Leadership Program. He has also completed all the electric cooperative director certification programs. Truax owns and operates a no-till cover crop diversified farm with his son Ethan. He has been a member since 1984, serving on the board of directors for over 28 years. He also represents Hendricks Power on the Wabash Valley Power Association board of directors. He was a charter member and past director of Indiana Sustainable Agriculture and past supervisor of Hendricks County Soil and Water Conservation District. He was on the steering committee for Leadership Hendricks County and has served as president of Hendricks County Farm Bureau. He is currently on the Youth Council of Hendricks County Extension and is a member of Bartlett Chapel United Methodist Church, where he serves as treasurer and on the mission committee. Hal and his wife Susan are 4-H leaders in Middle township, for 30 years. They have three children and 2 grandchildren.

NATHAN MENDENHALL
Area 4, Candidate

Nate Mendenhall is a lifelong resident of Hendricks County, growing up on U.S. 36, west of New Winchester. He is the son of Jay and Karen Mendenhall and has three sisters. He resides in the Lizton area with his high school sweetheart and wife of 20 years, Katrina Mendenhall. They have two amazing kids, Peyton and Reece. Nate is a 1996 graduate of Danville Community School Corporation. He then attended the American Trans Air Aviation Training Academy and graduated with an Associates Degree in Applied Science.
Mendenhall works full time for the Indianapolis Colts as a corporate aircraft mechanic. He also operates a lawn care & snow removal business, as well as taking over the everyday operations on his family farm, growing corn and soybeans. While he works a lot, he enjoys boating and camping with his family and helping his kids with their 4-H projects, including swine.
He enjoys meeting new people and learning new things. He currently serves on the Union Township Advisory Board as treasurer, as well as on the advisory board for the Vincennes Aviation Technology Center. Mendenhall and his family are members and regular attenders at Your Venture Church in Lizton where Nate had the privilege and honor to baptize his son Reece. They all enjoy serving at the church. 
He loves new challenges, loves his family, his church, his career, and has a passion for excellence, and attention to detail. He’s excited to learn the daily workings of the power cooperative and to further serve his community!

MARSHALL HURST
Incumbent, Area 5

Marshall Hurst is the incumbent director seeking re-election in Area Five.  A native of the Belle Union area, Hurst graduated from South Putnam High School and then moved to Hendricks County in 1977. He has been a member of the co-op for over 33 years, serving on the board of directors since 1998. Hurst is involved in the agricultural community and grows corn, soybeans, and wheat. He was named Hendricks County Soil and Water Conservation Farmer of the Year in 1995. Hurst has two children and four grandchildren. He and his family are members of the Coatesville Christian Church.

DAVID THOMAS
Area 5, Candidate

David Thomas is a lifelong resident of Hendricks County and a 1980 graduate of Cascade High School.  He and his wife Debbie currently reside in the New Winchester Area and have been Hendricks Power members for over 35 years. David recently retired from the Kroger Co. after 42 years of service in which he began as a part-time bagger at the Store in Plainfield. During his career, he served in various roles including clerk, store management, District Management, and Division Retail Operations Manager which encompassed 140 stores in Indiana and surrounding states. During his career, David was twice awarded the Kroger President’s Award which is awarded annually to an associate who best models the Company’s Core Values of Integrity, Honesty, Diversity, Inclusion, Safety, and Respect.

David’s involvement in the community includes Hendricks County 4-H, Hendricks County Community Foundation, and Sheltering Wings. David also serves as an Elder at the Jamestown Church of Christ. David looks forward to further serving his community and the members of Hendricks Power Cooperative.

KEITH COOPER
Incumbent, Area 6

Keith Cooper graduated from Ben Davis High School and earned his Bachelor of Science in Agronomy from Purdue University. Cooper farms approximately 2,000 acres of land raising corn, soybeans, and wheat. He also raises Black Angus cattle.  Cooper has been a member of the cooperative since 1998 and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2005.  Cooper also served on the Hendricks County Fair Board from 1992 until 2003. He and his wife, Tammy, live west of Danville, near Amo. They have two children and two grandchildren.