Diane Paul looks back with fondness

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Diane Paul, retired Basin Electric senior vice president of Human Resources

When Diane Paul began her career at Basin Electric straight out of college, she had no idea she would end up making history as Basin Electric’s first female senior vice president.

Paul, Basin Electric senior vice president of Human Resources (HR) is retiring after a 40-year career, and looks back on her time with the cooperative with fondness. “Never did I think I would end my career as a senior vice president,” Paul says, “but I had a sign in my office that read ‘the harder you work the luckier you get,’ and I truly believe that.”

“Every day is different when you work in HR,” Paul says. “You never know what the day will bring when you walk into work in the morning. But one thing I’ve strived for throughout my career is to be kind and compassionate because your decisions can be far-reaching, not only affecting employees, but their families as well. Every day I hoped to be able to say and do the right things, because you never know who will be impacted by those everyday decisions.”

Paul says it is also important to not be afraid of doing things that might be tough but are the right thing to do for the cooperative, because “at the end of the day, the work we do is for our member-owners,” she says.

Working for the members and employees of Basin Electric was an honor, Paul says. In fact, it was the cooperative culture that brought her back from a two-year retirement in 2015.

Paul is thankful for the opportunities throughout her years at Basin Electric. “When the department moved to the new building, we chose old black and white photos to line the walls of HR,” she says. “I’d encourage employees to learn about Basin’s history and honor those who came before us and who helped make Basin Electric the organization it is today. Stand on their shoulders, they built a good foundation, and make them proud.”

Read more in the story, Basin Electric's first female senior vice president ends 40-year career in the summer issue of Basin Today.