Stay Basin! Good people, benefits, and stable future

Growing up, Lindsey Schutt saw her parents work at and eventually retire from Basin Electric. She knew the utility company provided a good living and stable future, and it impressed upon her mind that maybe one day she also would work for the cooperative.

“Basin Electric,” she says, “was the place you knew would give you a lifelong career.”

This past June marked 10 years that Schutt, of Hazen, North Dakota, began her career with Basin Electric, where she works as an administrative assistant at the Antelope Valley Station (Antelope Valley) in Beulah.

Schutt attended Dickinson State University in North Dakota where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business. Soon after graduation she obtained her insurance license and joined an insurance marketing firm. When she returned to Hazen, she started working at a local bank in the agriculture lending department. These were temporary stops, benchmarks on a career that ultimately led her to Basin Electric.

A strong work ethic was instilled within Schutt early on, and was honed over the years, including time spent on the family ranch she runs with her husband, Mike. Together they have two young daughters. Her responsibilities and upbringing taught her to be versatile ­– a trait that has served her well at Antelope Valley and Basin Electric, due in part because she has been able to adapt to the necessities of any given workday.

Each day is different, allowing her skills to remain on edge, sharpened by the responsibilities at hand. “Every day varies on the duties between tours and my other daily tasks,” Schutt says, noting she works with the facility’s operations, coal yard, scrubber, and engineering groups to ensure information about the amount of coal burned, generation, and other work is accurate.

To help her hone new skills, Schutt enjoys taking part in professional development opportunities offered by the cooperative whenever possible. In 2019, she attended the BE Leaders program, and this fall she plans to take part in a Crucial Conversations course. 

Work, whether at Antelope Valley or on the ranch, is only one aspect of Schutt’s life. There’s also family time. “I enjoy spending time with family and teaching our girls to ride horses and care for all our animals,” she says. Time spent at the lake during the summer months is another favorite pastime. “I also enjoy playing on a women’s volleyball team during the winter months, and coaching figure skating for our local club.”

When play is done, getting up in the mornings is easier because of her day job. “The people I get to work with by far make coming to work fun and enjoyable,” she says, explaining anyone looking for a good career would be well served to look at Basin Electric and Antelope Valley. “For me and my family, Basin Electric has been a great place to work with a lot of stability and good benefits.”

Although her life’s journey took her to other jobs early in her career, Schutt says her career is now set and she plans to retire with the cooperative. “I plan to stay at Antelope Valley because I enjoy the people I work with, our benefits are good, and we live and ranch just outside of Hazen.”