Stay Basin! Innovative work, career stability, and people who care

With nearly 23 years at Headquarters, Michele Hellman has watched Basin Electric grow and evolve while growing right along with it.

Hellman, a senior Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) administrator at Headquarters, joined Basin Electric in 2003 after accepting an internship that set the course for a long-term career. “Basin Electric was always a very reputable company when I was growing up,” she says. “It has always been well-known for its competitive salaries, prioritizing employee well-being, and you can see that reflected in how many people stay at Basin Electric for a long time. It was always a top place I wanted to work.”

Originally from a farm north of Mandan, North Dakota, Hellman graduated from high school in Center, North Dakota. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an associate degree in computer science—an educational foundation that has supported her career through multiple roles within the organization.

Eventually, she returned to college to pursue web design, an academic pivot that led to her internship at Basin Electric as a web designer, launching her career at the cooperative.

Today, Hellman plays a key role in Basin Electric’s NextGen ERP project as part of the Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) team. “Right now, my job entails taking several of our current IT systems and their data and moving them into the new SAP system,” she explains. “The goal is to build efficiencies, clean up data, and consolidate business processes.”

While the work itself is complex and ever-changing, Hellman says the people are what make it rewarding. “The best part of my job is definitely the people,” she says. “I really enjoy my current team and everyone I’m working with on this project. I’ve had many different roles over my 20-plus years with Basin Electric, and I’ve had amazing coworkers every step of the way.”

Looking ahead, she is confident Basin Electric will be her professional home until retirement. “Basin Electric has been very good to me and my family,” she says. “My kids were born and grew up while I’ve worked here. It has allowed me to balance work and family and plan for our future at the same time.”

Outside of work, Hellman enjoys staying active and spending time with her family. “We enjoy playing volleyball, and recently started learning pickleball,” she says. The family also shares a passion for travel, particularly visiting baseball stadiums. "We’ve made it a goal to visit all 30 Major League Baseball parks. It was always my husband’s dream, and we’ve already been to 23—only seven to go.”

When asked if she would recommend Basin Electric as an employer, Hellman did not hesitate. “Absolutely,” she says. “Basin Electric offers great flexibility, competitive pay, excellent retirement options, and once again, it’s the people. They’re truly the best in the area.”