CDEC Announces New CEO

Continental Divide Electric Cooperative’s Board of Directors has selected Manuel J. “Manny” Gonzales as CDEC’s new Chief Executive Officer/General Manager.

Gonzales brings more than 30 years of electric utility leadership experience, spanning field operations, technical services and executive management. Most recently, he served as CEO of Socorro Electric Cooperative in Socorro, New Mexico. Prior to joining Socorro Electric, Gonzales spent nearly three decades with Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative in Willcox, Arizona, advancing through numerous operational, technical and leadership positions, including Vice President of Technical Services.

“The Board is confident Manny’s experience and leadership will serve CDEC well as we continue working to provide reliable, affordable service to our members and position our Co-op to meet evolving industry challenges and pursue new opportunities that benefit those we serve,” CDEC Board President Keith Gottlieb said. “Manny brings an uncommon combination of hands-on utility experience, executive leadership and a strong commitment to employees, members and the cooperative business model. We look forward to welcoming him to CDEC and to the communities we serve.”

For Gonzales, his new role begins with people at the heart of the Cooperative – its members and employees.

“A Cooperative is not a cooperative without its members, and serving our members is made possible through a great cooperative team. I am excited to get to work with the CDEC team to do incredible things for our members!” Gonzales said.

The selection follows a thorough regional search conducted by the Board over the past four months. The process produced several highly qualified candidates and allowed the Board to be thoughtful and deliberate in selecting CDEC’s next chief executive.

“We were fortunate to have a strong field of candidates,” Gottlieb said. “The Board took seriously its responsibility to identify the person we believe is best prepared to lead CDEC into its next chapter. We also greatly appreciate the professionalism and dedication of CDEC’s employees and interim leadership, who kept the Cooperative focused on serving our members throughout the search.”

Gonzales’s cooperative career began in field operations and progressed through metering, communications, technical services, fleet management and executive leadership. His experience includes electric distribution operations, engineering support, system reliability, safety, workforce development, regulatory engagement, cybersecurity and technology modernization.

At Socorro Electric, Gonzales worked on regulatory matters before the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, system reliability improvements, community and stakeholder relationships, employee development, grant funding and the Cooperative’s wholesale power relationship with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.

Gonzales holds a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Arizona State University, a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from the University of Arizona, and an Associate of Applied Science in Electric Power Technology from Bismarck State College. He also completed the Robert I. Kabat Management Internship Program, an executive development program for electric cooperative leaders.

His leadership experience extends beyond the electric utility industry. Gonzales served approximately 24 years in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, achieving the rank of Sergeant Major and participating in three overseas deployments supporting combat operations.

Gonzales began his duties with CDEC on Tues., Sept. 8, 2026.