Sunflower Electric
Hays-based Sunflower Electric Power Corporation is pleased to announce the promotions of Erica Schmidt to senior manager of power supply and Zach Binder to manager of resource planning. Both bring extensive experience, leadership, and a strong commitment to Sunflower’s goal of supplying reliable, cost-effective wholesale power and powering the needs of its member cooperatives.
In her new role, Erica Schmidt provides strategic leadership and oversight for all power supply functions, including power contracts, resource planning, market operations, billing, and fuel procurement. She directs the activities of the power supply and contracts department to ensure reliable, cost-effective, and compliant operations that strengthen Sunflower’s resource adequacy and long-term energy strategy.
“I’m honored to step into this new role and continue serving an organization that’s filled with incredibly talented and knowledgeable employees,” Schmidt said. “I’ve been fortunate to learn from so many of my colleagues over the years, and I look forward to building on that foundation as we work together to support our members and strengthen our power supply strategy for the future.”
A native of Garden City, Schmidt holds a bachelor of science in business administration from Kansas State University and a master of business administration from Friends University. Since joining Sunflower in 2010, she has held roles in corporate services, supply chain, and power supply, most recently serving as manager of power contracts. She and her husband, Josh, reside in Garden City with their five children, Corbin, Peyton, Zoe, Addyson, and Mia.
Zach Binder was appointed to lead Sunflower’s resource planning, resource adequacy, and fuel procurement functions. In his new position, he will provide strategic leadership and technical expertise to ensure Sunflower’s generation resources are effectively planned to meet future power needs. His responsibilities include modeling long-term energy demand, maintaining accurate forecasts, and evaluating a range of solutions including energy efficiency programs, demand-side management, and renewable energy resources.
After joining Sunflower in 2018, he advanced to senior financial analyst in 2022, and later that same year became settlements supervisor, where he gained deeper involvement in power supply operations. His proven leadership and analytical expertise have prepared him well for this expanded role.
A native of Hays, Binder holds a bachelor of business administration from Fort Hays State University. He and his wife, Amber, reside in Hays with their children, Theron and Brixton.
“Erica and Zach have both demonstrated exceptional leadership, vision, and dedication to Sunflower’s mission,” said Steve Epperson, Sunflower’s president and chief executive officer. “Their promotions reflect not only their achievements but also the confidence we have in their ability to guide our organization toward an even stronger, more reliable future.”
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