Leadership changes mark end of an era, new beginnings

Dale Johnson, who has worked for Dakota Gasification Company (Dakota Gas) for nearly 40 years and served as plant manager of the facility since 2013, retired March 3. He is replaced by Trinity Turnbow.

Johnson began his career with Dakota Gas, a subsidiary of Basin Electric, in July 1985 after graduating with a degree in chemical engineering from Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. He served in various capacities over the years including as plant manager and senior vice president.

Among the highlights for Johnson while at Dakota Gas was visiting an expansive gasification plant in South Africa, about seven times larger than Dakota Gas; helping move equipment from an ammonia plant in Iowa to North Dakota; and managing the day-to-day operations of the facility. In his roles, he’s worked with and managed many people.

“The things you remember most are all the people you’ve worked with over the years, all the different personalities,” he said. “That’s a huge part of the job.”

In retirement, Johnson said he plans to spend more time with family, including fossil hunting with his grandson, and taking trips with his wife to places they’ve never been.

Of his decades at Dakota Gas, Johnson said: “I am very proud of what I’ve helped our amazing staff accomplish over the course of my career and have been really blessed by the things I’ve been involved with. I so appreciate all the people I’ve worked with over the years and the things they’ve done to help me learn and grow and get things accomplished.”

Turnbow, who received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota, has been employed with Dakota Gas since 2008. He has served in several capacities, including operations manager and assistant plant manager. In 2023, he was promoted to vice president and transitioned into his current role as plant manager over the past few months while Johnson exited the position.

Other people who have taken on new roles within Basin Electric include the following individuals and their new titles: Valerie Weigel, senior vice president of Energy Markets and Dakota Coal Company (DCC) operations; Troy Tweeten, senior vice president of Generation; and Dan Gallagher, vice president of Commercial Operations.