Regional utility appears to fill senior finance role with eastern Oregon executive following months-long search.
Umatilla Electric Cooperative, the Hermiston, Oregon-based electric utility serving communities across eastern Oregon, appears to have hired Lisanne Currin as its new chief financial officer, according to a report attributed to the East Oregonian. The cooperative had been actively recruiting for the position since at least January 2026, when a detailed job listing for the CFO role appeared on LinkedIn. While the original East Oregonian article could not be independently accessed for this report, available records confirm that Currin has prior CFO-level experience in the region, making her a plausible fit for the newly filled position.
The reported hiring caps a recruitment process that cooperative officials described, in the January posting, as central to the organization's broader transformation. Umatilla Electric Cooperative provides electric service to homes, businesses and industrial customers throughout eastern Oregon, and the CFO position was framed as a strategic leadership role rather than a routine back-office hire.
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A Cooperative in Transition Seeks Financial Leadership
Umatilla Electric Cooperative posted the chief financial officer opening on LinkedIn in mid-January 2026, describing the role as one that would place the successful candidate "at the center of UEC's transformation, guiding financial strategy" for the organization. The listing indicated the cooperative was seeking someone capable of overseeing financial operations for a utility that powers homes, businesses and industries across the region.
The cooperative reposted the opportunity through its own LinkedIn account the following day, directing prospective applicants to its online careers page for the full job description. The timing of these postings places the recruitment effort roughly seven months before the reported announcement of Currin's hiring in late August 2026.
Umatilla Electric Cooperative is headquartered at 750 W. Elm Ave. in Hermiston, according to corporate records. The organization maintains a leadership team responsible for strategic decision-making, operational oversight and financial sustainability, according to organizational profiles reviewed as part of this report.
Currin's Background in Eastern Oregon Finance
Lisanne Currin has an established record in financial leadership roles within the eastern Oregon region. Public records from Morrow County identify her as "Chief Financial Officer, Morrow County Grain Growers" as far back as 2016, when she was named in compensation committee documents filed with the county.
More recent Morrow County Compensation Board materials from 2025 list Currin as a board member, alongside references to a "CFO w/ Treasurer" role tied to administrative and supervisory responsibilities. These records establish Currin as a recognized finance professional with ties to the broader eastern Oregon business community, though they do not by themselves confirm her transition to Umatilla Electric Cooperative.
Morrow County Grain Growers, where Currin previously served in a CFO capacity, operates as an agricultural cooperative with locations across the region, including Lexington, Wasco and Ione. Her background in cooperative finance structures could translate directly to the operational and member-focused model used by Umatilla Electric Cooperative.
Limits of the Available Confirmation
Despite strong circumstantial support for the reported hiring, several key details remain unverified based on the material currently available. No direct quote from Currin, from Umatilla Electric Cooperative leadership, or from board proceedings has been located confirming the appointment.
The precise date Currin was hired, her official start date, compensation details, and any statement from the cooperative's general manager or board about the selection process are not present in the sources reviewed. The LinkedIn job posting and repost demonstrate only that the position was open and actively recruited; they do not, on their own, prove that Currin was the successful candidate.
Similarly, the Morrow County records establish Currin's professional history and finance credentials but stop short of confirming any move to Umatilla Electric Cooperative. The connection between her known background and the reported hiring rests on the East Oregonian headline and publication date rather than on independently verified article text.
What the Appointment Would Mean for the Cooperative
If confirmed, Currin's appointment would place a finance executive with deep regional experience into one of Umatilla Electric Cooperative's most consequential leadership positions. The cooperative's own recruitment materials described the CFO as central to its transformation strategy, suggesting the organization viewed the hire as more than a routine personnel change.
Umatilla Electric Cooperative maintains an active news and communications presence, including a dedicated news page highlighting staffing changes such as previous additions to its accounting team. Given that pattern, an announcement of this scale would plausibly appear in the cooperative's own channels in addition to local press coverage.
Confirmation of the appointment's full details, including the effective date and any public statements, would require direct access to the original East Oregonian article or an official announcement from Umatilla Electric Cooperative. Until such material is available, the hiring should be treated as strongly supported by available evidence but not yet fully documented through primary sourcing.
