About Us

Ted Compton grew up on a cattle ranch in Southwest Colorado. After graduating high school, Ted won admission to Stanford University and graduated with degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Product Design.

Ted decided to return home to his small hometown of Durango to give back. There, he built a three decade career as a mechanical and infrastructure engineer, contributing to large projects in water and oil and gas management. He served on public boards including local broadband development and open space and agriculture conservation, and was appointed to service with Colorado’s Advanced Industry Grants Program.

In 2023, Ted became President of the Board of his home electric cooperative and is now helping local co-op members save millions by diversifying their energy supply, building renewable energy and storage options, and bringing energy efficiency solutions to working families.

Ted enjoys skiing and whitewater rafting with his wife and daughter. His family ranch is now home to a new herd of bison. 

Alison Miles grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She earned undergraduate degrees in English and Philosophy and went on to complete master’s degrees in English and Business Administration.

Alison began her career in telecommunications, focusing on customer service, before joining an electric cooperative just north of the Twin Cities in Minnesota. She ultimately served as Vice President of Members, overseeing member engagement, metering, economic development, and the cooperative’s charitable foundation.

In 2025, Alison became Co-Director of the Co-op Innovation Network. She now leads efforts to expand national resources for cooperatives, including the development of the Policy Playbook, building staff engagement programs, and strengthening a nationwide network of cooperative leaders. Her work is rooted in a mission-driven commitment to maximize the impact of cooperatives for their members and communities.

Alison lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and children. She enjoys reading, board games, great food, and time outdoors.

Kenzley was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky and currently resides in the panhandle of Florida. She graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Environmental Science and Sustainability.

Upon graduating, Kenzley worked with the Peace Corps in Tanzania and then served various nonprofit organizations through the AmeriCorps VISTA program in Fairbanks, Alaska. While living in Fairbanks, Kenzley became an active member at the local electric cooperative and was inspired by the cooperative principles and community engagement practiced by co-ops throughout the state. In addition to her work with CIN, Kenzley works at Solar United Neighbors where she focuses on organizing and advocacy for rooftop solar and energy democracy.

Outside of work, Kenzley enjoys running, biking, and playing board games with her husband and friends.

Kendra grew up in rural northwestern Minnesota and earned a B.A. in Organizational Communications and Spanish from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.

She began her career in technical recruiting and product marketing at Microsoft Business Solutions and Fujitsu Consulting before spending a decade coordinating programs and projects across schools and community organizations in the Minneapolis suburbs. During this time, she managed local outreach programs, designed career exploration programs, built school recycling initiatives, and coached an all-girls robotics team.

Kendra joined Co-op Innovation Network in 2026 as a Content Coordinator to help build and manage Co-op Compass, CIN's knowledge base for co-op leaders. Her work is driven by a passion for energy and rural communities as well as a belief that when co-op leaders have the information they need, the communities they serve are stronger for it.  

Kendra lives in Maple Grove, Minnesota with her family and enjoys spending time outside, staying active, traveling, and connecting with family and friends.