Faces, Places & Voices Of PVREA: Mike Kroells

Meet Mike Kroells, a First Sergeant in the U.S. Military with the South Dakota Army National Guard and our Construction and Maintenance Supervisor here at PVREA. A family man dedicated to both service and community; Mike has spent 23 years serving his country.

His journey began in February 2001 when he joined the South Dakota Army National Guard during his junior year of high school. Initially unsure of his future, Mike found purpose and direction through his military service. The events of 9/11 during his senior year were a pivotal moment, opening his eyes to the importance of being part of something bigger than himself.

Mike’s commitment to service is evident in his career trajectory. After high school, he attended lineman school and volunteered for deployment to Afghanistan in 2004. Serving for a year in Afghanistan, he provided base security, was a 240 Bravo gunner on a gun truck, and helped ensure the safety of engineering projects.

His experiences in the military, as well as over 13 years as a lineman and nearly two decades working in the cooperative world, have shaped his approach to life and work, instilling a sense of duty and teamwork in everything he does.

With a workload that often takes him away from home and his family, Mike credits the unwavering support of his wife, Jessica, for helping him achieve the goals he has set for himself.

“Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to make a career out of this,” Mike acknowledges. “She was the one that pushed me to always be more.”

The culture at PVREA also plays a crucial role in Mike’s ability to balance his military and work responsibilities. From the top down, everyone steps up to support Mike whenever he is away training. Whether covering for his daily duties at PVREA or reaching out to help make life easier for Mike’s wife and kids, when Mike is sometimes away for weeks at a time, there are people there to help make life easier back home.

“The biggest takeaway I get is people being absolutely 100% supportive of my career,” Mike said. “That is the most important thing to me.”

Mike’s dedication to service extends beyond himself and made an impact on his oldest son, Aaden. Following in Mike’s footsteps, Aaden, a Poudre High School graduate, also joined the South Dakota National Guard in September of 2020.

“It’s humbling to sit back and see. We tend to focus on the things we could do better as parents.” Mike said. “To have your son follow in those footsteps, it’s sweet to watch. Knowing he has a heart of service and is also a part of something bigger than himself — it’s been fun to experience from a dad perspective.”

As Mike continues to work towards becoming a Sergeant Major, he remains committed to his community and encourages others to do the same.

“Northern Colorado is a great place to live and grow. Seeing the 85th celebration with our membership, it’s clear we have a membership that’s caring and very selfless and community based. I’d encourage our membership to reach out and thank a veteran, and beyond that reach out to a neighbor and help a neighbor. Try to put others before yourself, and I think the world will be a better place.”