Thursday, May 29, 2025

WECA’s Senior Accountant, Leanne Sipes, is retiring this summer after 17 years of service to WECA. At an all-team event on May 29th, several of Leanne's coworkers shared stories of the impact she had on them and on WECA, and told her how much she'll be missed!

Leanne began working at WECA in August 2008 and has helped shepherd us through several years of growth and progress.

“I’ve stretched the role quite a bit, working with other departments and keeping it interesting,” recalls Leanne. “I kept up with the growth by continually finding ways to streamline various processes. The very first month I processed member dues invoices, there were 94 dues invoices. Now, in May 2025, we processed over 360 dues invoices. And our training contributions are triple what they were since I started. With every bit of growth, the accounting team adapts and finds new ways to serve our members and WECA’s goals.”

During her tenure at WECA, Leanne enjoyed always having something new to learn, and the challenge of finding process improvement opportunities.

But even more so—Leanne cherished her relationships with her colleagues.

“Any day I get to laugh with someone is a favorite memory,” says Leanne. “I’ve learned so much from working with you all—thank you! I’m rooting for everyone.”

Looking forward to retirement, Leanne reports that there is no “grand plan.”

“I’m approaching it like a good book…hopefully with lots of great chapters!”, says Leanne.

We love that attitude, Leanne—and it’s a great principle to apply toward life in general!

Thank you, Leanne, for everything you have given to WECA during these past 17 years, and all the help you gave to your coworkers and our members alike! You played an instrumental role in our growth, and will always be an esteemed member of the WECA family. We will miss you!