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Kimball, S.D. – April 10, 2025 – Nancy Heath brightens her hometown of Kimball, S.D., along with the community of Chamberlain, S.D. 22 miles down the road, greeting NorthWestern Energy customers who stop in with a caring, familiar smile.

“Our customers share their news, joyful and heartbreaking, and I’ve tried to be a bright spot, a listening ear and to give some encouragement, if possible,” said NorthWestern Energy Customer Associate Nancy Heath, who works in Kimball two days a week and commutes to Chamberlain the other three days.

Heath is retiring at the end of April. NorthWestern Energy’s Kimball office will no longer have customer walk-in hours at the end of her tenure.  Customers continue to have several ways to stay connected with NorthWestern Energy – by phone and online. The Chamberlain, S.D. office has walk-in hours and a payment drop box.

The change is bittersweet for everyone.

“Nancy is irreplaceable, we will miss her, our customers will miss her,” said NorthWestern Energy Customer Associate Supervisor Tiffany Skinner. “She’s been dedicated to work in both the Kimball and Chamberlain offices, but her retirement is well-deserved. We want to assure our customers we will continue to be here for them, even though we won’t be able to offer walk-in service in Kimball.”

Nancy's journey with NorthWestern Energy began in 1990 shortly after her fifth child was born. "Before that, I owned a restaurant with my mom. I loved it, but the hours were tough on my family," she recalls.

She began working in the office and was also a meter reader at one time. One memorable year, the snow was so deep that meter readers had to wear snowshoes.

Customers and opportunities have made Nancy’s NorthWestern Energy career long and enjoyable, Heath said.

“When I first started in Kimball we received microfiche in the mail each day and that is what we’d look up people’s accounts with,” she said. “Today, we have Advanced Meters. There’s been a lot of changes. I love our customers and I love the variety of the work I’ve been able to do.”

Retirement will give Nancy the flexibility to travel, help out at her family's lumber business, and spend more time with her grandchildren. But she will miss serving NorthWestern Energy, especially her regular customers. "There's one gentleman in Chamberlain who always includes two king-sized candy bars with his bill when he makes a payment. Our customers are the best, and I appreciate all of them," she says.

Nancy Heath's retirement marks the end of an era for NorthWestern Energy's Kimball office. Her legacy of kindness and dedication is appreciated by NorthWestern Energy and will be remembered by all who have the pleasure of knowing her.

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NorthWestern Energy - Delivering a Bright Future

NorthWestern Energy, provides essential energy infrastructure and valuable services that enrich lives and empower communities while serving as long-term partners to our customers and communities. We work to deliver safe, reliable, and innovative energy solutions that create value for customers, communities, employees, and investors. We do this by providing low-cost and reliable service performed by highly-adaptable and skilled employees. We provide electricity and / or natural gas to approximately 775,300 customers in Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Yellowstone National Park. Our operations in Montana and Yellowstone National Park are conducted through our subsidiary, NW Corp, and our operations in South Dakota and Nebraska are conducted through our subsidiary, NWE Public Service. We have provided service in South Dakota and Nebraska since 1923 and in Montana since 2002.

Media Contacts:

Jo Dee Black

866-622-8081

jodee.black@northwestern.com