LPEA Director elections to be held in Districts 1 and 3

Vote to be tallied on May 8 at cooperative’s annual meeting

 

            DURANGO, Colo. – Elections are being held for two seats on the La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) board of directors. Votes will be tallied at the cooperative’s Annual Meeting, May 8, 2010.

In accordance with LPEA’s bylaws, annually one seat in each of La Plata Electric’s four districts comes up for election. Though elections in Districts 2 and 4 are slated to be officially cancelled by board action on April 21, elections are confirmed for Districts 1 and 3.

In District 1, incumbent Terry Alley faces challenger J.B. Smith, with Harold (Harry) Riegle challenging incumbent Harry Goff for the seat in District 3. (Profiles of the candidates appear at the end of this notice.) District 1 covers Archuleta County, containing nearly 7,400 eligible residential and commercial voters. District 3 is essentially the City of Durango and includes more than 7,100 eligible voters.

In Districts 2 and 4, incumbent board members Tom Compton and Pam Patton, respectively, had no challengers. Pursuant to Article III, Section 5 of the bylaws, these board members are expected to be reappointed to their seats for the next three years.

Election packets will be mailed to member-owners in Districts 1 and 3 on April 16, and returned ballots will be tallied at the Annual Meeting using La Plata County’s official ballot counting equipment (the same used in the county elections). The Annual Meeting will be held at Fort Lewis College, Student Union – Ballroom, with registration beginning at 9 a.m., followed by the business meeting at 10:30 a.m. A complimentary lunch follows.

LPEA, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, provides to its nearly 30,000 members with more than 40,000 meters, safe, reliable electricity at the lowest reasonable cost, while being environmentally responsible. For additional information, contact LPEA at 970.247.5786 or visit www.lpea.coop.

 

 

LPEA Board Candidate Profiles

District 1

 

Terry Alley

Terry Alley is currently serving as president of the LPEA Board of Directors. A native of Pagosa Springs, Alley pursued a career in education, earning his Bachelor’s degree from Fort Lewis College, Master’s degree from Western State College and Superintendent Endorsement from the University of Colorado. He retired after 31 years with Archuleta County (School) District 50 Joint. During his tenure, he served as teacher, coach and school principal, though for his last 21 years with the district, he was superintendent of schools.

            Alley has been involved in a variety of organizations over the years and currently sits on the board of directors for Archuleta Housing, Charles Hughes Foundation, Archuleta Scholarships in Escrow and Archuleta Housing for the Elderly. He is also lending his grant writing expertise to several non-profit organizations.

A member of the LPEA board since 2001, Alley currently serves on the Administration Committee, Budget Finance and Audit Committee, as well as the FastTrack board.

            Said Alley, “I would be honored to remain a member of the LPEA Board of Directors to be of service to our area as well as help ensure that LPEA’s members continue to enjoy reliable electric power at the lowest possible cost.”

 

 

J.B. (James B.) Smith

Originally from Rockford, Illinois, J.B. Smith studied business and history at Colorado State University, and is now retired from a rich career in the print media industry. Most recently, until his retirement in 2002, he was the owner of the Mountain Valley News in Cedaredge, Colo. His experience also includes director of Special Education buses at Denver’s Cherry Creek schools and classified advertising manager and circulation manager of the Denver Business Journal. Earlier he served in advertising, classified and circulation positions for the Gillette News Record (Wyoming), Ft. Collins Coloradoan and Cervi’s Journal (a precursor of the Denver Business Journal), notably increasing circulation and advertising in all positions.

            A recipient of awards from the Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce and the Women’s Club Press Group, Smith is currently involved in the Pagosa Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis and the Good Government Association.

            “I want on the electric board to keep rates stable. I also want trucks to drive the speed limit. I think board members are overpaid,” said Smith.

 

 

District 3

 

Harry Goff

Harry Goff, a 43-year resident of Durango, was born in Casa Grande, Arizona. He graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and then saw duty with the U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. After military service, Goff spent 36 civilian years in the engineering and surveying fields, with eight years as a part owner of Ernst Engineering and the last 22 years as president of Goff Engineering & Surveying in Durango, from which he has retired.

Goff is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Professional Land Surveyors of Colorado, which named him Citizen Surveyor of the Year in 1999. In 1991, then Governor Roy Romer appointed Goff to the State Board of Registration for Engineers and Surveyors, a position he held for eight years. Along with various other professional and technical societies, he is a member of the United Methodist Church of Durango, the La Plata County Historical Society and the Durango Bird Club.

            “Our Board worked throughout the past year to avoid increased rates for both Tri-State G&T and La Plata Electric. I now wish to continue on the LPEA Board to tackle other present and future challenges such as the current economic hardship on members, industrial load volatility, assistance in conservation efforts and a gradual shift to more locally created generation,” said Goff.

 

 

Harold L. (Harry) Riegle, Jr.

Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Harry Riegle has been self-employed as a small business owner for some 30 years, working as an optometrist. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Western Michigan University and his Doctor of Optometry from Pacific University. While serving as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters. Riegle is currently a member of the Sustainability Alliance of Southwest Colorado (SASCO) and on the board of directors of the San Juan Citizens Alliance.

            Noted Riegle, “As the cost of electrical generation increases for fossil fuels and decreases for renewables, solar is becoming more economically viable. One way for LPEA to control inevitable rate increases in the future is to begin transitioning to renewable generation now. As an LPEA board member, my goal is to develop a pilot program which would enable families, ag folks and small businesses to join together to create and finance shared ‘neighborhood’ solar and micro-hydro co-ops. Additionally, one of the least expensive ways LPEA can control costs is to continue its successful demand side management by supporting 4CORE and its energy efficiency programs.”

 

# # #