OPALCO’s governing board consists of seven directors from four districts who are elected for three-year terms, with the elections staggered. Each director is elected by a vote of OPALCO members, or appointed by the Board to fill out vacancies. All members may vote in every election, regardless of their home district.
This year voters will choose directors for District 2, which includes Orcas, Armitage, Big Double, Blakely, Fawn, Little Double and Obstruction islands. Current District 2 directors are Winnie Adams and Chris Thomerson. Challengers are Randy Cornelius and Ed Sutton. Statements of all candidates from the voters brochure are reprinted below, in alphabetical order.
Cast your vote for OPALCO Board of Directors online or by mailing in your absentee ballot. Deadline for receipt is 10 AM on Friday, May 1, 2015 or by attending the 78th Annual Meeting on the ferry Saturday, May 2, 20159:45-11:15 AM
WINNIE ADAMS
After completing an M.A. from Stanford University, I moved to the San Juans in 1977. I have a background in environmental education and yoga instruction as well as classroom teaching. I joined the OPALCO Board in 2010 to fill out Roger Crosby’s term. In 2012, I was elected to the board.
When I moved to Waldron in 1977, I taught in the school and built a small house. I now divide my time between Waldron and Orcas. While living on Waldron I became interested in renewable energy and installed solar power.
Since joining the board I have served on the M.O.R.E. committee, a volunteer group of members who designed and administer our locally generated renewable energy program. Recently we expanded our conservation and efficiency outreach by partnering with the San Juan Islands Conservation District.
The chief challenges I see as important to us in shaping our future involve:
• Better engaging our members in individual energy conservation. Our choices can make a collective impact to help steady the load draw, shave peaks and reduce energy waste to keep us in Bonneville Power Administration’s lowest
rate schedule.
• Continuing to offer good conservation and alternative energy programs and encouraging growth of locally generated energy through community solar installations.
• Fine-tuning our management of the new wholly owned company, Rock Island Communications.
• Most co-op improvements ahead involve communication. Our investment and build out of a fiber system is essential for communicating with the grid, with BPA, within our own system, and with our members.
In this time of transition the OPALCO membership is served by the following strengths:
• OPALCO is in sound financial condition.
• We have a strong management team and well-trained, ambitious staff.
• OPALCO continues to grow our new Energy Services Department, making good use of energy conservation programs.
• Our excellent web page and social media presence keeps our members informed with blogs of interest, informational and instructional videos.
• And our greatest strength, an alert, intelligent membership.
RANDY J. CORNELIUS
Randy has a passion for electric utilities and cooperatives that began when he was a teenager working in a warehouse for an electrical contractor. At age 22, he became a journeyman lineman working for various utilities and contractors until 1983.
He then attended Oregon State University earning a BS degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Shortly after graduation, he moved to Sitka, Alaska where he accepted the position of Engineer & Supervisor of Generation.
In this position, he oversaw the operations and capital improvements of two hydro-electric dams. Soon he was promoted to Electric Utility Director. Then in 2002, Randy and his wife moved to Orcas Island to become the
General Manager of OPALCO until his retirement in January 2015.
He has served on many boards; Alaska Rural Electric Association, Washington Rural Electric Association, Northwest Public Power Association and on the executive committee as vice president for Northwest Requirements Utilities (NRU). While working in Alaska, he spoke before both the State and U.S. congressional delegations regarding rural electric issues.
Randy supports Island Network (Rock Island Communications) as a for-profit entity delivering Internet throughout San Juan County, but feels strongly it must support itself financially. He is committed to working with staff to have Rock Island Communications running in the black and being fiscally strong enough to pay for its own maintenance and capital improvements projects.
As a director, he will work with his fellow board members to direct staff in long-range planning regarding electric utility infrastructure, maintenance and capital improvement projects that continue to keep OPALCO’s service reliable and
affordable.
Finally, he supports the OPALCO Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program and will be committed to supporting and improving the program with a goal of having as many homes and businesses as energy efficient as possible.
ED SUTTON
Hello everyone. My name is Ed Sutton. My wife Carol and I have lived on Orcas Island for over 40 years. Our home is in
Eastsound. We raised our three sons, Jim, Chris, and Scott here, they all graduated from Orcas High School in the late
‘80s. I was born and raised in the Philadelphia area, and graduated from Lehigh University in 1966 with a BS in
Business Administration and a minor in mechanical engineering. I was employed for eight years by the Rohm and
Haas Co. in the marketing and sale of Plexiglas until 1974.
That year, I purchased a food distribution business on Orcas and for nearly 40 years supplied restaurant products throughout San Juan County. My experience and participation in local, county, and State agencies is extensive and varied. My personal philosophy is that every citizen should participate in their community, and
contribute to the vibrancy of their own future.
Orcas Power and Light is embarking on a new challenge, not unlike the rural electrification that transformed so many communities over 75 years ago. The Internet and everything encompassed by that technology will have a similar impact on our neighbors throughout San Juan County. I would like to offer my experience as a representative of the community to broaden the governance and oversight of OPALCO’s programs in a manner that will emphasize transparency and openness in arriving at decisions that impact so many folks in the islands.
Thank you for your consideration in choosing me to represent you.
•Eastsound Sewer and Water District Commissioner (13 1/2 yrs) CURRENT
•Eastsound Water Users Assn (8 years)
•San Juan County Charter Review Committee (Eastsound representative)
•Orcas Island School Board (8 years)
•San Juan County Board of Adjustment (4 years)
•San Juan County Ferry Advisory Committee (20+ yrs. in two periods)
•WA State Ferry Tariff Policy Committee (8 years)
CHRIS THOMERSON (INCUMBENT)
Chris Thomerson sees OPALCO as a crucial part of island livability and is committed to providing our communities with
safe reliable utility services with exemplary resource stewardship at low cost.
As a representative to the Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Chris actively encourages collaboration between non-profit Rural Electric Cooperatives throughout the Pacific Northwest. He travels to Olympia and Washington, DC when necessary to protect our local interests.
He brings technical experience and perspective to ensure we meet the challenges ahead, including technologies to efficiently manage our power distribution network; and encourage members to adopt sensible money saving energy efficiency measures. Chris’ degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Manchester in
England was sponsored by a scholarship from the Eastern Electricity Board. He trained as a field engineer in the distribution system in north London, including system operations and generation technology.
After sailing in this area for many years in their 25’ sailboat, Chris and his wife Lynn moved here from Eugene Oregon, where Lynn taught as an Elementary School Librarian.
His business, developing team collaboration and creative decision making skills, provided trainings for major northwest companies. He spent the best part of a year training BPA groups ranging from the top executives to field groups on the outskirts of their operations.
Chris wants OPALCO to be a leader in deploying appropriate cost effective technologies to increase reliability, safety and energy efficiency. The challenge he sees for coming decades is to manage the dramatically increasing costs of submarine cables, while keeping our electricity bills among the lowest in the nation. Chris will continue to work to ensure that OPALCO reliably supplies the cleanest, cheapest electricity possible along with advanced high speed internet services to drive our economy and improve island livability while protecting our uniquely beautiful and sensitive environment.
