from Suzanne Olson

On Friday, September 27, the OPALCO Board of Directors accepted John Bogert’s resignation from the board with great appreciation and gratitude for his five years of service. Bogert wrote, “I would like to thank the cooperative’s membership for twice electing me to represent them on the board, and I will continue to applaud the excellent work of the OPALCO staff in serving the community.”

Bogert’s resignation comes after a long and arduous period of study, discussion and decision-making about the Co-op’s role in addressing the broadband needs of our community.

Board president Chris Thomerson said, “John’s engineering background and experience fueled his unwavering focus on energy efficiency, an increasingly important social and financial component of every modern power utility. His dedication and commitment have served our Co-op membership well.”

Bogert’s seat on the OPALCO board represents District 4, which includes Shaw, Crane, Canoe and Bell islands. OPALCO’s Directors will conduct interviews in search of a replacement to be appointed to the board to finish out Bogert’s term, which expires in 2016. The position comes up for election again at OPALCO’s annual meeting in May, 2016.

OPALCO is our member-owned cooperative electric utility, serving more than 11,000 members on 20 islands in San Juan County. OPALCO provides electricity that is 95% greenhouse-gas free and is generated predominantly by hydroelectric plants. OPALCO was founded in 1937.