All co-op members are reminded that Empire Electric will hold its annual meeting Thursday, June 19 at the Calvin Denton Room, 801 N. Broadway in Cortez.

The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. with registration at 4:30 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres will be served during registration. Ballots for the District 3 director election will be mailed about May 19 and will come from Survey & Ballot Systems.

Completed ballots must be returned to Survey & Ballot Systems by June 14. Members can vote at the annual meeting, if they do not cast a mail ballot.

One director position is up for election this year. Gregg Beecher is challenging incumbent William C. Bauer.

Biographies are provided are in the order that they will appear on the ballot. The order was determined by a random drawing.

The candidates themselves furnished these biographies. Empire has not altered the information and is not responsible for accuracy of the information.

William C. Bauer

Incumbent William Bauer is seeking re-election for District 3. A lifetime resident of Montezuma County, Bill was born and raised in the Mancos area and attended Fort Lewis College. He married Moeita Ramsey and they have four children. He served as Montezuma County Commissioner for 12 years and is a past member of Club 20. He served on the board of local livestock, Elk’s Lodge and FastTrack Communications. Bill ranches in Goodman Point area and helps his son in a contracting business. Bill has been a director for 21 years and currently serves as board president.

Candidate’s statement: The Empire Board of Directors is a great board and is always open to member concerns, suggestions and feedback. Empire Electric is involved in the communities in which it serves. Directors need to be well educated on the issues at hand. I am a Credentialed Cooperative Director and hold a board leadership certificate through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which is needed for good decision making skills. My position on the FastTrack Board is important as it is successful in the securing of high speed communications for our area. Empire is facing huge decisions in the next four years. Due to retirements, hiring a new general manager and E&O Manager is a top priority. We are facing issues regarding rates and sufficient power to serve our consumers. I believe I have the experience to get these tasks accomplished. I would ask the membership’s support to again serve as your District 3 representative.

Gregg Beecher

Resident of Montezuma County since 1996

Married to Elaine Beecher, 2 children, 3 grandchildren

American Red Cross Volunteer, Representative 4C Regional Leadership Initiative, Past-President of Cortez Chapter of Business Networking International

Vocational Expertise: Sales, Marketing, Inventory Control, Problem Solving with Teams

Currently Retail Merchandiser for Advantage Sales and Marketing: working daily with members of management toward mutual sales goals.

Strengths and skills suited to the board position

Recognizing and analyzing trends

Sensitivity to needs of the Individual and Community

Strong communication skills – verbal and written

Strategic Planning and Implementation skills

Passions: Honesty, fairness, hard work, excellence

Solution-oriented

Candidate’s statement:

“Our Cooperative board has a long history of reliable leadership for our communities.

However, with new challenges it often helps to have a fresh perspective. I will bring a disciplined and innovative focus as well as new energy to the board, while faithfully representing the needs and interests of my fellow cooperative members.

“Utilities are a vital component to our economic growth and prosperity. As such we need to maximize its potential to help energize job creation and build a better future.”

Specific needs to address

Aggressive Action to Reduce and Stop Unnecessary Costly Regulations

Development of Local “Cost Effective” Renewable Energy Generation

Resources for Residential & Commercial “Cost Effective” Alternative Energy Installations

Better Energy Audit and Implementation Assistance

Incentives to Attract New Businesses

Face to Face Education:

Electric Safety

Energy Conservation

Cooperative Focused Consumer Fraud Education

Mobile Payment App

If you have questions, please contact General Manager Neal Stephens or Executive Secretary Denise Rosenbaugh at 970-565-4444.