Under the cooperative business model, each of Tri-State's 44 member distribution systems is represented on its board, which is the democratically-elected governing body of the association. Directors are appointed by the member systems to one-year terms, which run from April to April.
Thompson, who represents High Plains Power in Riverton, Wyo., begins his 26th year leading the Tri-State board, having been elected to the position of chairman in 1984 and each year thereafter. He first began serving on Tri-State’s board in 1981 and has served on his local co-op's board since 1980.
Gordon begins his 13th term as vice chairman, representing Mountain View Electric of Limon, Colo. Gordon has served on that co-op's board since 1992 and was first seated on Tri-State's board in 1994.
Underwood begins his 17th full term as treasurer, having assumed those duties in February 1993. He represents Panhandle Rural Electric of Alliance, Neb., where he is both a past vice president (five years) and president (nine years) – having first joined that co-op’s board in 1984.
Soehner is beginning his second term as secretary. He represents Y-W Electric Association in Akron, Colo., and has served on the Tri-State board since 1991.
Child, who has been on the Tri-State board for 26 years, begins his 23rd year as assistant secretary. He is a past president of High West Energy of Pine Bluffs, Wyo., and has served on that board since 1973. Child is also Tri-State's representative on the board of directors of Basin Electric Power Cooperative in Bismarck, N.D., where he currently serves as president.
Casados, who begins his ninth year as assistant secretary, joined the Tri-State board in July 2000 after Plains Electric (Albuquerque, N.M.) merged with Tri-State. He represents Northern Rio Arriba Electric Cooperative of Chama, N.M. He was elected to the NORA board in 1982 and has served as president there since 1991.
The six officers, along with three at-large positions, make up the board's Executive Committee. Gary Merrifield, representing Sangre De Cristo Electric of Buena Vista, Colo., and Bill Bird from Otero County Electric in Cloudcroft, N.M., were re-elected to their at-large seats, along with Lou Costello from Gunnison County Electric based in Gunnison, Colo., who begins his first term on the executive committee.
The other 35 members of the Tri-State board (and the co-ops they represent) include:
*Jimmy Bason, Sierra Electric, Elephant Butte, N.M.
Robert Bledsoe, K.C. Electric, Hugo, Colo.
Leo Brekel, Highline Electric, Holyoke, Colo.
Don Campbell, Mountain Parks Electric, Granby, Colo.
Wayne Cobb, Northwest Rural Public Power, Hay Springs, Neb.
*Marshall Collins, Delta-Montrose Electric, Montrose, Colo.
Wayne Connell, Central New Mexico Electric, Mountainair, N.M.
William Dalles, Carbon Power & Light, Saratoga, Wyo.
Jack Finnerty, Wheatland REA, Wheatland, Wyo.
Ralph Garcia, Jemez Mountains Electric, Espanola, N.M.
Harry Goff, La Plata Electric, Durango, Colo.
Juan Gonzales, Socorro Electric, Socorro, N.M.
Ron Hagan, The Midwest Electric Cooperative, Grant, Neb.
Jack Hammond, Niobrara Electric, Lusk, Wyo.
Ralph Hilyard, Roosevelt Public Power District, Mitchell, Neb.
*Tom Holgerson, San Isabel Electric, Pueblo West, Colo.
Hal Keeler, Columbus Electric, Deming, N.M.
James Lawrence, Empire Electric, Cortez, Colo.
*Carlos Lovato, Mora-San Miguel Electric, Mora, N.M.
*Thaine Michie, Poudre Valley Rural Electric, Fort Collins, Colo.
Charles Monk, Big Horn Rural Electric, Basin, Wyo.
Stuart Morgan, Wheat Belt Public Power, Sidney, Neb.
Doug Pryce, United Power, Brighton, Colo.
Gary Rinker, Southwestern Electric, Clayton, N.M.
*Arthur Rodarte, Kit Carson Electric, Taos, N.M.
Claudio Romero, Continental Divide Electric, Grants, N.M
Brian Schlagel, Morgan County REA, Fort Morgan, Colo.
*Gerald Seward, Springer Electric, Springer, N.M.
*J.H. Sheridan, White River Electric, Meeker, Colo.
Kevin Stuart, Chimney Rock Public Power District, Bayard, Neb.
Jerry Thompson, Garland Light & Power, Powell, Wyo.
Marcus Wilson, San Miguel Power, Nucla, Colo.
*Scott Wolfe, San Luis Valley Rural Electric, Monte Vista, Colo.
F.E. “Wally” Wolski, Wyrulec Co., Lingle, Wyo.
Bill Wright, Southeast Colorado Power, La Junta, Colo.
*Denotes directors beginning their first full term on the Tri-State board.
Based in the Denver suburb of Westminster, Tri-State is the wholesale power supplier to 44 electric cooperatives and public power districts in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Nebraska. The member distribution systems serve nearly 593,000 consumer-meters, which translates to a population of approximately 1.4 million end-use consumers.
Updated: May 14, 2009
