Info. Let s rename Douglas. Dwain Lakey. Bulletin. Employee Profile: the JUNE Celebrating

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1 Info the Bulletin Employee Profile: Dwain Lakey Let s rename Douglas County the Land of 10,000 Lakeys! After all, in Douglas County the Lakey family name is almost as common as the fir tree it was named for. Dwain s father was a diesel mechanic for the timber industry. He and his wife raised their children just outside of Roseburg. For a time, Dwain thought he would become a mechanic, but worked two years as a choker-setter until the industry crashed in the early 1980s. In 1987 he married Nova, who he met by chance when both of them were cruising the gut in Roseburg with high school friends. They relocated to Dillon, Montana, where the couple enrolled at The University of Montana Western. According to Dwain, it may be the only place in the world where you can major in rodeo! While he pursued his teaching degree, Nova was working and pursuing a degree in health care. The Lakey s next stop was even more rural than Dillon, next door to the Belknap Indian Reservation in northern Montana. For five years Nova raised kids while Dwain taught Art and English in a school that housed students grades K-12. Most of his students were from one of two tribes on the reservation: Assiniboine and Gros Ventre. Our kids loved it there, Dwain said. Surrounded by cattle ranches they were deeply involved in the area lifestyle and culture. The kids objected to moving back to Oregon in All five were in school but their parents thought western Oregon would offer more opportunity for better jobs. After returning to Oregon, Dwain taught art class in Port Orford which led him into his third career computers. I was helping students produce school newspapers and yearbooks and needed to help them master computer software. Celebrating JUNE 2016 One of his student s parents begged Dwain to quit teaching and join Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative. After some arm twisting, Dwain said yes. He worked in Information Technology at Coos-Curry Electric until 2014 when Salem Electric hired him for that same purpose. Having been a teacher is an asset, he added. There is so much technical jargon in this field; I love sharing what I know and making it understandable to others. Nova has returned to the health care field. The couple lives in West Salem where they enjoy gardening, barbecues and making salsa. Their children and grandchildren, as well as his siblings, live nearby. In his spare time Dwain is restoring a 1957 Nash Metropolitan. Eventually, the couple hopes to move where they can raise cattle and horses. A

2 2016 Annual Membership Meeting INFO BULLETIN JUNE 2016

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4 2016 Scholarship RECIPIENTS For the past 13 years Salem Electric has awarded ten $1,000 scholarships to individuals who reside in our service area. The 2016 recipients were recognized at the May 10 Annual Meeting. Michael Boyles PORTLAND STATE Richard Craig OREGON STATE Elizabeth Ford PACIFIC May Harrington BRIGHAM YOUNG Mayra Hernandez LINFIELD COLLEGE Andrew Kauffman OREGON STATE Jenny Leon-Perez CHEMEKETA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Samantha McLean BOSTON CONSERVATORY Juana Rojas Hernandez WESTERN OREGON Joshua Spann LIBERTY istock.com/tomwang112 INFO BULLETIN JUNE 2016

5 Board Meeting Summary April 26, 2016 Board Action: Administrative Services: Engineering & Operations: Member Services: Presented by: Jeff Anderson Vice-President FROM YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS The board approved: Expansion of the AMI Pilot Project to include some specific meters as identified by staff. The 2015 audit report as presented. The audit once again received a clean, unmodified opinion; the best that an entity can earn. The auditor mentioned there were no adjustments needed to any account. Now that 85% of our BPA bill is basic charge, kilowatt hour sales or lack thereof due to mild weather or minimal growth, could have an impact on rates. Crews are working on the Musgrave Lane switch replacement that will increase flexibility when serving the downtown area. The Goodwill project is scheduled for completion in September To complete the pole relocations for the project, the Oregon Department of Transportation has requested Salem Electric work night shifts to minimize traffic disruption. A procedure to increase communication with our key accounts (our ten largest members) has been developed. Salem Electric will inform key accounts of impending rate changes, the status of outages, offer energy audits, and inform them of energy efficiency programs. Information Technology: A new firewall has been installed to provide a higher level of network protection as it scans for malware and blocks known threats. Manager s Report: To prepare for future employment needs as more long-term employees retire, Salem Electric has created a Career Development Program to provide employees with the tools and resources to help prepare them for future openings. UPCOMING BOARD MEETINGS June 28 July 26 August 23 Joe Van Meter President Jeff Anderson Vice-President BOARD OF DIRECTORS Alicia Bonesteele Secretary/Treasurer Dave Bauer Carl Beach Jerry Berger Paul Ennor All regular board meetings are held at 7 PM at Salem Electric, 633 Seventh Street NW, Salem, Oregon METER Accessibility Your electric meter is an important piece of Salem Electric equipment that our crews and meter reading staff need access to 24-hours a day. In order for Salem Electric staff to access your meter, it must be located in a readily accessible location; shrubs, fences and other obstructions must not limit accessibility. If you have questions regarding your meter location, or if you have recently installed a new fence with a locked gate and you need to make arrangements for your meter to be read, please contact our office at A INFO BULLETIN JUNE 2016

6 JOE VAN METER, PRESIDENT High Bills? We Can Help. SalemElectric.com Don t Get Scammed One of Salem Electric s five goals is Good Customer Relations. Good relations do not result through intimidation, manipulation or threats Salem Electric doesn t do business that way. Unfortunately, there are people who want to take advantage of our members. Several members have received phone calls from people claiming to be Salem Electric employees who demand payments to prevent the power from being disconnected. Unfortunately, part of their scam is to manipulate the phone to show Salem Electric on caller I.D. Don t be fooled. If you ever question whether or not you are talking to an actual Salem Electric employee, hang up and call our office at before taking any further action. Don t take the risk and always verify who you are speaking to. A istock.com/stuartmiles SALEM ELECTRIC PO BOX SEVENTH STREET NW SALEM, OR PH: FAX: se@salemelectric.com SalemElectric.com Printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink.