Guide to the Candidates. May 2009

Transcription

1 2009 Guide to the Candidates This brochure contains the statements of the candidates seeking election to the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative Board of Directors. After reviewing this material, please vote for no more than four (4) candidates on the accompanying ballot. See official notice for the 70th Annual Meeting of the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative on page 7. May 2009

2 Your Co-op, Your Vote! To Our Valued Members As a democratically controlled cooperative, we rely on the active participation of you, our memberconsumers, in the business of the cooperative. One of your most important functions each year is electing a Board of Directors that will represent you and your interests at the highest level of the company. This brochure is an important part of the cooperative way of doing business. It is your guide to the candidates who are running for election to four seats on the Co-op s 11-member Board of Directors. Each candidate appears with brief biographical information and a statement submitted, word-forword, by the candidates themselves. I encourage you to read the material closely, then fill out and return your ballot. I also hope you ll join me at this year s Annual Meeting at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at the Plymouth Regional Senior Center in Plymouth. The ability to make your voice heard is unique to member-owned cooperatives. I hope you ll take advantage of your opportunity. Sincerely, Fred Anderson President/CEO 1

3 2009 NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT The Nominating Committee, appointed in accordance with NHEC s bylaws, has selected Charles Braxton, Kenneth Colburn, Sharon Davis, and David Talbot as candidates for election to the four open Board positions. The Committee unanimously concludes these four persons will best serve the future needs of the Co-op. The Committee s primary objective is to evaluate applicants, review and interview board candidates and to nominate the candidates they believe will contribute the most to the governance of the Co-op. When determining a candidate s qualifications, the Committee considers the challenges facing NHEC in the coming years and nominates candidates with the skills to meet those challenges. This year, the Nominating Committee met three times to assess the strategic needs of the NHEC Board of Directors, conduct interviews, and deliberate the merits of each candidate for nomination. The Committee reviewed 11 Candidate Questionnaires and résumés received by the February 11, 2009 deadline. The Committee interviewed eight applicants that were considered to have the best potential to be nominated. Following the interview process, Charles Braxton, Kenneth Colburn, Sharon Davis, and David Talbot were nominated. The Committee thanks the applicants who participated in the nomination process. We encourage all members to exercise their privilege, as member-owners of the Co-op, to vote in the 2009 election. Respectfully submitted, Nominating Committee: Joanne Haight, Chair; David Urey, Vice Chair; Ronald Brienza, Martha Chandler, Edward French, Charles Henderson, Maurice Lafreniere, Madeline McElaney, Terrence McKenna, Edith Smith, and Craig Zamzow. NOTE: The candidate biographies included in this brochure have not been reviewed by the Nominating Committee. Additional information on these candidates can be found at 2

4 Dave Talbot NHEC Service Location: Woodstock, NH Primary Residence: North Woodstock, NH Nominated By: Nominating Committee It has been my pleasure to serve as your director for the past six years. For five of those years, the Board of Directors has elected me to the office of Treasurer. In that capacity, I review all expenditures and monitor cash-flows. I serve as Chairman of the Corporate Services Committee where we scrutinize the budget, recommend rate structure changes and review policies of corporate governance. I am certified as a credentialed director from NRECA and I keep current with changes in the industry through advanced course participation. Presently I serve on the faculty of Plymouth State University teaching finance and economic courses. I am a Director of Speare Memorial Hospital, Trustee of North Country Center for the Arts, and Director of NHEC Foundation. We are at a unique point in the history of NHEC with the financial challenges of a severe economic downturn, the prospect of increasing cost of energy, and the need to balance cost of power with alternative sources that will protect and sustain our environment. In order to remain competitive and provide improved service, it is essential that we update systems, improve infrastructure, eliminate hazards that could cause outages, and provide more efficient use of power to the members. I embrace the cooperative principles in which all actions taken are designed for the betterment of the membership. I am requesting your vote to continue for another term. 3

5 Charles R. Chuck Braxton NHEC Service Address: Meredith, NH Primary Residence: Meredith, NH Nominated By: Nominating Committee Work Experience Chuck is a REALTOR at Roche Realty Group, where his practice specializes in conservation and preservation in the Lakes & Mountains Region, as well as commercial and residential properties. Earlier in his career, Chuck was president of Energy Technology Assurance Group, Inc., a financial services firm serving distributed generation projects; northeast region vice president for Duke Energy s energy services affiliate; and chief marketing/ sales officer for a $600m energy delivery unit of Niagara Mohawk. Chuck also was as senior executive in medical device and other high-tech businesses. He has served as chairman of the board of the Industrial Gas Technology Commercialization Center at the American Gas Association. Educational Background Chuck earned over 60% of the cost of his college education and holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BSEng with honors from Princeton University. He is a Graduate of the Realtor Institute. Chuck is a Credentialed Cooperative Director. Additional Comments Working with other members of the board and the management team at NHEC, I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish for you our members in my six years of service as a director. NHEC is an industry leader and operates ethically, transparently, fairly and responsively. We have put policies in place to sustain these guiding principles. We have also acted proactively to help you manage your energy bills, to find renewable energy sources, and to control costs. Thank you for your vote and the opportunity to continue to serve you. 4

6 Kenneth A. Colburn NHEC Service Location: Meredith, NH Primary Residence: Meredith, NH Nominated By: Nominating Committee In my first term as a Director, I ve pushed for a more costeffective and sustainable future for NHEC. I ask for your vote to continue this work. The electricity industry faces daunting challenges: rising costs, aging plants, inadequate transmission, growing demand, and troubling pollution impacts like mercury contamination and global warming. With its strong employee team, improving quality of service, and inherent co-op flexibility, NHEC is ready to meet these challenges. Boosting energy efficiency and renewable energy is one important way. We have to maintain financial discipline, of course, but this path will ultimately be less costly, create more jobs, keep more money in our local economy, and provide greater energy security and reliability for NHEC members. My work centers on these issues helping states, foundations, and companies recognize economic opportunity through progressive climate and energy policies. Previously, I led the State s air pollution control programs at DES, managed energy and environmental issues at the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire, worked in manufacturing management, and taught at Proctor Academy in Andover. I have a BS from MIT, MBA and MEd degrees from UNH, and recently became a Credentialed Cooperative Director. I also serve on the Boards of the Granite State Conservation Voters Alliance and The Jordan Institute, and earlier chaired the Andover School Board and the New London Hospital Board. I m a New Hampshire native and a lifelong member of NHEC. Please contact me anytime at or kcolburn@symbioticstrategies.com, and thank you for your re-election vote. 5

7 Sharon L. Davis NHEC Service Address: Campton, NH Primary Residence: Campton, NH Nominated By: Nominating Committee Work Experience 40 years of varied business experience with service on nonprofit Boards of Directors. Since October 2008, owner The Country Lady Bug Greenhouse. August 2007/August 2008, Associate Executive Director for Pemi-Baker Home Health & Hospice. October 1999/August 2007, VP-Regulatory Corporate Compliance Officer, Northway Bank. January 1989/October 1999, Regulatory Compliance Officer for Pemigewasset National Bank. September 1968/January 1989 worked for a well-known law firm in Plymouth. Educational Background Graduate of Plymouth High School and Champlain College, Burlington, VT. Graduated from UNH Continuing Education in Paralegal Studies; ABA Compliance School; New England School of Banking; Leadership New Hampshire program; and ICBA Compliance School. Earned NRECA Credentialized Cooperative Director designation. Additional Comments Serving as a NHEC Board member over the last six years, I have used my many years of business, community service and leadership experiences. Serving as Chairman of NHEC s Audit Committee over the last several years has been rewarding. The Audit Committee s function has been expanded to receive reports of internal control reviews including its information security program that ensures protection of member s information. I continue to support NHEC s mission to improve quality of service. The installation of a state-of-the-art automated outage response system greatly assisted NHEC s crews in identifying members affected by the December 2008 outages. NHEC staff continues to make great strides in identifying renewable suppliers in order to move forward with the commitment to purchase 25% of NHEC s power from renewable resources by I would appreciate your vote. My address is countryladybug@eagle1st.com. 6

8 Official Notice 70th Annual Meeting of the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, Inc. Wednesday, June 10, 2009 The Annual Meeting of the Members of New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, Inc. will be held Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at the Plymouth Regional Senior Center in Plymouth, NH. Registration begins at 5 p.m. and the meeting will commence at 6:30 p.m. Members will be asked to take action on the items listed below. 1. Secretary s report of members present 2. Reading of the notice of meeting by the Secretary 3. Reading of the minutes of the 2008 meeting for approval by the members and taking necessary action on those minutes 4. Presentation and consideration of, and actions upon, report of officers, directors and committees 5. Presentation of results of the Board of Directors election 6. Unfinished business 7. New business 8. Adjournment Gail Paine, Secretary April 23,

9 Meet & Eat! 70 th Annual Meeting of Members Wednesday, June 10, 2009 Spaghetti Dinner starts at 5 p.m., Business Meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Plymouth Reginal Senior Center 8 Depot Street, Plymouth Come early and enjoy a spaghetti dinner donated by The Italian Farmhouse in Plymouth, a proud member of The Common Man family of restaurants in New Hampshire, and their partner US Food Service. A suggested donation of $5 will benefit the Plymouth Regional Senior Center s Meals on Wheels & Senior Meals Programs. RSVP by May 27, 2009 online ( or by calling Make your voice heard attend the NHEC Annual Meeting!

10 Cast Your Vote, Win a JEEP! Return your ballot in the enclosed green envelope by June 4, 2009 and you could win this Jeep! It s a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4X4 and we re retiring it from the Co-op fleet with just 75,000 miles! It looks good, runs great and one lucky member will drive it away! To get your name in the prize drawing, just fill out and return your ballot by the June 4 deadline. 8