Meet your candidates for the 85th annual meeting:
Candidate Name:
Paul Joe Anderson
City and State:
Potlatch, Idaho
Director District:
1
Job History / Employer / Occupation:
- 4th Generation Farmer on Family Farm Near Potlatch;
- Certified Public Accountant (Retired);
Education & Experience:
- Potlatch High School
- BS (Agriculture), University of Idaho;
- Master of Accounting, University of Idaho;
- Director Training Programs for Farmer Owned Cooperatives.
- Director training program for new board members of National Association of Wheat Growers.
Committees/boards/civic organizations:
- Board of Directors, Latah County Grain Growers, a farmer owned cooperative for 8 years.
- Appointed to the Idaho FSA State Committee for 3 years.
- I ran for a director position of CoBank but was defeated.
- Served on Board of Directors of Growers Organizations at both the State and National levels in the Pulse, Canola and Wheat Industries
- Served on the Idaho Pea and Lentil Commission for six years
- Served on the Idaho Wheat Commission for 12 years
- Advisory Committees for Research and Education for USDA and University of Idaho.
Candidate Statement:
I have farmed a family farm in the Potlatch area for over fifty years. I am transitioning away from management of the farm as our son has taken that responsibility. My background in agriculture, accounting, and grain coop director have provided experience and insight that I can share. My time in various agricultural organizations has provided me the opportunity to have planned and executed government relations activities at both the State and National levels. I have been a member of Clearwater Power for over 50 years and look forward to the opportunity to serve the members, to continue to provide efficient, reliable, and "climate smart" power.
Candidate Name:
Chuck Petras
City and State:
Farmington, Washington
Director District:
1
Job History / Employer / Occupation:
- Retired Farmer
- Registered Professional Engineer (Electrical - Oregon)
- Retired Engineer, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
Education & Experience:
- Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering
Committees/boards/civic organizations:
- Volunteer Firefighter & Fire Commissioner (Whitman County Fire District No. 3 - Garfield, WA) (2009-Present)
- Trustee, Board of Library Trustees, Whitman County Rural Library District (2012-2016)
- Chairman, IEEE Palouse Section (2013-2016)
Candidate Statement:
We are living in challenging times. Our electrical power system has become a political football. Washington DC is trying mightily to cripple and increase our costs while mandating more dependency on the electrical grid and more control on how we choose to use the energy we've purchased. We, as a co-op, must band together with our brother co-ops to ensure that we have affordable clean energy to use as we see fit. When elected, I'll build the bridges to make our co-op's (and region's) energy independence a reality.
Candidate Name:
Kenneth Weiss
City and State:
Asotin, Washington
Director District:
5
Job History / Employer / Occupation:
- 1976-1987 Jack D. Bolick farm
- 1987-Present Self-employed farmer
Education & Experience:
- Associate Arts Degree, Heavy Equipment Repair Spokane Community College
Committees/boards/civic organizations:
- Past president Asotin county Wheat Growers
- Past board member Washington association of Wheat Growers
- Past president and board member of Northwest Public Power Association
- President, Asotin-Anatone Education Foundation
- Clearwater Power Company Board Member, Past President
Candidate Statement:
I bring 35 years of experience in managing and growing the farm my wife, son and I operate In Asotin Washington. The 24 years I have enjoyed serving the member owners of the Clearwater Power Company has given me a vast amount of knowledge in the everchanging electric utility industry. My various board leadership roles help me in Representing, you the member. I would greatly appreciate your vote.
Clearwater Power Company is governed by a member-elected Board of Directors. For the complete details about the election process, please review The Cooperative Bylaws [Article III, Sections 3(a), (b), (c) ]. This quick reference guide should help familiarize co-op members with how the process works:
- There are seven (7) democratically-elected board members, each one lives on Clearwater Power's electric lines and is an active customer.
- One person represents each of Clearwater Power’s seven (7) geographic districts. A member shall be eligible to become or remain a Director if they have been a member for a minimum period of one (1) year and maintain an account in the District for which they are to be elected and their principal residence, as defined by Federal Tax Law, is located in that District and served by the Cooperative. View our Service Territory Map (PDF).
- Each Director is elected for a three-year term.
- The nomination process usually takes place in July and August each year.
- There are two methods to be nominated to run for a Board of Director position:
- Contact someone on the nominating committee and request an application packet: Nominating Committee [Article III, Section 3(b) of the Bylaws]
or - Request an application packet and complete the nomination by petition process [Cooperative Bylaws] [Article III, Section 3(b) of the Bylaws]
- Contact someone on the nominating committee and request an application packet: Nominating Committee [Article III, Section 3(b) of the Bylaws]
- Elections are held each year at the annual meeting of the membership which is usually held on the first Friday of November. The election is voted on by members present and presided over by the cooperative's legal counsel.