IREA Board Candidates Needed!

[S Gallanter]

 

 

 

Calling all IREA Voices! Board Candidates Needed  Director seats in IREA districts 1, 2, 4 and 6 are up for election in the coming weeks, and IREA Voices need candidates to run for the positions!  In particular, we need to identify and run winning candidates in districts 6 (east of Denver -- Bennett/Strasburg area) and 4 (Castle Rock area) (See the attached map).  District 1 is represented by Mike Kempe, the one successful Voices candidate to date.  He will seek re-election, as will the other incumbents.  Several potential candidates for district 2 have identified themselves already; but if you would like consider volunteering please let us know.  The district 4 and 6 seats are particularly problematic and in need of candidates. If the seats are not contested, no election will be held and no notification will be given. 

 

The purposes of this message are to alert you to the need to identify and run candidates who offer an alternative to the status quo -- as depicted monthly in "Watts and Volts" -- and to seek volunteers to help the candidates run successful campaigns.  For everyone but the candidates themselves, this very important effort will be of short duration.  The campaigns will run for a number of weeks, leading up to the mail-in voting and annual meeting; then they're over. The commitment of time and energy will be done and, hopefully, we will have additional votes on the Board.  Getting more than one vote on the IREA Board is the most important effort that Voices can undertake.

 

Candidates themselves, of course, will have a four-year commitment.  Anyone interested in running as a candidate should send an email message to s.gal...@q.com or mchiodo74@gmail.com.  We can give you information re. time commitments and compensation. (Yes, there IS compensation for this important job -- health insurance and $300/day.) 

 

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE; THE CLOCK IS TICKING. IREA made the redistricting changes at the last possible moment, making it as difficult as possible for candidates to run. Candidates must secure 15 IREA members' signatures on petitions by February 10 -- the first step in the campaign.  

 

You don't need to worry about these elections, IF...

... if you like what passes for information in "Watts and Volts;" 

... if you're OK with IREA leadership giving our money to lobbyists, including discredited climate change deniers; 

... if you're not worried about future bills going up due to dependence on fossil fuels (particularly coal) that are becoming significantly more expensive, and our ownership of part of a coal-fired power plant that might be the target of on-going, costly litigation; 

... if you support IREA's merely tepid support for energy efficiency and discouragement of cost-effective distributed renewable energy.  

 

If any of the above -- or other policy issues, or the lack of transparency in governance -- bother you, then please get involved and field winning candidates for IREA!  IREA Voices has succeeded in effecting some positive changes over the years -- last year's passage by the Colorado legislature of a law requiring greater transparency in co-op governance (HB 1098), for example.  But it's the votes of the Board of Directors that will result in meaningful and lasting change, and that will enable our co-op to adapt efficiently and cost effectively to the demands of the 21st century.

 

Again, THE CLOCK IS TICKING.  Please help us identify candidates for the IREA Board.  If you don't live in the affected districts, call friends or acquaintances who do.  Spread the word:  find good candidates!

 

Important note:  IREA recently redrew district boundaries in an effort to equalize population among the districts.  Those who are interested in running should check the IREA district map and make sure you're still in the district you think you are.  Go on-line:  http://www.intermountain-rea.com/userfiles/DirDistMaps.pdf.  The map is pretty vague, so if you're not sure of your district after looking at the map, call IREA headquarters for clarification:  303.688.3100 (toll-free:  1.800.332.9540).

 

If we don't take action and try to make our Voices heard in our member-owned co-op -- starting with running Board candidates -- we will have lost the legitimate right to complain about "Watts and Volts!"

 

Again, please contact s.gal...@q.com or mchi...@gmail.com with questions, for additional information, and to let us know if you're interested in running for the Board or have identified a candidate.  IREA Voices will guide candidates through the process and will provide support (if needed) during the short campaign.