SEC District 5 election is Saturday
Socorro Electric Cooperative member-owners representing District 5 will head to the polls on Saturday to elect an SEC trustee.
A total of three candidates have surfaced to compete for the seat currently held by incumbent Charlie Wagner.
Wagner will face challengers Clark W. Bishop and Godin R. “Dean” Otero in Saturday’s election.
Trustees are elected to four-year terms.
Saturday’s election marks the end of the 2009 trustee elections. Last weekend, a trio of SEC incumbents representing District 3 — Harold Baca, Juan Gonzales and Herman Romero — were ousted by challengers Donald Wolberg, Prescilla Mauldin and Luis Aguilar.
The District 5 election takes place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Parish Hall in Magdalena. A business meeting follows the election.
The District 5 candidates’ profiles are reproduced below.
Socorro Electric Cooperative
Board of Trustees Election
District 5
Name: Charlie Wagner
Age: 73
Education: My education includes an AA degree and 26 hours toward a bachelor’s degree in education from Tulane, Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant degrees from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Registered Health Underwriters from the National Health Underwriters Association, nine of 10 exams passed leading to the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist designation, and I completed all training to be licensed in all lines of insurance, and to be a registered representative of the National Association of Securities Dealers. Since being elected to SEC’s board, I’ve completed the Credentialed Cooperative Director and Board Leadership Program certificates.
Occupation: Retired from a 40-year marketing and management career in insurance and financial services, the last 10 of which were as a field representative of the Insurance and Financial Services Department of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
Have you ever filed for bankruptcy? No.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? No.
What is your motivation for serving as a trustee?
The need to reform the board, by restoring member control and compliance with laws and bylaws, is of utmost importance. Continuing that process is the task to which I am committed. Over the past several years, the member-owners have been systematically denied their ownership rights by a board that has breached the cooperative contract. With the help of an informed membership, we shall return the co-op to its rightful owners. Describe what you consider to be the most important aspect of a co-op trustee.
Acceptance of the duty to place the best interest of the cooperative (membership) first, with fidelity to the laws and bylaws above any selfish interest.
List your accomplishments as a trustee and explain how these benefit the 9,000-plus member-owners.
By discovering and informing the membership that the board majority chronically ignored duties prescribed in the bylaws and by doing so, personally gained financial advantages at the members’ expense, members have learned that their co-op needs their attention. Many members now recognize that such behavior has contributed to increasing the cost of service unnecessarily. The benefits to all members are not fully realized yet, due to the resistance of the trustee majority who are using all resources available to maintain the status quo. Authorities are now aware of these alleged infractions, and as more become involved in the effort to resolve the problems, justice will prevail in ending years of asset wasting malfeasance.
Some argue that too much board business is conducted during “Executive Session”. Will you if re-elected, commit to discussing only personnel matters, land acquisition matters and pending or threatened litigation during Executive Session? If not, why?
Yes, I have protested and been a critic of the board’s tendency to hide them selves and their actions from the members under the guise of “ES.” I have voted for and support member-sponsored propositions to adopt an “Open Meetings, Open Books and Records” bylaw similar to the state’s Open Meetings Act.
As a Trustee, what steps will you take to ensure our power needs are met (as inexpensively as possible) in this time of dwindling natural resources?
Our rates have doubled in the past 10 years and when the new energy bill is revealed with its “cap and trade” or “carbon tax” provisions we will probably face even higher rate increases within the next five years. There is no easy answer, but here are a few suggestions:
• Engaging in conservation, efficiency and efforts to upgrade our system
• Using grants and low-cost loans to members who are reducing and supplementing their power demand with self-generated clean alternatives
• By procuring incentives available from federal and state programs, we will reduce our dependence on coal fired central station generation
• It is a global mandate by industrialized nations that climate change be addressed through reducing greenhouse gases caused by fossil fuels. It is in our Nation’s interest to urgently reduce our dependence on foreign oil. We as consumers have a role to play and a stake in influencing the correct response by our cooperative and its wholesale power supplier, Tri State. We are a part of the universe.
Why should SEC member owners vote for you?
When the member-owners of District 5 elected me four years ago, they invested their trust in me, that I would use whatever knowledge and skills I possess to care about, advance and protect their best interest. The membership (cooperative) invested a large amount of money by sending me to meetings and training classes to improve my skills and awareness of laws and issues impacting the future success of their cooperative. I shall not betray that trust and I shall with care and loyalty, keep faith with the duties prescribed in the bylaws and laws designed to benefit the cooperative and advance its mission.
Socorro Electric Cooperative
Board of Trustees Election
District 5
Name: Godin R. “Dean” Otero
Age: 57
Education: 12th grade, also special training with Very Large Array
Occupation: Retired from National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Have you ever filed for bankruptcy? No
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? No
What is your motivation for serving as trustee?
Ever since I’ve been reading the newspaper and hearing other people talk, I heard about the tug-of-war that goes on with the co-op board. I want to see everyone go in the same direction. It’s for the good of the public and the good of the co-op. I want everyone to be satisfied.
In your own words, describe what you consider to be the most important aspects of a co-op trustee?
To show honesty to the public and the co-op, as well. I want to show the members that they have a voice and I’ll give it my best shot to make sure they are satisfied.
What do you hope to accomplish for the co-op’s member-owners as trustee?
Lower the rates. Like I said (during last week’s candidate forum), Socorro Electric Cooperative has the sixth lowest rates out of 16 in the state. I’d like to bring that up to No. 5, and possibly even No. 1 someday. When I talk to people, that’s what they say, “Lower our rates.”
Also, I know that there’s money for students. There’s a lot of students from low-income families that need help. They can’t afford it. And I want to be able to help churches in the community.
If elected to the board, will you commit to conducting the majority of your twice-monthly meetings in the open?
Yes. That would be great.
What items would you consider appropriate for Executive Session?
That’s hard to answer. I think that the board should follow the agenda and the public should be allowed to sit in on the meetings. The members should be listened to.
As a trustee, what steps will you take to ensure our power needs are met (as inexpensively as possible) in this time of dwindling natural resources?
I’d like to look into solar heating and solar energy and wind energy. There’s been a lot of talk about that. I know it’s expensive, but it’s something that might happen.
Why should SEC members vote for you?
I’ve been the type of person that volunteers. I help out kids at the schools and I volunteer at church. I’ve done a lot of work in the community. People who know me, know I’m a respectful person.
I listen to people and I treat them with respect. I want to be able to help the public and the co-op members.
Socorro Electric Cooperative
Board of Trustees Election
District 5
Name: Clark W. Bishop
Age: 53
Education: B.A. Psychology and public administration
Occupation: Construction, remodeling, former teacher
Have you ever filed for bankruptcy? No.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? No.
What is your motivation for serving as a trustee?
I want to improve electrical service to constituents.
Describe what you consider to be the most important aspect of a co-op trustee.
Overseeing and policy implementation to maximize service and finance benefits for the members.
What do you hope to accomplish for the co-op’s member-owners as a trustee?
Restore trust in the board, reduce excessive spending and improve service.
If elected to the board, will you commit to conducting the majority of your twice-monthly meetings in the open? What items would you consider appropriate for Executive Session?
Yes. Only personnel matters should be exempt.
As a Trustee, what steps will you take to ensure our power needs are met (as inexpensively as possible) in this time of dwindling natural resources?
I would encourage exploring alternate sources of energy including solar and wind and try to get a backup source in place.
Why should SEC member owners vote for you?
I am committed and hard working, and I want to improve electrical service at a reasonable cost.