At the OPALCO Election this year, we saw a record voter turnout: 24 percent compared to around 15 percent in past years. Thank you all who have taken the time to vote. Every vote counts, and record voter turnout means we members-owners are paying more attention to the business of our co-op.

I was pleasantly surprised by the board election results. Winnie Adams got the most votes (1,643) followed by OPALCO former manager Randy Cornelius (1,597 votes). Incumbent Chris Thomerson was unseated, with 330 votes behind Cornelius.

Having served for nine years on the OPALCO Board, Thomerson played a strong role in leading OPALCO into the era of broadband prominence. His departure from the board will be a loss to OPALCO in terms of his intellectual contribution.

However, the election results indicate that there are other attributes that members-owners value as equally important if not more. While financial expertise may not be Adam’s strongest point, we admire her courage to attend the Candidates Forums and to listen to members’ grievances and answer questions about the rates and OPALCO’s involvement broadband business. Her willingness to not only listen to, but also hear us, and her ability to be responsive, not defensive –  “we will have to re-examine the base rate issues” – mean a lot to us members and was like a breath of fresh air.

For several of us, the votes for Cornelius, who has long experience in the electrical distribution management, signify our support for making the electrical business OPALCO’s primary goal. Broadband is a great thing to have, and I am happy for the quarter or third of the OPALCO membership who will be able to afford it, but let’s find the right balance between electricity and broadband, so the latter does not happen at the expense of the former or electricity users.

Most members-owners probably wish to be treated not as disturbance or annoyance to be managed, educated or controlled, but as dialogue partners and co-decision makers. A basic foundation of a co-op is mutual respect and willingness to listen to and understand each other. With a change in the leadership, I hope the board will make OPALCO a true co-op, in name and in spirit.

Chuenchom Sangarasri Greacen

Lopez Island