Incumbents Retain Seats, New Mountain Director Elected

New Officers Elected at Regular Monthly Board Meeting on April 21st

Races for a seat in all four United Power director districts were decided by a vote of the members at the 2017 Annual Meeting on Apr. 18 at  the Adams County Fairgrounds. Incumbent Directors James Vigesaa and Ginny Buczek retained their respective seats. Director David Rose won the race for his seat in the South District. Incoming director Tamra Waltemath won the seat in the Mountain district left vacant by the retirement of director Douglas Pryce.

United Power’s Board of Directors met for their regular monthly board meeting the Friday following the annual election and selected new officers to serve the cooperative for 2017. James Vigesaa was elected President, Susan Petrocco was re-elected as Vice President, Beth Martin was re-elected Secretary-Treasurer and Ursula J. Morgan was elected to serve again as Assistant Secretary-Treasurer.

Brighton, Colo.—United Power has closed on the purchase of a 130,000 square foot facility located on the west side of the cooperative’s service territory to serve as the fourth location serving our members. The new facility is located on the east side of I-25, just south of Highway 119.

“The purchase of this building is a great step toward meeting some of United Power’s strategic goals,” said United Power CEO, Darryl Schriver. “As the territory becomes more populated, our ability to respond quickly and efficiently to our members is vital. This west office will allow us to dispatch trucks and personnel to the west and north sides of our territory quickly without the substantial drive time from the headquarters in Brighton.”

The new facility will help the cooperative free up space in the Brighton headquarters to have more room for training and storage. Plans are also in place to lease part of the west facility back to United Power’s primary contractor, Ward Electric. Ward Electric recently added United Power logos to their trucks to help members quickly identify cooperative contractors in the field.

“This facility is a win for the cooperative, for Ward Electric and for our members,” stated Schriver. “We’ve been able to negotiate a great financial deal on this purchase, in part because the seller appreciated the cooperative’s profile in the community and sees us a valuable resource. Now we’ll be able to better support the rapidly growing areas in our territory by having trucks and staff that can respond from both sides of our plains territory.”

United Power purchased the facility for $8.76 million and took possession on April 25th. United Power is also in negotiations to acquire an adjacent plot of undeveloped land. The additional property would allow for the addition of on-site material storage and expanded parking. The cooperative will be communicating updates about the new facility and how it will be used via the member newsletter United Newsline and on the website.

Announcing the Winners of the Electrical Safety Poster Contest

United Power recently enlisted the help of elementary students to spread the importance of electrical safety through an Electrical Safety Poster Contest. Kids in grades kindergarten through fifth created electrical safety posters that will be used through the service territory in May, which is recognized as National Electrical Safety Month.

United Power employees voted and selected the following winners of the 2017 Safety Poster Contest: Zariah McPhersonfrom Henderson Elementary, Rini Sugihara from Turnberry Elementary, Sofie Archer from Landmark Academy, Daniel Weber from Black Rock Elementary, Leticia Armendariz from Southeast Elementary, and Analisa Nygaard from Pennock Elementary.

Congratulations to all of our winners, and thank you to all of the students who entered their creative safety messages. Check out the winning posters below, and then watch for these winning safety posters to appear through the cooperative service territory for the month of May.

United Power proudly announces the 2017 Scholarship awards. Sixteen different scholarships are granted for a total of $18,500. United Power awards the scholarships each year to outstanding students served by the cooperative. The United Power Scholarship Committee gives these awards based on grades, test scores, extracurricular participation, and a short essay.  Applications are made available at the end of each year. Visit www.unitedpower.com for more information.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative – $1,000 Award
Riley Juenemann is a senior at Frederick High School and plans to major in Computational and Applied Mathematics in the fall. Riley is very active at her high school, serving on the Academic Advisory Council, Link Crew and the Athletic Leadership Council, just to name a few.  In her spare time she enjoys volunteering on various projects in her community. She is also an accomplished guitarist.

United Power Colorado College Scholar – $2,000 Awards
Elena DeAndrea will graduate from Ralston Valley High School and plans to attend the University of Colorado in the fall, where she will major in Biochemistry and Business Management.  At her high school she is active in Student Government and Choir. She is a member of the National Honor Society.  Elena has also volunteered at Lutheran Hospital for the past three years.

Jacob Kriska plans to study engineering at the University of Colorado after graduating from Eagle Ridge Academy. Jacob is in student council and is the Study Body President. Jacob strives to be a leader at his school and works hard to make all students feel accepted.

Tri-State Generation & Transmission – $1,000 Scholarship (Photo not Available)
Caitlin B. is very active in sports at her high school and has been awarded many academic awards during her four years of high school. Caitlin volunteers countless hours in her community and is still deciding on her future plans.

Lois Lesser Education Scholar – $1,000 Scholarship
Clarissa Shelley will graduate from Legacy High School and has been awarded the Lois Lesser Scholarship for her interest in pursuing a degree in Elementary Education. Clarissa is very active at her high school and is the Student Body President. She has volunteered for many organizations that focus on children.

Bill Berens Memorial Scholarship – $1,000 Scholarship
Lindsey Hamblin has been awarded the inaugural Bill Berens Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is for students pursuing a degree in the engineering field. Lindsey attends Skyline High School. She is a member of both the National Honor Society and the National Art Society. She plays tennis and has competed in robotic competitions. Lindsey will attend the University of Colorado in the fall majoring in chemical and mechanical engineering.

United Power Youth Leadership Scholarship – $1,500 Award
Samuel Escamilla from Weld Central High School has been awarded the Youth Leadership Scholarship for his dedication to his community and his involvement in his high school. Samuel was awarded the Youth of the Year Award at the Shopneck Boys & Girls Club in January 2017. He plans to attend college and major in mathematics and secondary education.

United Power Book Awards – $1,000 Book Scholarships
Brighton High School: Caitlin O’Callaghan will graduate from Brighton High School in May. She is a member of the National Honor Society and plays varsity volleyball. Caitlyn has received numerous academic honors and plans to pursue a career in Biology. Caitlyn has been awarded a coveted Daniel’s Fund Scholarship and this scholarship has been reawarded to another student.

Denise Ocampo is a senior at Brighton High School and plans to pursue a career in Nursing to help those in need in her community. Denise has received many academic awards and in her spare time volunteers at her church. She is still deciding on her college.

Prairie View High School: Andrew Her plans to pursue a degree in Biology and will graduate from Prairie View High School in May. Andrew is a member of the National Honor Society and HOSA. He has been on the Principal’s Honor Roll multiple times.

Eagle Ridge Academy: Chaz Okada will graduate in May from Eagle Ridge Academy. He plans to pursue a career as a pilot. Chaz plays baseball and is an accomplished musician.

Frederick High School: Alicia Orr is active in the National Honor Society and has received the Presidential Award all four years. She is a volunteer tutor at Thunder Valley Elementary. Alicia plans to work in the Atmospheric Sciences.

Fort Lupton High School: Gerardo Millan Jr. plays basketball and soccer and is a member of the Robotics Club and the Outdoors Club. Upon graduating from Fort Lupton High School, he plans to attend college and work in the Computer Science field.

Mead High School: Sydney Blackburn will be attending the University of Northern Colorado in the fall and will major in Elementary Education. Sydney is active in 4H and the National Honor Society. She is an outstanding volleyball athlete and has received many academic letters. In choosing her career, Sydney plans to make a difference and a positive impact in the lives of children.

Weld Central High School: Lesli Calderon will pursue a Pre-Med degree at the University of Northern Colorado and plans specialize in Pediatrics. Lesli is the Student Council Senior Representative and Treasurer. She is also a member of LULAC and FCCLA.

At Large: Tiana Linkus attends Erie High School where she plays varsity soccer and is a cheerleader. She will attend Montana State University in the fall to major in Cell Biology and Neuroscience to ultimately become a trauma surgeon.

Mountain Territory: Benjamin Hoppes will be attending the Colorado School of Mines upon graduation from the Summit Academy, to study Chemical and Biochemical Engineering. Benjamin is on the swim team and competes in piano competitions.