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For immediate release
April 22, 2014 at 9:35am
For more information, contact
Sarah Wiggers, 762-4177 or 240-2453

Four members run for the Chugach Board; ballots mailed April 22

Four Chugach Electric Association members are running for three seats on the cooperative’s board of directors in this spring’s election.

The candidates, in alphabetical order,  are Harry T. Crawford, Jr., Jim Henderson, Jeff Landfield and Janet Reiser.  Crawford is a former Alaska State Legislator, retired ironworker and a small-real estate developer and a current member of the board. Henderson is a principal with New American Financial Group in the financial services industry and a current member and secretary of the board. Landfield is an account executive at Network Business Systems and chair of the Chugach Bylaws committee. Reiser is the Director of Business and Resource Development for the Aleut Corporation and a current member and chair of the board.

In 2013, following a change in the state statute on electric and telephone cooperatives, Chugach members approved a bylaw changing director terms from 3 years to 4 years. The 2014 election provides a transition to those new terms. The two candidates who receive the most votes will be elected to 4-year terms, while the third-highest vote getter will be elected to a 3-year term.

Chugach will host a “Meet the Candidates” night at 4:00 p.m., Thursday, April 24, at Chugach’s headquarters building.

There are also two bylaw amendments for members to vote on this year.  One would add more time for candidates to submit election materials and the other call for notice in the annual election pamphlet when director compensation changes.

The board set April 3, 2014, as the record date for voting in this year’s election and at the annual meeting.  Mail-voting packets will be mailed to the 68,583 Chugach members of record on April 22.  Members have until noon on Monday, May 19 to return mail ballots or until noon on Thursday, May 22 to vote electronically via the Internet or over the telephone.

In-person voting will be allowed at the cooperative’s annual meeting May 22 at the Dena’ina Civic & Convention Center for members who haven’t yet cast a ballot. Registration opens at 6:00 p.m. and the meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.  Results of the election will be announced at the meeting.

Chugach is the largest electric utility in Alaska, providing power for Alaskans throughout the Railbelt through retail, wholesale and economy energy sales.