SLVREC is managed by a board of seven directors:

District No.

A San Luis Valley native with a farming and ranching heritage, Carol Lee Dugan earned her business degree from Adams State College. She has applied her education toward a life of public service in the Valley. From 1974 to 1989, Carol Lee managed the Alpine Veterinary Hospital with her husband, Bob. Now, she helps raise cattle and works to improve our community.

In 1994 she became the director of the Carnegie Public Library and the South Fork Branch Library. As director, she secured grants to renovate the main library in Monte Vista, tripling it’s size. She recently secured grants and local funding for a new library in South Fork. She has been active in several community organizations: Monte Vista Urban Renewal, Habitat Partnership Program, El Pomar Regional Council (board member), and various educational programs.

Carol Lee and Bob both believe in conservation and maintaining the quality of life for the Valley. They are placing the main headquarters to the Dugan Ranch in a conservation easement. Part of the ranch is located in Rio Grande County and a large portion is located in Saguache County.

She has served on the REC Board of Directors since 1999, and is now the board’s president. To better serve the cooperative, she completed board certification classes in which she studied economics, personnel management, and utility-specific laws.

Cole Wakasugi’s grandfather settled in the Valley where he owned and operated Blanca Equipment, a tractor and implement dealership. Wakasugi’s have lived near Blanca ever since. Cole, who has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, manages Three S Ranch with his father, Rodger, and partners Jerry and Monty Smith. The ranch produces grain, potatoes and alfalfa.

Cole and his wife of 15 years, Kim, have two children Brisha and Bradley. Cole is a trustee for the town of Blanca and he serves as a volunteer for the Blanca fire department.

He currently serves on the Trinchera Irrigation Ditch board and the United Potato Growers of Colorado board. He believes these experiences will help him be an effective director for SLVREC. Additionally, as a Valley native, Cole believes he is an asset to the cooperative. He said, “I share the concerns of families and farmers in the Valley. I would like to help find solutions to the challenges we face.”

Rick McCormick has served on the San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative Board of Directors for 12 years. He is a Valley native.

Rick and his wife Cindy, have three grown children: Heather, James and Kip. Rick and Cindy have been married for over 30 years.

The McCormicks farm and ranch near Saguache. Rick said, “I guess it’s more ranch than farm. We have sheep and cattle, but in the past few years my son James has taken over management of the cattle herd. We lease out most of the farm acres now.”

Rick devotes his attention to the ranch’s 165 head of ewes.Rick has attended several classes sponsored by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and Colorado Rural Electric Association (CREA). He obtained his Director’s Certification from NRECA in 2002.

Scott Wolfe’s family has deep roots in the San Luis Valley. He was born and raised near Center; although, he left the Valley to attend college and to work. He attended school at Western, Adams State and Northern Arizona University. He returned to the Valley in 1991.

Scott’s wife, Robin, is the middle school art teacher in Monte Vista. Son Carson, keeps Scott and Robin on their toes. Scott’s oldest daughter, Courtney attends CSU studying nursing. His daughter Lindsay also attends college. Scott’s mother, Kathryn, has lived in the Sargent area for over 30 years.

Scott was elected to SLVREC’s board of directors in 2004. He has attended many work sessions and classes to learn more about the electric industry. He said, “My first four years on the board were very educational to say the least!”

Prior to being elected to SLVREC’s board, Scott served on the cooperative’s board feedback committee. Additionally, he served on the Farm Fresh board for one term and he has served on the Alamosa County Weed Board.

Eleanor Valdez is a native of the San Luis Valley. She and her husband, Virgil, operate a cow-calf ranch and farm in Conejos County.

Eleanor was appointed to complete the term of Conejos County director in 1995. In 1997, she was elected to continue serving as director. In June 2004, she was elected to serve as board president. For the past 2 ½ years, Eleanor has represented SLVREC on the board of Colorado Rural Electric Association in Denver.

Eleanor has been active in many community activities and presently is a member of the Conejos Hospital Auxiliary, Republican Central Committee, Cattlewoman’s Association and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. “First and foremost,” Eleanor said, “my pride and joy is my family which has grown with the additions of our children getting married and their children, our wonderful 13 grandchildren.”

In June 2006, Rick Inman completed his 16th year as an SLVREC director. Rick and his wife Teri live west of Creede. Their two grown children live in northern Colorado.

Re1flecting back on his tenure as a director, he said, “I think we’ve come through some tough times; but, there are challenges still facing us.” He places water issues and electric rates at the top of the list. Even with several years of wholesale power rate increases, Inman still believes electricity is a good value. Inman said, “Our society has evolved. All of us use more electricity now than we did years ago. ETS has been a life saver for the cooperative and many of our members.”

Inman speaks from experience when he talks about ETS (electric thermal storage) heat. He volunteered his home as a test site for the heaters before the ETS was offered to members. The board wanted to make sure the program could live up to its promise. Inman believes it has exceeded expectations.

As a director, Inman said the two most difficult decisions he grappled with were the replacement of the cooperative’s CEO in 2000 and the decision to upgrade the cooperative’s building. Regarding the CEO, he believes the outcome of this difficult transition has been positive. Reflecting on the decision to improve the cooperative’s facility he said, “There were many serious problems with the old building. We did the right thing. We now have a good facility that will benefit members for years to come.”

Mike Rierson has served on SLVREC’s board of directors since January 1999. Prior to becoming a director, Mike served on the Board Feedback Committee for five years.

Mike and his wife Sarah have two children, Zoë and Ross. The Riersons farm near Center.

In addition to serving on SLVREC’s board, Mike also represents SLVREC as a director of the Colorado Rural Electric Association. He has served as board member and past president for Creede Repertory Theatre and as past president and current member of Center Kiwanis. Mike is actively involved with his church and his community. He is a cub scout den leader.

Mike said, “I have a strong commitment to learning as much as I can about the electric industry. In January 2000, I completed the National Credential Cooperative Director Program, which together with eight years of experience on the board has been extremely useful in dealing with the many challenges facing our Coop today.”