For the second year in a row, Homer Electric Association members have elected a status quo board of directors. President Dan Furlong, Deputy Secretary Wayne Ogle and Director Erin McKittrick will all retain their seats, per election results announced Thursday.
HEA’s Board of Directors is composed of nine directors elected from three voting districts. Board members serve three-year terms and are responsible for policy creation and rate development among other things. The election began March 28, and concluded Thursday at the utility’s annual meeting of the members — this year held at Kenai Central High School.
There were a total of 3,789 ballots cast in this year’s election — meaning 14.6% of members voted, HEA Chief Strategy Officer Keriann Baker said during the meeting.
Ogle won reelection to his District 1 seat, representing Kenai, Nikiski and parts of Soldotna, with only 17 votes more than challenger Patrick Parker. Ogle claimed 487 ballots to Parker’s 470.
Furlong, who holds the District 2 seat representing Soldotna, Sterling and the northern area of Kasilof, claimed 629 votes to defeat challenger Mitch Michaud — who had 438.
For District 3, representing Homer, Seldovia and southern Kasilof, McKittrick topped challengers Matthew Bullard and Rick Eckert. McKittrick claimed 1,131 votes, with Bullard coming in at 322 and Eckert earning 274.
Furlong, Ogle and McKittrick will serve three-year terms on the HEA board of directors. Next year, the seats held by Secretary/Treasurer Jim Duffield and directors Dan Green and Jim Levine will be up for grabs.
A full recording of this year’s meeting of the members can be found at “Homer Electric, Inc.” on YouTube.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
