Members of the La Plata Electric Association have decided who their new representatives are on the electrical cooperative’s board of directors.
On Wednesday, LPEA’s members were given the chance to vote in new members for three of the co-op’s four districts spanning La Plata and Archuleta counties, as well as learning about LPEA’s 2025 annual report and accomplishment.
According to a news release from LPEA, 7,937 out of the 37,748 members cast votes throughout the co-op’s four districts, which include Archuleta County, south and west La Plata County, the city of Durango and northern La Plata County.
Voters cast their ballots online or through the mail over the past month and in person at the meeting.
Incumbent Nicole Pitcher won with 1,175 votes, while challenger James Lane received 1,117 votes.
In a statement to The Durango Herald, Pitcher said she was incredibly grateful to the members of her district for reelecting her to the board.
“It’s been an honor to serve this community during such a pivotal time for LPEA, and I don’t take that trust lightly,” she said.
Pitcher said the year ahead will be all about execution of decisions focusing on keeping rates affordable, maintaining reliability and strengthening wildfire resilience. Additionally, making thoughtful power supply decisions that balance cost, local control and long-term sustainability are central to her vision for the co-op.
“We have successfully exited a restrictive wholesale power arrangement and now have the opportunity to build an energy future that reflects the values of our communities,” she said.
Leaving Tri-State has given LPEA greater ability to shape its own future, she said.
“This is an exciting moment for our cooperative,” Pitcher said. “We now have more flexibility to shape our own future, and I’m committed to making sure we do it responsibly, transparently and in a way that benefits the families and businesses who depend on us every day.
Even though he ran unopposed, Greg Barber said he was humbled and grateful to be representing District 2 on LPEA’s board of directors. He said now the real work begins, but he expects to hit the ground running when he is sworn in on June 17.
“I am very humbled to be with these directors,” he said. “I’ve attended several meetings and committee meetings, and I’m really excited to join a team that’s really going to hit the ground running.”
The shift away from Tri-State is a challenge that Barber said he is excited to help meet. He said that while leaving the utility provider already helped cut electricity rates for members, transparency, communication and financial responsibility are top of mind as he begins his term – something for which he plans to lean on his previous experience as an Arizona-based utility provider’s CFO to do.
“Communication is going to be really key to my role as a director,” Barber said. “We also have to be laser-focused on being as efficient and cost-effective as possible, because … that’s really what affects rates.”
He said peak electricity charges – the time of day when electricity costs are highest because of a bump in demand – are one thing in particular he wants to figure out how to lower.
“We need to really keep our members in mind,” he said.
Jennifer Jenkins won the District 3 seat with 1,479 votes over Jodi Zuber, who received 677 votes.
Jenkins did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
According to previous interviews, Jenkins wanted to make LPEA a community nucleus that emphasizes clean electricity generation.
She said she wants to draw on her 20-year background in renewable energy – including advocating for policies at the federal and state levels to help implement a nationwide move toward more renewable electricity generation. She said she wanted to help continue to make LPEA a leader in that transition.
Additionally, Jenkins said she wants to improve transparency between the board and members.
In his fourth bid for a seat on LPEA’s board, challenger John Purser won out over incumbent candidate David Luschen with a 68-vote margin. Purser ran on a promise to uphold the cooperative’s fiscal responsibility to its members, as well as taking the politics out of electricity.
“I want to make LPEA as dull as turning on the light switch, just dependable and boring,” he said.
Purser said the way he plans to make LPEA boring is to stay focused on the co-op’s core mission of dependable electricity at the lowest reasonable price that meets its statutory requirements for decarbonization.
He said he is eager to tackle the co-op’s financial management, particularly in improving communication between the provider and its members.
“The more I understand of our finances, the more work there is to be done, and we have to do a better job of communicating,” Purser said.
He said either rate design or rate restructure to meet the cooperative’s debt obligations is a top priority for him, in addition to securing more long-term power contracts.
Members also approved a new bylaw that will define the date by which new members are eligible to vote. The measure passed with 6,088 votes in favor and 1,479 opposed.
The bylaw amendment aligns with how elections are currently managed and gives members a written reference for understanding their voter eligibility, the release said.
Of the 37,748 members eligible to vote throughout the four districts, 7,937 cast votes – a 21% return rate. Of those, 3,379 (42.6%) were cast using LPEA’s online voting option.
The new board members will be seated at the next LPEA Board of Directors meeting scheduled for 9 a.m. June 17 at LPEA’s headquarters in Durango. Members can join virtually or attend in person, the release said.
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