SmartHub Log-inABOUT THE BOARD
One of the many benefits of Trico is that it is owned and governed by you, our Members. Our Board of Directors are Trico Members who have been elected to govern and direct the affairs of the Cooperative. As a Trico Member, you too are eligible to run for a seat on the Board and become an advocate for both Trico and your community.
HOW ARE DIRECTORS ELECTED?
Directors are nominated and elected by you, our Trico Members. Elections are held once a year, during our Annual Meeting usually held in April. Directors serve a three‐year term and can run for re‐election. Each year, two or three Board positions come up for election.
2025 BOARD ELECTIONS – VOTING NOW OPEN
Voting is now open! Two Board positions are up for election in 2025. District 4 (Sahuarita, Green Valley) and District 7 (Saddlebrooke, Mt. Lemmon). Trico Members may vote below online, or in person at the 2025 Annual Membership Meeting on April 5 at Casino del Sol. Learn more here.
2025 BOARD CANDIDATE BIOS
James has lived and worked in Sahuarita for 24 years and has been a Trico Member for 17 years; his parents were Members before him. He graduated from Sahuarita High School and Northern Arizona University, receiving his Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Since then, my wife and I have raised our family in Sahuarita while I worked as an Electrical Engineer for Raytheon.
If elected to the Trico Board, I will work to make decisions that benefit the Sahuarita and Green Valley area into the future. My engineering background equips me with a unique understanding of emergent technologies and how they will affect our energy systems, including cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence technologies.
Additionally, my recent transition from the private sector to public education has provided valuable insight into the current workforce. I have worked closely with young talent and understand their aspirations, enabling me to connect with both younger and older generations.
During my 17-year employment at Raytheon, I worked on engineering teams designing and testing missile components. This experience taught me how to collaborate effectively in team environments, communicate respectfully in stressful meetings, and negotiate to reach a consensus. For the past three years, I have been a high school math teacher.
My vested interest in Sahuarita extends into community service. I volunteered as an American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) coach and board member. Serving as an AYSO board member, I helped make key decisions on how the organization would operate. I also serve as a Bishop at my church.
Trico currently does a fantastic job of serving its Members and I want to continue that tradition of service. Some things to continue or improve upon would be gathering community feedback on key upcoming decisions, a strong focus on the reliability of energy, and further community outreach programs such as the many scholarships awarded to students of Members. Continuing to provide these services will strengthen Trico’s connection to the Members.
John brings to Trico the knowledge and experience from over 40 years as a lawyer representing cooperatives like Trico and city-owned electric utilities in Texas, the Midwest and New England. He has represented cities across the country on cable, internet and cell phone matters, generally to make service more widely available and keep rates low. For example, during Covid he helped implement a federal program that brought low-cost internet service to students and low-income families in Pima County and nationwide.
I am an attorney and member of the state bars of Arizona and Michigan. I represent and was nominated by the Sahuarita Food Bank & Community Resource Center, a Trico Member that provides food for over 20,000 people, as well as a wide range of training programs so people can improve their skills and lives. I also have some practical utility knowledge because in college I worked maintenance in a hydro-electric plant. Throughout my career a major emphasis has been on having utilities and organizations better serve their members and customers, with good service and fair rates.
My wife Penny and I have lived in Green Valley for 18 years, where I am the president of our homeowner’s association and have been on its board for 15 years. Over time I have served on numerous boards, including those of a regional Girl Scout Council, a family resource center, an assisted living facility, a condominium association, and legal and professional groups.
A challenge for electric utilities is keeping electricity bills low as summer temperatures get hotter and air conditioning bills go up. This will be particularly true if prices increase, but wages and retirement benefits don’t keep pace, such that people are hard-pressed to pay their bills.
Trico can better serve its Members by continuing to listen to them, getting their input, and being responsive to them. This election is one example. Unlike most utilities, Trico is owned by the customers it serves, so it reflects their interests.
Kevin is a 16-year resident of Arizona and has been on the Trico Board for three years. After graduation from college, Kevin worked for Ross Perot at Electronic Data Systems (EDS), where he taught operating system internals and planned EDS data centers. He spent the next 30 years in domestic and global sales roles with companies such as Philips Electronics, FMC and Ernst & Young. During his time in Texas, Kevin served as a member of the Planning and Zoning Committee for the Town of Fairview.
I turned my passion for golf into a second career by becoming a PGA Professional, holding professional assistant positions at private clubs in Dallas and Tucson. I retired from the Ben Hogan Golf Company, where I managed Inside Sales and Customer Service.
I am interested in leveraging technology to provide stable, flexible and affordable service with a focus on renewable and alternate sources of energy.
In my spare time, I enjoy golf, swimming and hiking with Sheree, my wife of 38 years.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE
You are eligible to be a director, if one of the following applies:
- You are a Trico Member
- You are the proprietor of a business that is a Trico Member
- You are the superintendent or principal of a school that is a Trico Member
- You have been designated in writing to represent an organization that you are associated with, if they are a Trico Member
WHO IS NOT ELIGIBLE
You are not eligible to be a director, if one of the following applies:
- You are not a Trico Member
- You are employed by or part of an organization that competes with or sells energy supplies to Trico
- You are an incumbent of an elected public office
- You are a current employee of Trico, or have been employed by the Cooperative within the five years preceding the current election
- You are related to a current Director or employee by blood or marriage
Mr. Rutherford was a Senior Vice President for 20 years for a cooperative in Kansas that served over 40 children’s hospitals in the U.S. He is currently chair of the Financial Affairs Committee for The Highlands at Dove Mountain and has years of Board experience, including serving as a Board member at a savings bank, children’s hospital and a landscaping company.
“I believe the best way to serve Members is through strategic financial planning to anticipate and prepare for the future, while managing the current day-to-day business operations.”
Mr. Proctor is the Vice President of BKW Farms, which been a Trico Member since 1951. As Vice President, he has maintained great relationships with multiple key Marana entities and is involved in the planning for multiple long-term projects in Marana/Avra Valley area. BKW also supports Marana High School programs and multiple community events in and around Marana.
“For decades, BKW has cultivated relationships with residents and business owners within the Marana/Avra Valley service area, giving me great insight on how best to represent them as a director. I am committed to maintaining the great service and rates Trico Members have become accustomed to.”
Mr. Birkhimer retired in December 2021 from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association after nearly 40 years of electric utility experience. He has worked for investor-owned utilities, taught powerline schools and worked for three electric cooperatives across seven states.
“I have dealt with the challenges electric cooperatives face today. I would like to offer my experience serving Trico Members. I am convinced the electric cooperative business model is alive and well, able to meet the challenges.”
Marsha and her husband, Roger, raised their six children in Sahuarita. She has been an active volunteer in the public school system and the White Elephant Thrift Store in Green Valley for over 20 years.
“I am grateful to serve my friends and community on the Trico Board of Directors.”
Joe has been a Trico Member for all his life. The John F. King and Son, Inc. Cattle Ranch has been a Member since 1955. He is a fourth-generation cattle rancher in Three Points. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 2003 with a degree in Agricultural Economics.
“Our Electric Cooperative is a very important part of our cattle ranch. I am very interested in energy resources and ensuring that our business and other Trico Members have access to reliable, safe and efficient power in our community.”
Larry, current Board President, has been a resident of Corona de Tucson for 14 years and has been a member of the Board for 11 years – 3 years as Vice President and currently as the Board President. He is retired from the U.S. Department of Energy/Atomic Energy Commission where he served as a scientist and safety officer during his 40-year career.
“I believe the primary job of the Trico Board is to ensure rates are as low as possible while maintaining a safe, reliable system.”
Kevin is an Arizona resident since 2009 and has been a Member of Trico for seven years. Kevin worked for Ross Perot at Electronic Data Systems (EDS), where he taught operating system internals and planned EDS data centers. He spent the next 30 years in domestic and global sales roles. He was elected to the Board in April 2022.
“As a longtime customer and supporter of utility cooperatives, I am interested in leveraging technology to provide stable, flexible and affordable service with a focus on renewable and alternate sources of energy.”
WHERE WE SERVE
