Golden Valley Electric Association members are elected by district to serve on GVEA's board of directors. GVEA's service area is divided into seven geographical districts. Directors are elected for 3-year terms, with no more than three directors elected in any one year.
Being a GVEA Board member takes more than attending a meeting once a month. Several qualifications must be met. Find out more about what it takes to be a GVEA Board member.
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Dan Osborne, director for District 1, serves as Vice Chairman of the Board. He has recently retired from the University of Alaska's Geophysical Institute. Dan has resided in Fairbanks since 1967 and was elected to the Board in 1981. He and his wife, Rita, have one son. Dan, a retired rocket scientist, has researched thunderstorms in the Midwest and has stayed up all night to study the Aurora Borealis. Currently he is contributing his new found free time to various non-profit volunteering including operating the restored steam locomotive in Pioneer Park. In addition to climbing Denali, Dan has climbed many peaks and kayaked many rivers in Alaska. District 1 seat will be up for election in 2011. |
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Tom DeLong, director for District 2, was elected in June 2005. Tom has lived in Fairbanks since moving here when he was 17 years old. He and his wife Ann have college and high school age daughters. Tom has worked in the fishing, mining and tourism industries. He has worked at ABR, Inc. Environmental Research & Services as the Office/Contracts Manager for the last 15 years. Tom has also owned and operated Tolovana Hot Springs, a remote natural hot springs, for the last 18 years. He is a past board member of the Alaska Green Star and The Alaska Wilderness and Tourism Association. Tom has coached outdoor and indoor youth soccer teams for the last 12 years. His primary outdoor activities are skate skiing, back country skiing, hiking, biking, boating, hunting and fishing. When the weather is good and the busy life slows down Tom enjoys flying his 1946 Taylorcraft. District 2 seat will be up for election in 2011. |
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Rick Schikora, director for District 3, serves as the board Treasurer. He is a certified public accountant and partner at the accounting firm of Warwick and Schikora, CPAs. Rick has lived in Alaska all his life and with his wife, Cheryl, has raised two daughters. He is a former board member of the Alaska Outdoor Council and a past chair for the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce, where he remains active on the Natural Resources Committee. Rick joined the Denali State Bank board of directors in January 2010. Rick promotes hunting, fishing and outdoor activities and is a private pilot with more than 5,800 hours. Rick has served on GVEA's board since 1986, and served thirteen years as Chairman of the Board. District 3 seat will be up for election in 2011. |
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Ward Merdes, director for District 4, was elected in June 2009. Born and raised in Fairbanks, he is an attorney with the law firm Merdes & Merdes, P.C. Ward and his wife, Lori, have a wonderful daughter, Monica; an amazing son Jeff, an extraordinary daughter-in-law Shana; and two miraculous grandchildren, Layla and Jack. Inspired by the desire to create a better tomorrow for their children and their children's children, Ward and Lori founded SlowDownAlaska.org and MerdesKidsClub.org. Ward is very involved in the community. He is a board member and legal counsel to the Alaska Goldpanners. Ward has served on several boards including the Alaska Association for Justice (current), Fairbanks Parking Authority and Fairbanks Development Authority. In 2010, Ward is the representative for the National Board of Trial Advocacy and has recently been elected to the American Association for Justice’ Board of Governors. In his spare time, Ward enjoys amateur radio [KL7IXW], martial arts, rebuilding 1956 Ford F-100 Pickups and teaching trial practices. District 4 seat will be up for election in 2012. |
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Ron Bergh, director for District 5, has served on the Board since 1980. Ron arrived in Alaska in 1968 and lives on Badger Road with his wife, Alana. Ron and Alana have two children and two grandchildren and are active in their community. They have been involved with Rotary and have hosted several foreign exchange students. Ron is a former owner of several businesses in the Fairbanks/North Pole area. He serves on the Denali State Bank board of directors and on the AlasConnect board of directors. He is the past president of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Board of Directors. District 5 seat will be up for election in 2013. |
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John Sloan, director for District 6, was elected in June 2007. He retired from the Delta/Greely School District in 2002 after teaching for 21 years. John owns and operates the Buffalo Center Drive-In in Delta Junction. John has been active in the Delta community since 1981 when he and wife Linda arrived. They raised four children in Delta, which offered the opportunity to be involved in various youth and community activities. John has served on the Delta Greely Hockey Assoc. board of directors, coached hockey, little league and girl's softball. He has also been a member of the Delta Junction City Council, LEPC, Delta Lion's Club and Delta Chamber of Commerce. In 2005, John traveled to Sri Lanka with a small group from Fairbanks to aid in the Tsunami Relief effort and then returned later that year to visit friends he made there. John enjoys reading, kayaking, biking and snowboarding. District 6 seat will be up for election in 2013. |
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Bill Nordmark, director of District 7, was appointed to the Board in 1995 to fill a vacancy; he currently serves as Chairman of the Board. Bill lives in Healy and owns and operates Motel Nord Haven. He represents Golden Valley's members who reside along the Parks Highway from Nenana to Cantwell. The U.S. Air Force first brought Bill to the Denali Park area. After serving his country and attending college, he returned to Healy in 1966 with his wife, Patsy, to raise their three daughters. Bill was one of the original founders of the Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department where he served as chief and an EMT for 19 years. District 7 seat will be up for election in 2012. |
