2008 Candidate for Pedernales Electric Cooperative Board
Mr Kenneth Orr
Vital stats:
Mailing address: 506 Bending Oak Drive
Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Phone: 512-858-1346
Email: orrmax13@ecpi.com
Birth year: 1936
Director District ?
Profession: retired engineer
Educational background:
$ years, Ohio State University
Questions and Answers
How long have you been a PEC member?
since 1992
How many annual meetings have you attended?
1
When was the last meeting you attended?
2006
Why do you want to be a board member?
The fact that the cooperative is supposed to be a member controlled and member's best interest organization has slipped away. I feel I can help restore public trust and respectability to the organization and also continue the assist in the provoding of excellent service to the organization's membership.
What will you bring to the Board? If you are a sitting Board member, what contributions have you made and what do you intend to contribute should you be reelected?
My reputation is spotless as far a any crimes, problems and other matters that could hurt my membership. I also have managed large projects, Locjkeed Missle and Space Company, and have been in business for myself as a consultant. I am a people person and I understand the need for leadership and a forward vision in a large organization.
What affiliations do you have with any current or past Board members or PEC upper management? (friend, neighbor, golfing buddy, employee, enemy, etc)
none
What are PEC's current strengths?
The cooperative is serving thousands of customers very well and the quality of their current operative personnel is excellent. This need to be maintained, advanced and expanded to include the upper members of the organization.
Where do you see opportunities for change with the Board, and with PEC operations?
More of a voice in the affairs of the organization need to be communicated to the membership. There aalso need to be a series of open meetings to react to the current negative attitude in the community and to allow the confidence of everyone that is concerned to be rebuilt.
We have seen major changes in the Board election process this year. How might the election process be improved further?
Elections should be open to any member who is interested. Being a candidate also must be open to all members. Terms should be limited to two terms, maximun, and the elections should be held in open meeting within each district, not at an annual membership meeting.
What relationship should the Board have with Member/Owners?
Relationships must be open and public. Any member who is having an issue should be allowed to go to a monthly meeting with their elected board member and discuss what ever is reasonable. Complaints need to be screened to keep frivilious issue out of the process but real issues deserve to be heard.
How might PEC improve its openness?
more meetings with the public and a demonstrated willingness to allow any member to say what is really a problem.
Are you aware of the 7 Coop Principles (Rochdale Principles)?
not really, they need to be published so everyone can see what is really going on. Then, if you talk the talk, walk the walk...
What are your thoughts about resource conservation in general?
Every resource has value. being a good citizen requires that the mamagement of energy, time, money and investmenta all need to be closely controlled. I am not hung up on any one issue but I am very concerned that we protect our resources so our kid, neighbors and next generations have a good life to look forward toward.
From a business perspective, do you think PEC should encourage or discourage energy conservation? Why?
Consercation is always a good approach to the management of any resource. THE ONLY time conservation is let slip in in an emergency such as an ice storm, earthquake or some other similar instance. Then, public safety is always the first issue to resolve.
From a business perspective, how do you think PEC should address renewable energy?
I am conservative toward any big new ideas. First you must understand wht is being proposed. Then understand the impacts it will bring. After this is understood then some test baloons projects can evaluate the issue. From there, common sence can guide the next steps.
Based on your current knowledge, please prioritize where you feel PEC should put its attention for additional or replacement power sources over the next 10-20 years? (1 is most important; 8 is least important)
coal
conservation
hydro
large scale renewable installations
distributed renewable installations (ie, homeowner photovoltaics, etc)
natural gas
nuclear
X other:
There is no one approach that will answer all of the issues. Wind turbines are springing up all over west Texas and the use of solar cells is on the rise. Coal is still the least costly but the supply will not last forever. We need to look at many opportunities and to see what is workable in our enviornment. Too many time people jump on the bandwagon for some new idea and often they are just that, ideas. They seldom prove out as forcast. The best answers will come from the simplest efforts in many instances, not from some new whizbank approach that costs a lot of today's money.
How many Board members and Advisory Board members do you feel are appropriate?
Board:
7
Advisory Board:
11
What are your thoughts about current board compensation and expense reimbursement systems? Please be specific.
I feel the current board has been taking advantage of the membership with all of the special allowances, pay systems and etc, and they have done very little in the way of keeping the cooperative in go political shape with the membership. I would like to see a majority of the current boad members go home and some new blood wit new approaches come into power. This would certainly help to resstore creditability to the whold Cooperative.
What are your thoughts about Board oversight of PEC's finances?
In working for a military subcontractor, we traveled a lot
Our allowances were limited to the same, or less than what was allowed for military personnel on travel. I aalways had a clean bed, good food and a good seat on the airplane. Why not do the same for cooperative folks.
What are your thoughts on PEC's subsidiaries?
Sub companies are often the seat of problems. Members can get all tied up by being on two boards, making two salaries, owning supplying companies and many other such business tricks to make more money. Thats wrong!!!
The charter for a cooperative need to be the guideline, service to the members, not to invest in other ventures.
Please write, in 75 words or less, a brief bio that could help convince PEC members to vote for you if you are on the ballot.
As a candidate for the Board of Directors I will bring honesty, integrity and a new vision as how to better serve the Cooperative's membership. Energy is a valuable and necessary part of our everyday lives and we all must respect the way we use it.We also must respect the organization that is providing it to us. Public trust and public service are both requirements to serve on a utility companies Board of Directors. There are no acceptable excuses for misusing the memberships fund. We all are human and as humans we will make decisions that sometimes are better and sometimes not as well planned they should be. I will do my best suppoer the Cooperative's best approaches and to keep our customer's supplied with econimical and plentiful energy. I will only serve for two terms. This will assure everyone that I am not looking for a place to serve and retire into.
Would you be willing to participate in a candidate forum, which would be videotaped for web streaming?
Yes
Last updated: 3/27/08
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