Empire Electric Association will hold an election at its annual meeting June 23 for one open board seat.

The two candidates for the District 3 seat are incumbent Audra L. Fahrion and challenger Corey Robinson. The term is four years.

Ballots can returned by mail or dropped off in the lobby of the Empire Electric office at 801 N. Broadway, Cortez by June 23 at 5:30 p.m.

Election results will be reported at the annual meeting. It will be held at Empire Electric’s Engineering & Operations Center, 23999 County Road L.4.

The roughly 13,000 Empire Electric co-op members will be mailed a ballot and can vote, regardless of the district where they live. Co-op members are residents who have the electric service in their name.

Board members help manage the electric co-op, which provides service to Montezuma and Dolores counties and part of southeast Utah.

They review and approve policies and analyze projects and rates during monthly meetings. Board members receive a base pay of $1,000 per month, plus $150 for attending additional meetings.

Fahrion was appointed to the seat in May 2021 to serve the remaining term of longtime director William “Bill” Bauer, who recently died.

According to a candidate bio, Fahrion is a lifelong resident of Cortez and a graduate of Montezuma-Cortez High School. She has served on many local boards including the Southwest Softball Association, Hospice of Montezuma and Kiwanis and is an active member of Beta Sigma Phi.

“I have been actively serving our community most of my life,” she stated after her appointment last year.

Fahrion works as a financial adviser with Edward Jones. She studied business and finance at the University of Phoenix and holds Series 7 and Series 66 financial licenses as well as a Life and Health Insurance license.

Local support for her business has been key to its success, she said.

“I believe it is my obligation to give back to this community. I have been on the Empire Electric Board for a year, and it has been a great learning experience for me,” Fahrion sated. “I hope to be able to serve four more years with the opportunity to continue to serve this community, further my knowledge in the electric world, and represent District 3.”

She and her husband, Robert, a local emergency responder and paramedic, have two children and two grandchildren.

Corey Robinson is a cinematographer and director from Cortez who specializes in outdoor, cultural and science films.

In a candidate bio, he describes himself as an energy nerd, business owner and soon to be father.

“I am running for a seat on the Empire Electric board because I’m passionate about our community, the energy world and our electric co-op,” Robinson sated. “We are blessed with a fantastic electric cooperative, which has provided reliable, affordable power to our homes for decades.”

He supports decisions that ensure energy independence for the community “that is free from the ever-changing political winds in Denver and Washington, D.C.”

Robinson notes that all around Colorado, electric co-ops are changing the way they generate and deliver electricity.

“We can’t assume the way our power was generated thirty years ago will be competitive in the marketplace 10 years from now,’ he stated. ”I envision a co-op where the benefits of energy production stay here with our members, lowering prices and creating stable, well-paying jobs.”

His goals are to secure reliable and affordable energy for all members.

“During this time of rapid change, we need someone who will seek new solutions that work for our unique area,” Robinson stated.

jmimiaga@the-journal.com