Board of Directors

High West Energy, Inc. operations are carried out under the policies established by the Board of Directors.

Each member of the Board of Directors is an active member of the cooperative and obtains electricity from the cooperative. Our directors share your interest in the quality of the services High West provides.

You and your fellow members elect our directors at the co-op’s annual meeting in June. Every year, at least two positions are open on the High West Energy Board of Directors. Every third year, three positions are open. Members have the right to vote in person or through the mail for the director in their district. All cooperative members receive an annual cooperative report with voting instructions.

Your Board of Directors employs a CEO/general manager who is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the system. The CEO/GM hires the personnel and specialists required to perform all duties necessary to provide reliable electric service.

Board of Directors Election

This year, Districts 11 and 13 will be holding an election for the Board of Directors. Only members residing in those districts are eligible to vote. Further details about the candidates are provided below, and information regarding the voting process will be forthcoming shortly!

District 11 Election

Michael Lerwick

michael.lerwick

It has been my pleasure to serve as your representative on the High West Energy Board of Directors over the past 8 years. I would be honored to continue to be able to serve as your representative.

A little about myself. My wife Diane and I have five children. Stuart is studying Ag/Business at the University of Wyoming. Justin is a junior, Hattie a sophomore, Kenny and Anna are twins in the seventh grade at Pine Bluffs High School. They are all very active in school and productive members of our family operation. I am the fourth generation on our family farm/ranch in the Albin area. We have a mix of irrigated and dryland farm as well as a cow/calf operation.

My time on the board has been very rewarding in learning more about the industry and advocating on behalf of our members. During the time I have served on the High West Energy board, we have been very fortunate to experience major growth that has helped fund an extensive maintenance program resulting in increased reliability while keeping our members rates steady in a time that inflation has been a very big issue. Our reliability and quality of service has been increasing over the past several years and we are continually improving the metrics. The electric industry has and will continue to face major challenges such as supply constraints and firm capacity of power production. We as a board have been diligent in protecting our members' interest within our three-state area. I have had the privilege to serve as the representative from High West Energy on the Wyoming Rural Electric Association (WREA) board. I served a two-year term as president of the WREA board and through that time we strengthened the members voice on critical issues facing the industry on not only a statewide level but national level as well.

We as a board continue to explore new opportunities and provide services that improve our members' lives. We have been fiscally responsible within each of these areas including the wiring and computer/IT services that we provide. We ensure the services are not subsidized by our members for those receiving the additional benefits.

Our most important task as a board is to support and guide a system that ensures safety, reliability, and competitively priced electricity to our members.

If you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Michael.Lerwick@highwest.coop

307-630-1277

Click here to review Michael Lerwick's acknowledgment form.

Mike Romsa

Mike Romsa is a lifelong resident of the Albin, Wyoming area. Since 1978 he has been self-employed Farmer/Rancher. He's been married to his wife, Heidi, for 39 years and had 2 grown sons, Lukas and Levi and has 4 grandchildren. Mike is still actively engaged in the family farming and ranching business raising wheat, corn, hay and running a small feedlot operation. In the past, Mike has served on the Wyoming Wheat Marketing Commission as a Board Member and as Chairman. He has also served on the Laramie County FSA Committee and on the Wyoming State Engineer Water Advisory Board.

Click here to review Mike Romsa's acknowledgment form.

District 13 Election

Jessica Crowder

jessica crowder

Jessica Crowder has been a member of High West Energy since 2016. High West Energy is involved in the communities it serves, providing more than energy to its members. Jessica is excited to serve our rural communities as a member of the board of directors and understands the important role local electric co-ops play in keeping these communities connected and economically viable.

Jessica was born in Victoria, Texas and spent her childhood on a cattle ranch in central New Mexico. She graduated high school in Comfort, Texas. Jessica's early years and education built an interest in agriculture and stewardship of the land. She holds a M.S. in Range Science and a B.S. in Range Management from Texas Tech University. Her M.S. research focused on prescribed summer fire and grazing management in the Northern Great Plains.

Jessica is currently the Executive Director of the Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust. The Land Trust is focused on conserving agricultural lands in Wyoming for future generations. Prior to joining the Land Trust, Jessica was the policy director and a policy associate for the Western Landowners Alliance. She served as a policy advisor for former Wyoming Governor Matt mead, a position she held for over four years. Jessica has also worked as a policy analyst for the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, as a technician for the Agricultural Research Service and as an instructor at Northwest College in Powell, WY. Much of her work has focused on natural resource management with an emphasis on keeping working lands intact and economically viable across varied land ownerships. Jessica has experience working closely with landowners, federal partners, state agencies, local governments and non-governmental organizations to develop policy and natural resources management options that benefit Wyoming citizens and Wyoming landscapes.

Jessica has been in Wyoming for almost 20 years. She enjoys spending time outdoors - riding horses, gardening, fishing, hiking and traveling-with her husband Jason and their daughter Adelynn.

Click here to review Jessica Crowder's acknowledgment form.