Retiring High West board member Jamie Fowler, LEFT, and board president Ed Prosser shake hands during the November board meeting. Fowler’s final meeting was on Monday, Dec. 21.
On Monday, December 21, Jamie Fowler participated in his final meeting as a member of the High West Energy board of directors.
Jamie has represented High West members in District 16 since 2013, and earlier this year announced to the board of directors that he would be stepping down at the end of December so he can care for a family member. High West Energy thanks Jamie for his years of service and will miss his presence on the board. Kosha Olsen has been appointed to represent District 16 beginning on Jan. 1, 2021.
In just over seven years on the board, Jamie said the highlights were, “seeing High West evolve and start a progressive program with High West Digital Solutions and High West Wiring. This afforded us the opportunity to hire more linemen, electricians and information technology engineers.”
Those programs have grown substantially over the years, becoming profitable and offering needed services to High West members and the community as a whole.
Getting to know members, employees and the management team were all rewarding experiences, Jamie said. Being part of the board opened up opportunities to meet new members at social functions and annual meetings, and, “I used those occasions to explain what our co-op does for them, beyond just providing power. The learning kind of went both ways. The members let me know what they were interested in and offered feedback about the services we provide for them.”
He said his first years on the board were a challenging learning experience that provided him a more complete perspective on the greater purpose of a co-op like High West. As he went into training sessions and built friendships with directors at other cooperatives, he learned from the successes of others, and he also gained first-hand knowledge of relevant legislative issues without having it filtered by the media.
“I have loved every minute of being on the board. Being part of this organization has been a great time,” said Jamie. “You have to be very open-minded and think about how your decisions affect everyone. I have always been a proponent of growth and bringing businesses and new people into our towns and communities.”