Cooperative Leadership

Steve Douglas has lived in Colorado for more than 60 years, and is a former Commerce City Councilmember, At-Large (2011-19). Elected in 2023, he is honored to be the newest United Power Board member (East District), and as such, has also become the first African American to serve on the board bringing his own unique experience and perspective. 

Douglas is an advocate for the transition to an equitable renewable economy through electrification implementing conversion, and is an electric trucking industry advocate. He was appointed by Governor Polis to the Regional Air Quality Council in 2019. Additionally, he initiated the installation of charging stations at the Commerce City Bison Recreation Center as well as Commerce City’s Mow Down Lawn Mower program which encourages residents to transition to electric mowers.

Director Douglas’ past board and committee work includes serving on the National League of Cities’ Federal Advocacy Committee for Transportation and Infrastructure Services and Federal Advocacy for Energy, Environment, and Nature Resources Committee; Commerce City Legislative Committee; Northeast Transportation Connections; Colorado Municipal League’s Policy Committee; and E-470 Board.
 
Douglas has been employed with King Soopers for 46 years and has been an active United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) member during his tenure. He has received leadership awards from LOGIC, King Soopers, and PVHS School of Business. 

Director Douglas is a 20-year resident of Commerce City; he and his wife share five children and five grandchildren. He completed undergraduate studies in Accounting, Business Management, and Economics at Arapahoe Community College, and is currently enrolled in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Credentialed Cooperative Director program.

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Disclaimer: Any views expressed in this biography are those of this individual board member and do not represent the official position or policy of United Power or the cooperative’s board of directors.

Tim Erickson has been a member of the United Power Board, serving as the East District representative, on two separate occasions. His first installment was from 1991-2000, and his second investiture has been from 2009 to present day. During his time serving the membership, he has earned several distinctions from the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, including the Director Gold credential and Board Leadership Certificate. He has also served as the United Power Board Secretary/Treasurer for several different years throughout his time on the board, and served as United Power’s representative delegate to many regional and national cooperative groups. Erickson is passionate about serving United Power members and assisting them to have a voice in their cooperative.

Erickson’s professional career was one as a steward of the land we call home. He and his family worked on their farm for more than 40 years before he retired in 2005. Erickson graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in political science in 2003 after a 34-year hiatus from the degree he began in 1970.
  
Director Erickson and his family have been active members of the Weld County community for more than 50 years and will continue to be active for many years. He was a founding member of the Platte Valley Chapter of Colorado Young Farmers in 1984, and is a lifetime member of FFA, 4-H, and Girl Scouts. A great honor of the entire family was receiving the National Farmers Union Farm Family Living award in 1989. 

Erickson is a member of the University of Northern Colorado Alumni Association. He has worked with the Rural Ag Crisis Hotline, Aims Community College, Hospice and Palliative Care of Northern Colorado, Weld County Women’s Place, and is patron to the Weld Central High School Theatre Company. 

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Disclaimer: Any views expressed in this biography are those of this individual board member and do not represent the official position or policy of United Power or the cooperative’s board of directors.
 

Elizabeth “Beth” Martin has been honored to serve on the United Power Board since 2010. She owns Red Shoes Realty, and together with her husband David has owned the Pepper Pod Restaurant in Hudson since 1977. 

Martin currently serves as Chairman of the Board, and has previously held the positions of Assistant Secretary/Treasurer, Secretary/Treasurer, Secretary, and Vice Chairman. She has completed all the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Credentialed Cooperative Director, Board Leadership, and Director Gold Credential programs. Additionally, Martin holds a BA from CU Boulder and has completed her CRS (Certified Residential Specialist), MCNE (Master Certified Negotiation Expert), GRI, and ePRO designations in real estate. 

Martin served as Mayor Pro-Tem of Hudson as well as the Finance and Administration Officer. She is a past president of the Brighton Kiwanis Club, having served as a director for the organization since 2008. She served on the board of directors for Kidz Quiltz, and is a founding director for the Hudson Harvest Festival. 

Director Martin volunteers or has volunteered at the Adams County Animal Shelter, Brighton Housing Justice, Special Olympics, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the Salvation Army. She’s active in her church and a member of America’s Electric Cooperatives PAC (formerly ACRE), Colorado Advocates for Rural Electrification, National Association of REALTORS®, Denver Regional Board of REALTORS®, and Colorado Association of REALTORS®.

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Disclaimer: Any views expressed in this biography are those of this individual board member and do not represent the official position or policy of United Power or the cooperative’s board of directors.
 

Keith Alquist II was appointed to the United Power Board in November 2017. He has been a Brighton resident for more than 25 years, and brings a rich background in cooperative business and an intimate knowledge of the United Power community to this position.

Alquist served as Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer for the American Pride Co-op for 20 years, retiring from that position after the co-op merged with Agfinity in 2012. In that role he served cooperative members throughout Brighton, Fort Lupton, Hudson, Firestone, and Mead. He is a long-time member of the National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives which also serves electrical cooperatives. Previous career positions held include manager of information systems for Farmland Industries, where he developed and implemented accounting systems for agricultural cooperatives throughout the mid-west and senior systems engineer for Hesston Corporation. Alquist continues to be involved in farming and in his Fifth Quarter Solutions, Inc. consulting business.

An active community member, Director Alquist is a member of the Brighton Rotary Club, which spearheads a dictionary project for third graders and the distribution of U.S. Constitution booklets to fifth graders in the Brighton and Henderson elementary schools.

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Disclaimer: Any views expressed in this biography are those of this individual board member and do not represent the official position or policy of United Power or the cooperative’s board of directors.
 

Brad Case is the owner and operator of Case Powdercoating in Brighton. He previously worked at Majestic Metals, a precision manufacturing shop, for 34 years. His experience includes project management, shop manager, purchasing manager, and shipping manager. He managed million dollar projects from inception to completion for new and existing clients.

Case has lived in the United Power territory his entire life, and has served on the United Power Board since 2021, representing the South District. He attained the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate in November 2021, and is the cooperative’s representative for Midwest Electric, Inc., Southeastern Data Cooperative, Inc., and Western United Electric.  

Having grown up on the Case family farm off Bromley Road, Case is an active member in the Brighton community. He earned a computer science degree from the Denver Institute of Technology, and served his community for seven years as Reserve Lieutenant officer for the Brighton Police Department. 

Director Case currently resides in Brighton with his wife of thirty years, who is a special education teacher at Southeast Elementary.

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Disclaimer: Any views expressed in this biography are those of this individual board member and do not represent the official position or policy of United Power or the cooperative’s board of directors.

James Vigesaa has been a United Power Director since 2011 and has served as Vice Chairman for the last three years. He previously served as Chairman of the Board for three years and as Assistant Secretary/Treasurer for one year.

Vigesaa has served as Board Chairman of the Brighton Economic Development Corporation. He also supports Boy Scouts as a technical advisor for Eagle Scout projects for Brighton Troop 315.

Director Vigesaa is the CEO and owner of BVB General Contractors located in Brighton. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in construction management from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and is a U.S. Army veteran of the Nebraska National Guard. 

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Disclaimer: Any views expressed in this biography are those of this individual board member and do not represent the official position or policy of United Power or the cooperative’s board of directors.

Ginny Buczek has lived in Firestone for more than 30 years and currently works part-time in design review. Her work experience includes hardware store manager, head buyer and merchandiser for a chain of home centers, and as a key accounts manager for Chevron. She attended Red Rocks Community College studying accounting, business management, and economics. She received the Colorado Municipal League’s Elected Officials Advanced Training certification. 

During Buczek’s tenure on the United Power Board, she has served as President, Vice-President, and Secretary/Treasurer, and currently chairs the Audit Committee. Buczek is United Power’s representative on the Colorado Rural Electric Association Board (CREA), where she is CREA Board President and serves on the Executive and Policy Committees. She previously served as CREA’s Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer as well as Budget and Finance Chair. Additionally, Buczek represents United Power on Tri-State Generation and Transmission’s Contract Committee.

Buczek served on the Weld County Council (2005-2012), where she was President in 2008 and Vice-President in 2007 and 2012. She served on the Technical Committee for the Southwest Weld Study, served as chair and co-chair for the Firestone Planning Commission, and served on the Firestone Park Commission. Buczek also served on the Firestone Board of Trustees and as a director for the Tri-Area Ambulance Service and the Tri-Area Planning Commission. She was a United Power Round Up Foundation Director from 2003-2008, and served on the United Power Consumer Resource Committee in 1998, 2001, and 2003. 

Director Buczek has been active in many civic groups including 4-H, Girl Scouts, Relay for Life, Neighborhood Watch, and at Frederick High School. She is a member of the West Point Parents Club, has served on congressional and senatorial military academy boards, and is a member of Weld County’s Bright Futures Advisory Board.

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Disclaimer: Any views expressed in this biography are those of this individual board member and do not represent the official position or policy of United Power or the cooperative’s board of directors.
 

Brian McCormick is self-employed. He previously worked as a programmer analyst for the City of Thornton, an IT specialist for the City of Greeley, and as wastewater and stormwater maintenance supervisor for the City of Boulder. McCormick received a Master of Business Administration from Colorado State University and a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Cornell University. McCormick served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, holding a number of leadership roles with the 25th Infantry Division. He later served as a Captain in the Colorado Army National Guard.

McCormick has been a United Power member since 2001 and has served on the United Power Board since 2009, having held the positions Board President and Chairman (2015-17) as well as Board Vice President (2013-15). Additionally, he represented United Power on the Western United Electric Supply Corporation Board (2010-20) and the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association Board (2020-23).

McCormick is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society. He has completed all the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Credentialed Cooperative Director, Board Leadership, and Director Gold Credential programs.

Director McCormick, his wife, Jill, and their children, Allison and James, live in Frederick.

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Disclaimer: Any views expressed in this biography are those of this individual board member and do not represent the official position or policy of United Power or the cooperative’s board of directors.

Ursula J. Morgan is a wife, mother of two, and a Colorado native. She has been a resident of Mead and a member of United Power since 1995, and has worked as a real estate appraiser as well as in e-commerce and senior healthcare/hospice. 

While serving as a director on the United Power Board, Morgan has held numerous positions, including Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, and Assistant Secretary/Treasurer. She attended the University of Northern Colorado, and has completed the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) Board Leadership Certificate program and the Credentialed Cooperative Director program courses. Morgan also maintains the Director Gold credential requirements for continuing education with the NRECA. Additionally, she has completed training and advanced training programs for elected officials through the Colorado Municipal League (CML). Morgan is a volunteer for The Children’s Hospital Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Children’s Miracle Network.

Director Morgan previously served on the Board of Trustees for the Town of Mead, including serving as Mayor Pro Tem; she also served as one of the Town of Mead’s Planning and Zoning Commissioners. Morgan served on the board of directors for the Denver Regional Council of Governments, as a Policy Setting Committee member with CML, and on the Transportation and Air Quality Planning Councils for the Upper Front Range and North Front Range of Colorado. Morgan has also served as a committee member for the Colorado Women in Government, and she is a past president of the Weld County Positive Partnerships. 

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Disclaimer: Any views expressed in this biography are those of this individual board member and do not represent the official position or policy of United Power or the cooperative’s board of directors.
 

Tamra Waltemath is an attorney who has had her own practice in Westminster since 1994. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado, and she attained her law degree from Denver University Law School. 

Waltemath has served as a United Power Director from the Mountain District since 2017. During this time, she served as Assistant Secretary/Treasurer from 2019 to 2023, and was named Secretary in 2023. She has also served on many committees, including the Bylaw Committee and Audit Committee. 

Waltemath has volunteered in her community for many years, through the Colorado Bar Association as a member of the Elder Law Committee, at the Coal Creek Canyon Improvement Association (CCCIA) near her home, and she serves her church in various roles. Waltemath has served on the CCCIA Board since 2005, holding the positions of President, Vice President, and chair for the 4th of July festival. 

Director Waltemath is the mother of an amazing daughter, and she has been widowed since 2012. She enjoys skiing, hiking, and loves her two golden retrievers and most dogs.

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Disclaimer: Any views expressed in this biography are those of this individual board member and do not represent the official position or policy of United Power or the cooperative’s board of directors.
 
 

Stephen Whiteside currently serves the Mountain District as a United Power Director. Elected to the cooperative’s board in 2021, Whiteside is Assistant Secretary/Treasurer as well as a member of the Audit Committee. He has completed 15 director education courses provided by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and has attained the Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate and completed the Board Leadership Certificate program. Prior to joining the United Power Board, Whiteside served on the cooperative’s Election Credentials Committee and volunteered as a United Power Round Up Foundation Director for 16 years.

Whiteside is a native Coloradoan, a graduate of the University of Colorado, and is a self-employed entrepreneur and business owner for over 40 years.

Director Whiteside believes in the cooperative business model. United Power is a not-for-profit cooperative with one overarching goal – to serve its member/owners with reliable, affordable, and sustainable electric power. Whiteside supports an all-of-the-above approach as United Power navigates the challenges of an evolving regulatory environment and emerging energy technologies. Crucial to United Power’s continued success are careful planning, fiscal responsibility, and wise resource management.

“My wife Sara and I are longtime residents of Coal Creek Canyon and 35-year members of the cooperative. We raised our children here. We have always been able to count on United Power to provide reliable electric power. As a member-owned utility, United Power is a great neighbor and a valued part of our mountain community.”

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Disclaimer: Any views expressed in this biography are those of this individual board member and do not represent the official position or policy of United Power or the cooperative’s board of directors.