I am once again running for the Empire Electric Board of Directors. As a retired family optometrist and a longtime resident of our community, I hope you may “see” me as the proven choice to serve on the Empire Electric Board.

I founded the Cortez Vision Clinic 40-plus years ago, and I thoroughly enjoyed caring for my patients’ eye health and vision needs. Former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer appointed me to serve on the Colorado Board of Optometric Examiners.

I have enjoyed many community leadership experiences, including:

• Being on Cortez City Council and serving as the mayor of Cortez.

• Proudly serving on the Empire Electric Board.

• Awarded the Director’s Gold Credential from the NRECA for my commitment to continuing my electric co-op education.

• Represented Empire Electric on the Tri State Generation and Transmission Board, serving on several committees, including the Executive Committee.

If elected, I pledge to you to support my three electric core values: reliability, affordability and responsibility. These principles will guide my decisions as a board member.

I will thoughtfully consider the varied points of view presented by Empire Electric Association Inc.’s tremendous staff and my highly respected fellow board members opinions in discussing policy issues.

Finally, I will use my experience and in-depth understanding of our communities to make responsible decisions that preserve Empire’s dynamic present and future.

Bill Mollenkopf

Dolores