Staff

Nick Simmons
Nick SimmonsSystem Operator
Bio here?
Morgan BerryAssistant Operator
Bio here?

Board Members and Officers

William ShadboltPresident
William is a real estate investor with residential property in Washington, manufactured home communities in the Midwest and self-storage in the Midwest and Texas. He serves on numerous boards of both for-profit and nonprofit corporations. He is also a licensed water operator in another state.
Ben LeeVice President
Ben is a water resources engineer who specializes in hydrogeology, well design and maintenance, and water rights. He consults for large municipalities and small water systems, irrigators, and industrial clients including the Burton Water Company.
Steve HillTreasurer
Trained as an electrical engineer, Steve was the president/owner of a telecommunications company for 26 years until he sold it and retired in 2018. He spent summers at his parent’s house on the Burton Peninsula since he was two years old and now owns the house next door.
Norm SeethoffSecretary
Norm (retired) is an electrical engineer who specialized in IT infrastructure. He led team deployments of IT infrastructure in North America, Europe, India, and China for a Fortune 200 company.
Helene MillerBoard Member
Helene (retired) was a management consultant for over 15 years for a corporation offering behavioral health benefits to all the states in the US. She has served on two boards; one with an organization that pledged to preserve the historical buildings in Oakland, California. The other in Burton for the Vashon Island Unitarian Fellowship as first a board member at large and as then as secretary. She has lived in Burton since 2015.

Board Election Process / Terms

Board terms are 3 years. However, in this first Operational Period Board Election, The Bylaws state that initial Director terms shall be staggered with one Director elected for a term of one (1) year; two Directors for a term of two (2) years; and two Directors for a term of three (3) years. Assignment of Directors to the initial term of either one (1), two (2) or three (3) years shall be by lottery.

Read more about Board Member Terms, Roles and Responsibilities

Self-Nomination

The ongoing Membership Committee developed outreach material to share information with the community and compiled a list of contact information for all potential cooperative members. Outreach materials have included this website, mailers, email newsletters, community meetings, and communications about the several voting opportunities, including the most recent ballot.

Complete Self-Nomination Form

Committee Descriptions

Commitment to lead in one area of the Board’s oversight and community involvement mandate, including a Board office and/or leadership role of one of the committees established by the Board. Community committees involve members of the Co-op who are not on the Board and who provide input, community oversight, and in some cases, direct project support. Committees include:

Membership and Communications

One Board Member, 5-7 non-Board Members: Member communications including website, social media and all other electronic or hard copy communications to the Coop membership. Preparation for the annual meeting and the board voting process.

Finance

One Board Member, 5-7 non-Board Members: Review of Quarterly Financials, Presentations at the Coop’s annual meeting, counsel on investment strategies for surplus funds, review of the reports to the USDA and Heritage Bank.

Technical

One Board Member, 3-5 non-Board Members: Oversight of construction contracts, project management, quality control and logistics, staff and contractors involved with the construction.