Throughout my time as General Manager and CEO of GVEC, I’ve been extremely fortunate to work for a stable Board of Directors that provides consistent and sound leadership. The two gentlemen most responsible for this leadership over the years are Lewis Borgfeld and Melvin E. Strey. Lewis has served as President of the Board of Directors since 1986, and Melvin as Vice President since 1992. Both men recently announced they would step down from these roles, marking the end of an era at the Cooperative. Lewis was initially appointed to the Board as Director for District 2 in 1973, winning his first election in 1974. Melvin won his first election as Director for District 7 in 1977.
Historic Leadership
During his 36 years as President, Lewis helped guide GVEC through some of the most momentous decisions in Cooperative history. In 1986, for example, GVEC became the first cooperative in the nation to fully repay its federal Rural Electrification Administration debt. Lewis and then General Manager Doyle Hines oversaw this trailblazing move, freeing GVEC to seek financing in private capital markets, a decision that’s paid significant dividends ever since. Lewis was also instrumental in leading the expansion of GVEC services to include Internet and Beyond the Meter services like HVAC and distributed energy resources. He’s persistently championed GVEC’s economic development activities, too, and has played a pivotal role in attracting and retaining numerous industrial businesses to our service area—the most recent example being Aisin (AW Texas) in Cibolo.
GVEC’s years-in-the-making consolidation with DeWitt Electric Cooperative in 2002 was largely the result of trusting relationships that were built over time. Lewis played a key role in fostering these relationships between the boards of both cooperatives that led to this successful merger. His leadership was again invaluable as GVEC assessed and analyzed its power supply contract options following deregulation of the electric industry in the 1990s and early 2000s. Since its very beginning, GVEC had purchased basically all its power from one supplier—the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). In 2016, after years of negotiating and analyzing alternatives, GVEC made the decision to terminate its contract with LCRA and to begin actively managing its own power supply needs. Lewis was at the forefront of this historic decision. As a result, GVEC enjoys the benefits of having a diversified portfolio of power suppliers that can be adapted over time as legal, regulatory and technological changes occur.
These are but a few of the historical accomplishments GVEC has experienced during Lewis’s time as President. Melvin, as Vice President, has been there alongside Lewis through all these monumental decisions and has always provided prudent advice and steady, dependable leadership. Melvin is also the one who pays attention to the details and insists on perfection, whether that is the wording of the Board minutes or a multimillion-dollar contract. He often brings a different perspective that challenges others in the boardroom to seek out the best solution. You can be assured that debate in the boardroom is often lively; but, because of the strong leadership of Lewis and Melvin, the debate among directors is always professional and consistent with the desire to do what is in the best interest of the Cooperative and its members.
Transitioning to a New Executive Committee
Fortunately, Lewis and Melvin will continue serving as District Directors on the Board. Their presence will help make the transition to new leadership as smooth and efficient as possible. The
Board elected Mr. Gary E. Birdwell, Director for District 9, to serve as President, while Mr. Henry C. Schmidt, Director for District 3, became Vice President. Mr. Morris Harvey, Director for District 5, was elected to serve as Secretary/Treasurer. Robert Werner, Director for District 1, will serve as an additional representative on the Executive Committee. I’m excited about working with my new Executive Committee team as we navigate a time of great challenge and unprecedented change in the electric and broadband industries. I offer heartfelt thanks to Lewis and Melvin. Without their unrelenting drive to serve others, GVEC would not be the organization it is today.
I am always interested in your comments and feedback. Contact me by phone at 830.857.1152, by email at dschauer@gvec.org or by mail at P.O. Box 118, Gonzales, Texas 78629
