The Kodiak Electric Association is holding its annual elections for its Board of Directors. There are three board seats open this year out of the nine total, and four candidates running for those seats. All three of the board members whose seats are up for re-election are running.
The first candidate, Ron Acarregui, is the current vice chairman of the board. According to the mailed ballot sent out to co-op members, Acarregui said he hopes to use his business background to make the co-op as energy efficient as possible in the future. He said he has been on the board for twenty-five years.
Tyler Kornelis, another current board member running for reelection, is the environmental Programs Director at the Kodiak Area Native Association. As part of his job, he works with Native villages across the archipelago on efficient and sustainable energy. According to his statement in the ballot, he also wants to make KEA even more energy efficient than it already is, and use his position on the board to contribute to the improvement of Kodiak at large. He has been on the board since 2020.
Ben Millstein, another incumbent board member running for reelection, is the founder of Kodiak Island Brewing Company. According to his statement, he has been on KEA’s board for over fifteen years. He is also a member of other local boards, including the Island Trails Network board.
Aaron Griffin is the only candidate on the ballot who has not served on the electric association’s board before. He is currently the Fire Chief for the US Coast Guard Fire Department in Kodiak. According to a flyer he posted on Facebook, his priorities include affordability and reliability for customers, and adding some ‘fresh ideas’ into the co-op. Griffin has also served as an assembly member for the Kodiak Island Borough from 2012 to 2015 and as a member of the KIBSD Board of Education.
Approval of the 2025 annual membership meeting minutes is also on the ballot for members to vote on this year. KEA members, which includes all local households, must mail their ballots back to the Kodiak Electric Association by April 10 in order to have their votes counted in this election.
