After nearly 3,000 votes were cast, Northeastern REMC members have selected three candidates to fill three seats on the board of directors. The NREMC service area is divided into nine districts, and every September, the co-op comes together to elect representatives who will participate in setting policies and making decisions. Each director serves a three-year term. This year's election results are as follows:
District 5
Gary Gorrell will begin his first term on the NREMC board of directors this year. He ran unopposed in his district, which includes more than 1,200 members in Smith Township in Whitley County and a small part of Green Township in Noble County and accounts for 3.9% (approximately) of NREMC's membership.
Gorrell is currently performing ALM at USAA Life. Before this, he spent 29 years at various companies, including Lincoln National Life insurance Company, Voya Financial, and Moody's Analytics, growing from an associate actuary to senior actuary and head of corporate risk management. In these roles, Gorrell was instrumental in developing risk management strategies and hedge development to ensure that the company's risk management strategy was appropriate and in line with overall goals. Gorrell's current position is working from home in Churubusco for USAA performing asset liability management to provide their members quality life insurance and annuity products at affordable prices.
District 6
Joe Kruyer was elected to his fourth consecutive term. His district includes more than 4,900 members in Aboite Township in Allen County south of Aboite Center Road and accounts for 15.8% (approximately) of NREMC's membership.
Kruyer's career spans three decades, where he spent 22 years working in various positions at General Motors Fort Wayne Assembly Plant. He ended his career there as a senior mechanical engineer. Then, beginning in 2008, Kruyer was a senior mechanical engineer at Steel Dynamics. He oversaw the operation of the plant's wastewater treatment facilities, utilities, fire protection, and facilities construction and maintenance. In 2014, he transitioned to a role at BAE Systems and retired in 2021.
District 7
Cathy Egolf, who has served on the board since 2017, was elected for an additional term. This district includes more than 1,181 members in Thorncreek Township in Whitley County and a small part of Noble Township in Noble County. This district accounts for 3.8% (approximately) of NREMC's membership.
Egolf spent 30 years in public education, including nine years as a teacher in Whitley County. She was the high school principal at Pike Central High School and Caston Educational Center. Additionally, she served as superintendent at various schools in Indiana, including the towns of Denver, Pekin, Berne, and Shelby County. Her career in education extended into higher education by including time as an adjunct professor at Manchester College and as an associate professor at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne. She was honored as Indiana Administrator of the Year by the Indiana Association for Educational Office Professionals in 2004. She retired in 2015.
To learn more about the board of directors, please visit nremc.com/leadership.
Click here to watch a recording of the 2022 Annual Meeting.