Energy Cooperative Board Appointed

For Release: February 12, 2008
Contact: Jeff Clemmons, 800.580.8272, ext. 2220

(AUSTIN) – The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) has appointed five members to its newly formed Energy Cooperative Board, which met recently in Austin. Serving on the board are Curtis Heptner, Burkburnett ISD trustee; Tamra Walthall, La Vega ISD trustee and TASB board of directors member; Norman Baker, Hillsboro ISD trustee; George Radtke, Frisco ISD director of service centers and energy management; and Arturo Salinas, Eagle Pass ISD director of purchasing. The group will provide oversight of the TASB Electricity Aggregation Program, which gives participants an opportunity to lock in a competitive rate for the deregulated portion of their electricity bill.

TASB’s involvement in electricity aggregation is not new. Since 2001, the association has worked to facilitate cooperative purchasing of electricity for local school districts and other local governmental entities. Currently the program has 173 members, with an aggregate annual load of more than 580 million kilowatt-hours. The formation of a board to specifically govern energy initiatives will bring a sharper focus to TASB’s efforts of effectively managing electricity costs for program participants.

“We look forward to working with the new Board as we continue to explore ways to help school districts and others address their energy needs under Texas electric deregulation,” said Jeff Clemmons, director of TASB OnSite Services.

Heptner, appointed as the cooperative’s chair, works with Boley-Featherston Insurance in Wichita Falls. He has served on his local board since 2003 and currently holds the position of president. A 2007 graduate of Leadership TASB, Heptner earned a bachelor’s degree from Midwestern State University and a master’s degree from Kettering University in Flint, Michigan.

Walthall, appointed as the cooperative’s vice-chair, has been on her local board 15 years. She is the co-founder and co-chair of the North Central Texas District Veterinary Medical Association and member of the Texas Academy of Veterinary Practice. She earned a bachelor’s degree from New Mexico Tech and doctorate in veterinary medicine from Kansas State University. She also is a member of the National School Boards Association and graduate of Leadership TASB and Leadership TVMA.

Baker, pastor of Wade AME Church in Hillsboro, has been on his local board since 1992 and presently serves as vice-president. He completed the year-long Leadership TASB program, earning the designation of master trustee.

Radtke has been employed by his local district for 20 years. He has 13 years of experience as a high school science teacher in Missouri, Iowa, and Texas and 16 years as a Texas high school administrator. Before taking his current job in 2007, he was principal of the Student Opportunity Center in Frisco for seven years. Radtke is a member of the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals and Texas Association for Alternative Education.

In addition to his work with the district, Salinas is an adjunct faculty member at Sul Ross State University. He is a member of the Baylor University Alumni Association and Texas Association of School Business Officials and holds certification as a Texas school business official and school business specialist. Salinas earned a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and master’s degree from Sul Ross State University.

TASB is a nonprofit organization established in 1949 to serve local Texas school districts. School board members are the largest group of publicly elected officials in the state. The districts they represent serve more than 4.5 million public school students.