After 32 Years, Board Member Bob Poage Is Ready To Travel, Hunt & Fish
By Craig Reed
When Bob Poage submitted the paperwork to fill a vacant seat on the Douglas Electric Cooperative (DEC) board, he acknowledged he knew nothing about the power industry. He figured the other six board members had the experience to cover for him while he was in the learning process.
Now, 32 years later, with plenty of co-op and power industry knowledge, Bob again has faith in the other members of the co-op’s board. He has retired after presiding over last month’s DEC annual meeting, his last duty as a board member.
Bob has been the board’s president for the past four years.
“I’m leaving (the board) in good hands,” the 75-year-old says. “My time on the board has been all positive. I wouldn’t have served 32 years if it had been a strain to attend 13 meetings a year. It was a pleasure to work around quality people, the board, and the management.”
Looking back over his years on the board, Bob says some of the highlights have been the response of the co-op to the devastation caused by a major 2019 snowfall referred to as Snowmaggedon, the construction of a new headquarters and warehouse facility, a grant for fire mitigation work, and the creation of Douglas Fast Net.
The latter brought high-speed internet service to many of DEC’s rural members who previously had dial-up internet service.
“DFN is known nationwide,” Bob says. “Other co-ops have followed our plan to provide better internet service to their members.”
When Snowmageddon took down miles of DEC’s power poles and lines, the co-op’s equity was above 50%, making it easier to secure a loan to rebuild the system. The combination of Douglas County being declared a disaster area and the co-op’s detailed records also helped it secure $7,5000,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Most recently, a $9 million grant was secured for fire-mitigation work along right-of-way corridors.
“Douglas Electric is now a poster child for what rights of way should look like,” Bob says.
Bob, a native of California, served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. He was stationed on destroyers USS Epperson and USS Turner Joy for two tours to Vietnam. He was on active duty for four years and then in the reserves for two years.
After his service, Bob earned a degree in agriculture from California State University, Chico. In 1991, he and his wife, Tammie, moved north after buying Cold Springs Store near Drain. They operated the store for 16 years until closing it in 2007. The couple continues to own and manage several residential rental units.
Replacing Bob as the District 4 director is Darrin Dailey, a science teacher at North Douglas High School in Drain.
Bob has confidence in the board going forward.
“I think the co-op is well-positioned for the future to supply all of the members’ needs,” he says.