PAHRUMP, Nev. – Members of Valley Electric Association, Inc. (VEA) in districts 1 and 3 have the opportunity this year to select the individuals who will represent their communities on the cooperative’s democratically elected Board of Directors.
District 1, which includes residents of Pahrump south of Nevada Highway 372, will finalize its election during a district meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 26, at the Pahrump Nugget Event Center, located at 681 S. Highway 160. District 3, which includes residents of Beatty, Sarcobatus Flat and Scotty’s Junction, will host its district meeting and finalize its election at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, at the Beatty Community Center, located at 100 A Ave. South in Beatty.
District 1 has five candidates running in its election, and District 3 has two candidates. Each of the two districts will select one director to serve a three-year term. Detailed information about the voting process has been mailed to all VEA members in districts 1 and 3. For information about online voting, please visit www.vea.coop. Online voting ends at 9 a.m. on March 17.
District 1 Candidates
Peter Gazsy (incumbent)
Gazsy has served as a VEA Director for the past six years. He has been a member for more than 21 years and was the first VEA Ambassador. Gazsy has earned Credited coop Director and Board Leadership Certificates and has attended NRECA schools. Gazsy and his wife Kristine have two children. He attended New York City Community College – Voorhees Technical Institute, New York City and holds an A.A.S. in Offset Lithography and Business Management. Gazsy has worked in offset printing; as general manager in a full-service vending and catering corporation; and as an armored truck captain in New York City. In Pahrump, he has been a general contractor, a substitute teacher for the Nye County School District (NCSD), and a para-professional for NCSD. Gazsy is a member of eight local service organizations including the Knights of Columbus as a 4th degree knight; a Mason, York Rite Mason, Scottish Rite Mason; and a member of the Shriners, where he is affiliated with the Shriners Hospital for Children.
Nick Moore
Moore was born and raised in Pahrump and lives here with his wife Charese and his three children. He attended Southern Utah University where he majored in Business and minored in Marketing. He is self-employed and runs three local businesses. Moore is a VEA Ambassador and has served on many local boards including the Lakeview Executive Board of Directors (another local co-op), the Pahrump Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce as president, and the Ace Hardware Southern Nevada Regional Marketing Group as president. Moore has experience in all aspects of business management including human resources, purchasing, inventory control, accounting, marketing, and employee development. He is also a graduate of the Ace Hardware Co-ops Ace Retail Management Institute (ARMI).
Allan Parker
Parker has lived in Pahrump with his wife Vicky since 2001. He serves as secretary of the Executive Board for the Nye County Regional Economic Development Authority (NCREDA), on the Pahrump Advisory Committee of the Great Basin College, on the CCA Community Relations Committee and also on the VEA Ambassador Finance Committee. During his career, Parker held a number of senior level positions including Vice President of North American Sales for EOS Corp., Director of Marketing and Sales for Oryx Power Products Corp., General Manager of the Power Supplies Division for Zenith Electronics Corp., Vice President of Sales and Marketing for First Computer Corp., and Marketing Director of the Cheshire Division for Xerox Corp. He recently taught Applied Entrepreneurship at UNLV and has taught at the University of Phoenix, Community College of Southern Nevada, DeVry University, Keller Graduate School of Management, and the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Tim Wigchers
Wigchers has lived in Pahrump with his wife since 2011. Wigchers serves as the Workforce Director for the NyE Communities Coalition where he supervises the workforce and job training programs for youth and adults, working closely with economic development organizations and community leaders as businesses explore expanding into our community. Prior to moving to Pahrump, Wigchers lived in Superior, WI. While there, he served as Program Manager for the American Lung Association, Senior District Manager for Junior Achievement, and also served on the Workforce Investment Board. Wigchers was a City Council Alderman for the City of Superior, WI, and also served on the Workforce Development, Manufacturing, and Education Committee at the Fond du Lac Tribal Community College, in Cloquet, MN.
Marla Zlotek
Zlotek has been a member of VEA since 1995. She is employed as Chief Deputy District Attorney, Civil Division of the Nye County District Attorney’s Office. She is licensed to practice law in Nevada and Pennsylvania. Her experience includes the areas of civil litigation, criminal prosecution, contracts, business law, bookkeeping and legal counsel for government entities and elected officials. In addition, she has been an instructor for the Community College of Southern Nevada and the Nye Regional Training Academy.
District 3 Candidates
Richard “Rick” Johnson (incumbent)
Johnson has served on the VEA Board of Directors for two terms, representing District 3 (Beatty). Johnson has been the owner of the El Portal Motel in Beatty since 1988, a business he bought from his father, Harry, who served as VEA District 3 Director from 1984 until he retired from the position in 1997. Johnson came to Beatty in 1961 when his father purchased the El Portal Motel. He graduated from Beatty High School in 1966. Johnson is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Science and Biology. After leaving UNR, Johnson and his wife Nancy, moved to Australia for a period of time, where Johnson taught chemistry, physics and general science at a Melbourne High School. He also taught general science at Carson City Junior High. Johnson has served on the Beatty Volunteer Fire Department, Beatty Ambulance Service, and on the Beatty Water and Sanitation Board of Directors.
Neil King
King has been a VEA member for six years since he moved to Beatty from Fernley, Nevada. The father of three daughters, King manages facilities for the Beatty General Improvement District where he is responsible for ensuring Beatty public spaces such as the Museum, Beatty Public Park, Swimming Pool, horse shoe pits and softball park are updated and cared for. King has been involved in construction, building homes and businesses, almost since he left high school in Hawthorne, NV. King has a long history of community involvement and volunteers his time with the Beatty Chamber of Commerce, the Beatty Water Department, the Beatty Town Board, Beatty Days, and other local Beatty groups.
About Valley Electric Association, Inc.
Valley Electric Association, Inc. (VEA) is a member-owned nonprofit electric utility headquartered in Pahrump, Nevada. While VEA started as a small rural electric utility in 1965, the company now provides service to more than 45,000 people within a vast 6,800-square-mile service area located primarily along the California-Nevada border, with the majority in Nevada. VEA’s service area starts in Sandy Valley, southwest of Las Vegas, and extends north for more than 250 miles to Fish Lake Valley. For more information about VEA, please visit www.vea.coop.
