Meet our Board of Directors!

High West Energy, Inc. operations are carried out under the policies established by the Board of Directors.

Each member of the Board of Directors is an active member of the cooperative and obtains electricity from the cooperative. Our directors share your interest in the quality of the services High West provides.

You and your fellow members elect our directors at the co-op’s annual meeting in June. Every year, at least two positions are open on the High West Energy Board of Directors. Every third year, three positions are open. Members have the right to vote in person or through the mail for the director in their district. All cooperative members receive an annual cooperative report with voting instructions.

Your Board of Directors employs a CEO/general manager who is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the system. The CEO/GM hires the personnel and specialists required to perform all duties necessary to provide reliable electric service.

High West Energy Announces Board of Directors Election

The candidates for Districts 14, 16, and 17 for the 2025 Board of Directors election have officially been determined by the nominating committee. There was one candidate nominated, John Thompson, for District 14, and one candidate nominated, Kosha Olsen, for District 16. There are two candidates nominated for District 17, including Kevin Thomas and Melissa Gorsuch.

All members in District 17 will receive ballots included in their annual report, which will be mailed out at the beginning of June. Members can mail in their ballots, bring them to one of High West Energy's drop boxes, or drop them off at our office in Pine Bluffs. Ballots must be at the Pine Bluffs headquarters no later than 5:00 p.m. on June 18, 2025.
High West Energy encourages District 17 members to review each candidate's information to make an informed decision. Each candidate's information is provided below.

Meet Your 2025 Board of Directors Nominees

DISTRICT 14

John Thompson

John Thompson is a 1976 Pine Bluffs graduate. He moved to his grandfather's homestead east of Carpenter in 1996 and will represent District 14. He retired from Black Hills Energy in 2024 after 17 years of working as a Utility Construction Planner. Prior to that, he worked at the local cable TV company. He is currently working part-time at Tyrrell Auto Centers and DC Express.

He has been married to his wife, Julie, for 43 years, has two sons, Truett and Damien, a daughter, Chelsea, and two grand children. John is on the Laramie County Recreation Board and is actively engaged in St. Paul's Catholic Church.

DISTRICT 16

Kosha Olsen

Kosha Olsen represents District 16 on the periphery of Cheyenne. Kosha grew up along High West lines and her grandparents were among the first members when the co-op was founded in 1937, making her children fourth-generation HWE members.

Kosha has worked in marketing, communications, and program management for 20+ years in the agriculture and engineering industries. Kosha and her family enjoy traveling around the globe, but feel very fortunate to call the high plains of southeast Wyoming 'home'.

DISTRICT 17 CANDIDATE

Kevin Thomas, Incumbent

Kevin Thomas, incumbent, has lived in Potter, NE with his wife, Jennifer, since 1991. He is the proud father of Alexis (Casey) and Kaleb (Becky). He is also very proud of his two granddaughters, Mila, and Annie.

Kevin has been a High West Energy member for over 30 years and Board Member for the past 7 years. Kevin also represents High West Energy on The Tri-State G&T Board. Kevin graduated from both the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Chadron State College. With a 40-year career in education, he is now retired, enjoying time on the golf course and in his garden. Furthermore, Kevin finds peace and strength in his faith and family.

DISTRICT 17 CANDIDATE

Melissa Gorsuch

Melissa Gorsuch and her family moved to Potter, Nebraska, in 2004. She has been serving her community since 2009 as the Clerk/Treasurer for the Village of Potter, Nebraska, where she is responsible for the administration operations and the finances for the village.

Melissa married her husband, Jerry, in 2019. Between the two of them, they have five grown children, Justin, Kasey, Kyle, Shawn, and Amanda, and a grandson, Rhett.

Since 2009, Melissa has been a member of the Potter Library Board. Over the years, while working for the Village of Potter, she has also worked closely with many village boards and committees.

As a community member from District 17, Melissa understands how important it is for High West Energy to continue to provide reliable, affordable electrical service to everyone it services.

Mike Romsa

District 11

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You can contact Mike Romsa at

mike.romsa@highwest.coop.

Quick Bio

Mike Romsa is a lifelong resident of the Albin, Wyoming area. Since 1978 he has been a self-employed farmer/rancher. He's been married to his wife, Heidi, for 39 years and has 2 grown sons, Lukas and Levi, and has 4 grandchildren. Mike is still actively engaged in the family farming and ranching business raising wheat, corn, hay and running a small feedlot operation. In the past, Mike has served on the Wyoming Wheat Marketing Commission as a Board Member and as Chairman.  He has also served on the Laramie County FSA Committee and on the Wyoming State Engineer Water Advisory Board.

Gary Smith

District 12

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You can contact Gary Smith at

gary.smith@highwest.coop.

Quick Bio

Hello, I'm Gary L. Smith from Carpenter. I represent District 16 on the High West Energy Board. I was born and raised on a small ranch in eastern Laramie County. I graduated from Carpenter High School in 1965. In 1966, I entered the US Navy and served four years, with 37 months in Vietnam. In 1977, I purchased an irrigated farm in Carpenter. In 1978, I married Lorraine Soppe. We have two sons, Cody Smith of Carpenter and Casey Smith, a transmission lineman of Sioux Falls, SD. We continue to farm and ranch with our son Cody.

After being honorably discharged, I returned to Wyoming. I was self-employed developing pivot irrigation in WY, NE, and CO, in which I operated Rainmaker, Inc. until 1985. During the farm crisis of the mid-1980s, I had to dissolve my business. I then became employed by the Department of Defense at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in the activation of the Peacekeeper Weapons system.

I retired in 2006 from the federal government when the Peacekeeper weapons system was deactivated. I was elected to the High West Energy Board in 2014. I continue to serve on this board to help maintain reliability and cost-effectiveness for our cooperative members. I remain dedicated to this mission and strongly believe in the Cooperative Principles of this organization.

Jessica Crowder

District 13

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You can contact Jessica Crowder at

jessica.crowder@highwest.coop.

Quick Bio

Jessica Crowder has been a member of High West Energy since 2016. High West Energy is involved in the communities it serves, providing more than energy to its members. Jessica is excited to serve our rural communities as a member of the board of directors and understands the important role local electric co-ops play in keeping these communities connected and economically viable.

Jessica was born in Victoria, Texas and spent her childhood on a cattle ranch in central New Mexico. She graduated from high school in Comfort, Texas. Jessica’s early years and education built an interest in agriculture and stewardship of the land. She holds a M.S. in Range Science and a B.S. in Range Management from Texas Tech University. Her M.S. research focused on prescribed summer fire and grazing management in the Northern Great Plains.

Jessica is currently the Executive Director of the Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust. The Land Trust is focused on conserving agricultural lands in Wyoming for future generations. Prior to joining the Land Trust, Jessica was the policy director and a policy associate for the Western Landowners Alliance. She served as a policy advisor for former Wyoming Governor Matt Mead, a position she held for over four years. Jessica has also worked as a policy analyst for the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, as a technician for the Agricultural Research Service and as an instructor at Northwest College in Powell, WY. Much of her work has focused on natural resource management with an emphasis on keeping working lands intact and economically viable across varied land ownerships. Jessica has experience working closely with landowners, federal partners, state agencies, local governments and non-governmental organizations to develop policy and natural resources management options that benefit Wyoming citizens and Wyoming landscapes.

Jessica has been in Wyoming for almost 20 years. She enjoys spending time outdoors – riding horses, gardening, fishing, hiking and traveling - with her husband Jason and their daughter Adelynn.

Jerry Burnett

District 14

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You can contact Jerry Burnett at

jerry.burnett@highwest.coop.

Quick Bio

Jerry Burnett has been a member of High West Energy since 1971 and began serving on the board of directors in 2009. After serving in the military, he returned to Hereford, CO. He and his family—including his wife of 53 years, Margaret, and two grown sons—own and operate a dairy, feedlot, and irrigated farms in and around Hereford, CO, and Carpenter, WY. In addition, Jerry has three grandchildren.

Jerry spent 12 years on the Pawnee School District Board of Education, nine years on the Lazy D Grazing Association board of directors, and five years on the Property Exchange LLC board of directors. Jerry is also a licensed realtor and is particularly active in selling farm and ranch properties.

Jerry’s goal is “to keep High West Energy a viable company that distributes reliable electricity to all its members.”

Damon Birkhofer

District 15

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You can contact Damon Birkhofer at

damon.birkhofer@highwest.coop.

Quick Bio

Damon Birkhofer has been living and farming south of Kimball since 1998 with his wife, where they raised their four children. Serving on the board since August 2019, Damon enjoys spending time with their adult children and traveling with his wife when they’re not busy with the farm.

Kosha Olsen

District 16

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You can contact Kosha Olsen at

kosha.olsen@highwest.coop.

Quick Bio

Kosha Olsen represents District 16 on the periphery of Cheyenne. Kosha grew up along High West lines and her grandparents were among the first members when the co-op was founded in 1937, making her children fourth-generation HWE members. Kosha has worked in marketing, communications, and program management for 20+ years in the agriculture and engineering industries. Kosha and her family enjoy traveling around the globe, but feel very fortunate to call the high plains of southeast Wyoming ‘home’.

Kevin Thomas

District 17

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You can contact Kevin Thomas at

kevin.thomas@highwest.coop.

Quick Bio

Kevin Thomas has lived in Potter, NE with his wife, Jennifer, since 1991. He is the proud father of Alexis(Casey) and Kaleb(Becky). He is also very proud of his two granddaughters, Mila, and Annie.

Kevin has been a High West Energy member for over 30 years and Board Member for the past 7 years. Kevin also represents High West Energy on The Tri-State G&T Board. Kevin graduated from both the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Chadron State College. With a 40-year career in education, he is now retired, enjoying time on the golf course and in his garden. Furthermore, Kevin finds peace and strength in his faith and family.