Board of Directors

As part of a member-owned cooperative, you have the opportunity to help run your co-op by voting for your Board of Directors every year.

How to become a Board member.

L. PAUL ALVESTAD

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MR. ALVESTAD  has served as a PenLight Board Member since May of 2000.  He chairs the Long-Term Planning Committee and sits on the Finance and Audit Committee.

A lifelong Gig Harbor resident, Paul graduated from Peninsula HS, obtained a business degree from WSU, a law degree from Gonzaga University, and an L.L.M in taxation from Denver University. Paul has practiced law since 1980 and currently has his own offices in Tacoma and Gig Harbor where his practice emphasizes advice to hundreds of small and mid-sized businesses and families.

Paul and his wife Lisa have two children ages 16 and 15. His father Paul and grandfather Peter Alvestad both served on the PenLight Board. His father served for 29 years, including several as president. Paul chaired the Burley/Minter Citizens Advisory Committee and sat as a member of the Pierce County Citizens Advisory Group - both of which played important roles in addressing land use in the Gig Harbor & Key Peninsulas. A former President of the Tacoma/Pierce County Estate Planning Council, he also served on the board for the Tacoma Lutheran Retirement Home for 10 years. He is active in Boy Scout Troop 212, a former Rotarian of the Year, and advisor to numerous charitable organizations. His most time intensive hobby involves farming near Horseshoe Lake. Skiing, golf, hiking and history studies also hold his interest.

Paul believes that the biggest challenges for the Board involve its increasing responsibilities to study and proactively adapt to the changing supply, transmission and competitive factors of the industry. Maintaining a high level of service at competitive rates is of primary importance. His law practice involvement with the successes of small and mid-sized businesses has proved to be a valuable resource to the board in addressing the issues it faces in the 21st Century.

Certified "Credentialed Cooperative Director" by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), 2005.

JEFF BUCHOLZ
Secretary

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MR. BUCHOLZ, currently Secretary of the Board (and past president of the Board), has served as a PenLight Board Member since June of 1995. He currently chairs the Public Affairs Committee and has worked on the Finance & Audit and Water Committees. He was president of Tiderunner, Inc., a family-owned marine business started in Gig Harbor in 1967. The business closed in 1998. He currently works in property management for Kitsap Enterprises, Inc and North Harborview Properties, LLC.

Jeff moved from Tacoma to Gig Harbor with his parents in 1960. He attended schools in the Peninsula School District and graduated from the University of Washington in 1973 with a BA in Economics. He is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, having received his JD from the University of Puget Sound School of Law in 1976. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Northwest Marine Trade Association and as a member of the Yamaha Marine Dealer Advisory Council.

Jeff and his wife Donna have four children and have lived in their Gig Harbor home since 1975.

Certified "Credentialed Cooperative Director" by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), 2002.

SCOTT JUNGE

MR. Junge, has been a resident of Gig Harbor and owner of Rosedale Gardens Nursery and Landscape for over 20 years.  His career started at age 11 mowing lawns for his paper route customers.  This business grew to over 110 customers through high school.  At age 15 he became a level A pharmacy technician at St. Joseph’s Hospital where he worked for 15 years while maintaining his maintenance company.  At 16 he became one of the state’s youngest licensed general contractors, specializing in landscape construction.

Scott met his wife Lyn in 1980.  Together they have four great kids, Kristen, Matthew, Mark, & Michael.

Scott has served as a commissioner for the Peninsula Metropolitan Park District.  He is a past president and member of the Gig Harbor Rotary club where he received the Rotarian of the Year and Vocational Service awards.  He served two terms on boards for the Chamber of Commerce and received the Business Person of the Year award.  Scott has also served on the boards for the Rosedale Hall Community Center, Homestead Park, YMCA task force, and volunteered for numerous other charitable organizations.

Scott believes it is an honor to serve his fellow shareholders and will bring all of his energy and experience to continue to make Gig Harbor one of the best places to live and raise a family.

MARC JORGENSON
Treasurer

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MR. JORGENSON, past president of the Board, has served as a PenLight Board Member since 1996, and currently chairs the Goals & Long Range Planning Committee. He has worked on the Policy & Bylaws and Public Affairs Committees. He has also served on the Finance & Audit Committee which he chaired for five years. He has been awarded a certificate as a Credentialed Cooperative Director by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Marc has lived his entire life in the Northwest and has been a resident of the Gig Harbor area since 1965. He graduated from Peninsula High School and has a business and accounting degree from Pacific Lutheran University.

Mr. Jorgenson is a certified public accountant; he is a partner in the Gig Harbor firm of Gilligan, Ryan, Jorgenson & Company, Certified Public Accountants. As a CPA, he advises hundreds of individuals and small and mid-sized businesses on tax and accounting issues.

Marc is active in his community. He has served on several community and local non-profit boards, including the Gig Harbor Rotary Foundation, the Pierce County Sheriff's Boating Advisory Council and the Gig Harbor Peninsula Historical Society. He is a member of the Gig Harbor Rotary Club and the Gig Harbor Yacht Club. He and his wife, Marilyn, enjoy sailing on Puget Sound and home projects.

Marc believes that a strong, well-managed electric utility company is essential to the quality of life in our area. He believes that reliable electrical power and quality customer service, delivered at a reasonable and stable price are the essential services provided by Peninsula Light Company.

Certified "Credentialed Cooperative Director" by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), 2005.

NICK MARKOVICH
President

MR. MARKOVICH has been a member of the Board of Directors of Peninsula Light Company since 2000 and currently serves as President. He has served on the Finance and Audit Committee, Goals and Long Range Planning Committee, Water Committee, and Policy and Bylaws Committee. Mr. Markovich is also certified as a “Credentialed Cooperative Director” by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.  

Actively involved in the Gig Harbor community, Mr. Markovich has served on numerous civic and charitable boards and committees. He has been Lt. Governor for the Pacific Northwest District of Kiwanis International, President of the Gig Harbor Kiwanis Club, and currently serves on the Boards of Gig Harbor Kiwanis Club and the Gig Harbor Kiwanis Foundation. Mr. Markovich also served two terms on the Gig Harbor City Council, two terms as President of the Gig Harbor-Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce, and is a recipient of the Chamber’s “Professional of the Year” award. 

As a lifelong resident of Gig Harbor, Mr. Markovich’s family roots extend to well before the turn of the last century. He and his wife Lenita have three children and seven grandchildren. Mr. Markovich is a graduate of Peninsula Schools, Bellarmine Prep, Seattle University and the University of Washington School of Law.  He maintains his law practice with offices in Gig Harbor.

Certified "Credentialed Cooperative Director" by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), 2003.

J. SPENCER NORDFORS

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MR. NORDFORS, has been a resident of Gig harbor since 1967.  He and his wife Betty have 4 children and 6 grandchildren.  He currently serves on the PenLight board as President and previously as chair of the Finance and the Goals/Long Range Planning committees. He is a certified as a “Credentialed Director” from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Over the years he has taken an active leadership role in Gig Harbor and Tacoma community service organizations, namely:  past Board President of Tacoma/Pierce County Junior Achievement; Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis Club of the Peninsula; Group IV Washington Bankers Association; and Board Member of Easter Seals of Washington.

He is a graduate of the University of Washington and Pacific Coast Banking School.  His banking career included District Manager positions for both Key Bank and Puget Sound Bank in the greater Tacoma and the Southwest region of the state.  In 2001 he successfully led a drive to form a new business banking department at HomeStreet Bank in Seattle as their Vice President and Manager.  He continued in this position until his retirement in 2004.

Mr. Nordfors states, “The board’s focus is on meeting the interests and expectations of the majority of its members.  Our job is to establish and maintain corporate policies that will provide a compass and direction for management as they address the challenges always present in our industry.  The board and management are currently planning and initiating action steps to address Bonneville Power Administration’s change in power allocation to its energy requirements on utilities.”  Spence is motivated by his interest in helping set the course for our utility’s future, providing improved reliability, financial counsel and setting policy guidelines.  He is honored to represent the community as a board member at Peninsula Light Company.

Certified "Credentialed Cooperative Director" by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), 2005.

DEBRA ROSS

Debra Ross has been a resident of Gig Harbor since 1966 and is a graduate of Peninsula High School. Her two adult children mark the 5th generation of the Ross family in Gig Harbor.

Debra has an AA degree focused in business from Tacoma Community College. She worked for the Peninsula School District for 18 years, 6 years as Office Manager at the middle and elementary school level. In addition she worked in banking and for the YMCA as Membership Director. Debra currently is a self-employed property manager for RoCo LLC and Rosedale Street Properties.

Debra has been an active volunteer in the Gig Harbor Peninsula community. Her activities have included: PAA schedule coordinator, Volunteer Parent Association President and Treasurer, member of the Peninsula Parks & Recreation election committees, co-chair of the Gig Harbor Sports Booster Auction for three years, and Registration & Finance Committee co-chairman for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life for two years. While working for the Peninsula Clerical Union, serving as Treasurer for two years.

Debra serves on the Harbor History Museum Board of Directors, is a member of the Harbor History Museum Development Committee, Harbor History Museum Docent and a member of St. Anthony's Hospital Auxiliary.

Debra has worked in the Gig Harbor real estate field, managing rental properties, both residential and commercial, and Condominium Associations for 25+ years. She has a good, common sense small business background.

ROGER SPADONI

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MR. SPADONI, PenLight Board Member, is a lifetime resident of Gig Harbor where he graduated from Peninsula High School. He attended Olympic College and Washington State University where he studied business administration and engineering. He served four years in the U.S. Air Force Intelligence Corps, including a year of duty in Vietnam.

He has served as a PenLight Board Member since 1987 and has worked on the Finance & Audit, Goals & Long Range Planning, Policy & Bylaws, and Water Committees. He earned the "Credentialed Cooperative Director" certification by passing the five required courses through National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

In the community, he has served on the Kettering Committee for Discovery School, the Board of Directors for the Gig Harbor/Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber's Education Committee. He is also a member of St. Nicholas Catholic Church. Together with his partners in Spadoni Brothers, he participated in the Gig Harbor Kiwanis "Field of Dreams" athletic field expansion project. He also assisted in the development of the Gig Harbor Little League baseball fields.

Mr. Spadoni is President of Spadoni Brothers, Inc., a general contracting firm that has been in business in Gig Harbor since 1946. He and his wife Rosemary live in Rosedale. His children intend to stay in the Gig Harbor area, and hope to continue the family tradition of low profile community service begun by Roger's father and uncles.

Certified "Credentialed Cooperative Director" by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), 2004.

SIGNO UDDENBERG
Vice President

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MR. UDDENBERG, has served on PenLight's Board of Directors since 2006. He Currently chairs the Goals and Long Range Planning Committee, and serves on the Water Committee. He is a certified as a Credentialed Cooperative Director by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. A Gig Harbor native, Signo graduated from Peninsula High School, earned his BA degree in Business Finance from the University of Puget Sound, and did post graduate work in Business Finance and Marketing at the University of West Florida. He also served as a Lieutenant in the United Stated Navy.

Since returning to Gig Harbor in 1973, Signo has been involved in supermarket administration, marketing, and real estate. He owned and operated the 56th Street Red Apple Market in South Tacoma, served on the Board of Directors for Red Apple Markets Inc., was Director of Advertising for Associated Grocers, and currently is an associate with Pre-Paid Legal Services.

Signo and his wife Kathy have one son, Jesse who is a civil and environmental engineer with MKThink in San Francisco. Signo is a member of Harbor Covenant Church, where he currently serves as chair of the Building Committee. He is also the educational coordinator for the Gig Harbor chapter of Business Network International and a member of the Gig Harbor Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.

Signo believes that Peninsula Light Co. needs to continue to improve its ability to provide clean, reliable, and affordable electrical power, while providing a high level of customer service. He also believes the Company should strive to incorporate the use of new renewable resources at the lowest cost possible, and continue to promote efficiency and conservation programs to its members. His administrative experience is proving valuable in guiding the Company to best serve its members, and meet the continually growing demands for energy in this highly complex industry.

Certified "Credentialed Cooperative Director" by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), 2007.



ABOUT THE BOARD

PenLight is locally governed by a Board of nine directors whose duty it is to set policy and strategic direction. The Board has 12 scheduled monthly meetings, and board members are elected from the cooperative membership at large to serve three-year terms. These terms are staggered so that three positions are up for election each year. The Board also holds an Annual Membership Meeting on the first Monday in May, which is open to attendance by all co-op members.

After being elected, board members have two years in which to obtain a "Credentialed Cooperative Director" certification. This training program includes five classes that are taken through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).

Some of the qualifiers Directors must possess are:

  • Be a member in good standing residing within our service territory.
  • Be a proven leader in the community with broad interests.
  • Be willing to study data and other information to stay well informed.
  • Be willing and able to attend local, regional and national utility-related meetings.
  • Represent the total membership on an impartial basis.
  • Adhere to PenLight’s Articles of Incorporation and its Bylaws.

The Board also holds an annual two-day strategic planning retreat.

Interested in becoming a Board member?