This year’s election for new board members for the nonprofit, member-owned Yampa Valley Electric Association has been canceled due to no candidates vying for two board seats up for re-election and only one candidate applying for a seat in Steamboat Springs being vacated.

“YVEA did not receive any petitions for the districts up for re-election and received one submission for the vacant seat in District 7,” noted Carly Davidson, YVEA public relations specialist.

Steamboat Springs resident Chad Garrett, who earned a graduate degree in energy economics from the Colorado School of Mines, is the sole candidate for the District 7 board seat and will be appointed to the role.

Garrett will assume the board seat currently held by Dan LeBlanc, who is moving with his family out of District 7 that covers the Steamboat Springs city boundary.

Board members serve a three-year term, and Garrett will assume LeBlanc’s board seat following the association’s annual meeting on June 24. Board members Steve Booker, serving District 4 in southern Moffat County, and Patrick Delaney, serving District 5 for Hayden, will retain their seats on the nine-member board for another term.

YVEA members are invited to attend the annual meeting that starts officially at 3:30 p.m. on June 24 at the YVEA office, 2211 Elk River Road. More details on the nonprofit’s annual meeting are available at YVEA.com. This year, the association will add a live-stream link to the annual meeting for members who cannot attend in person.

In his bio, incoming board member Garrett noted: “I have spent much of my career working with rural electric cooperatives and utilities across North America, and I am dedicated to driving efficient operations and introducing innovative business practices in the middle of sweeping changes in the utility industry. I focus on energy-efficiency, beneficial electrification and generally on helping utilities provide great customer experiences.”

Garrett lives in Steamboat with his wife and three children, who are active in sports, 4-H and volunteer work. In his free time, he enjoys playing rec league hockey, coaching skiing and spending time in the mountains and on the rivers. More information about Garrett can be found at on the website Chadforyvea.com.

The YVEA board determines policies and direction for the association. YVEA serves some 23,000 members and 28,430 electric meters in a 7,000 square-mile service territory in northwest Colorado and southern Wyoming.