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Board of Trustees and District Map

A board of eight elected Trustees is responsible for the overall direction of the business and affairs of Benton REA through adoption of policies, budgets and providing direction to the general manager. Trustees are elected by the members of their respective district within the Benton REA service area and serve for a term of three years. The Benton REA service area has been divided into eight districts to allow for equal representation of its members.

To be nominated as a trustee, the member must have resided for at least one year within the district making the nomination. A trustee may not hold any financial interest in selling electric energy or supplies to Benton REA. In addition, a trustee may not be an incumbent or candidate for any elected public office where salaries are paid.

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Treadway

Buddy Treadway

West Richland
District #1

Buddy Treadway

Buddy was elected in 2007 to represent the membership of District 1. During his time serving the membership, he has attended numerous National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) training classes and has obtained his Certified Credentialed Director certification as well as his Board Leadership Certification. Additionally, he represents Benton REA on the Northwest Public Power Administration (NWPPA) Governmental Relations Committee and serves as a board member for the Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association (WRECA). Buddy states, “I am proud to serve on the Benton REA Board of Trustees and I am determined to help keep the electrical service reliable, and the cost as low as possible for the membership.”

Buddy actively served in the US Army from 1957-1960 and served in the US Army Reserve for several years after active duty. In 1978, he moved his family to Washington state to work for an engineering firm performing work with the Hanford Reservation (DOE). In 20 plus years he has performed duties as project estimator, project coordinator, environmental specialist, and maintenance manager at the N-Reactor and D-Area. In 2005, he semi-retired in order to get more involved with community activities. In addition to serving as a Benton REA trustee, he has volunteered with the Red Cross in Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-Cities Cancer Center and has served on the West Richland, Wash., Planning Commission.

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Freepons

Mike Freepons

Prosser
District #2

Mike Freepons

Mike is a third generation farmer who lives on the Roza north of Prosser where he grows concord grapes, wine grapes and apples. He bought the 160-acre farm in 1979, which is less than one mile from the farm he grew up on. Remaining local throughout his youth, Mike went to Whitstran School and graduated from Prosser High School. Mike then attended Washington State University and graduated in 1975 with a degree in Education. Mike and his wife Teresa have two sons who have completed military service and now live in the Tri-Cities. Mike also serves on the Benton County Weed District 1. In his spare time, Mike enjoys hunting and fishing and has even been to Africa and Alaska on hunting trips. Helping teach the younger generation about hunting, Mike is a hunter education instructor for Washington Department of State Fish and Wildlife. Mike has served on the Benton REA Board of Trustees since 2006.

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Evans

Bob Evans

Horse Heaven
District #3

Bob Evans

Bob brings a strong background in agriculture, engineering, administration and public service to the Benton REA board. He previously served on the Prosser School Board with three years’ experience as president. He was appointed to local planning boards in Colorado, Montana and Washington and active in several Lions Clubs and church activities.

Evans was raised on a ranch in western Colorado before getting his doctorate in agricultural engineering. He spent his career investigating means to improve profitability of various irrigated and dryland agricultural enterprises. Evans served as the Colorado State irrigation extension specialist for five years, worked for Washington State University for 20 years as a researcher at its Prosser center and then joined the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in Sidney, Montana as an administrator and researcher for 12 years.

Evans retired in October 2012 and lives with his wife, Carrell, on a farm west of Benton City. Their three children all graduated from Prosser High School. He remains professionally active.

Bob was appointed to the Benton REA Board of Trustees to fill an unexpired term in May, 2015.

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MarkPlatt

Mark Platt

West Richland and Surrounding Rural Areas / District #4

Mark Platt

Mark brings electric utility, nuclear power and construction industry experience to the Benton REA board. After serving as a nuclear trained machinist’s mate in the U.S. Submarine Service, Mark was employed as a commercial nuclear power plant operator and subsequently in a variety of consulting, technical service, and management positions in the commercial and Department of Energy nuclear industries. Mark, who has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science and a Master’s degree in Business Administration, was employed for 14 years at Bechtel National, Inc. as an engineering supervisor on the Waste Vitrification Plant.

Mark lives on Red Mountain in Benton City with his wife, Ellen. They have a son, Andy, who lives in Portland. In his spare time, Mark enjoys exercising, golf, sport shooting, reading and investing. Mark has served on the Benton REA board since 2007.

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Tim Grow

Sunnyside
District #5

Tim Grow

Tim is a fourth generation grape farmer who lives just north of Grandview. He and his wife, Gina, farm 295 acres of Concord grapes and 20 acres of Niagara grapes. Tim was educated in Grandview and also attended Seattle Pacific University graduating in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in History. Tim served on the Grandview School Board of Directors and retired in 2016 after 20 years of service.

Tim has been a member of the National Grape Cooperative for the past 42 years and follows his grandfather and father in serving on the National Grape Cooperative Board of Directors for the past 15 years. He has also served on the Welch Foods, Inc. Board of Directors, serving on the governance and compensation committees of the board.

Tim has been a Benton REA member since 1989 and a board member since 2014. Tim is a firm believer in the cooperative way: members joining together to create value and protect their interests through commitment to their business.

Tim and Gina have three married daughters and two grandchildren.

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Scott Fisher

Mabton & White Pass Areas
District #6

Scott Fisher

Scott Fisher is a longtime resident of the Yakima Valley. He was raised in Grandview and continues to help his father on the family cherry farm. He currently lives with his wife, Mary, on a small merlot grape farm southwest of Prosser. They have two adult children living in the Tri-Cities area.

Fisher has earned degrees from the University of Washington, Western Washington University and Central Washington University. Scott is a career educator and has worked nearly 25 years for the Mabton School District. Most of his career has been spent as a special education director and school psychologist. For the past four years, Fisher has served in special education and as the state and federal programs director for the Mabton School District.

Fisher enjoys camping in their old Westfalia van, rescuing old cars, woodworking and making wine. He was elected to the Benton REA Board of Trustees in 2017.

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Connie Krull

West Richland, Bird Hill & Paradise South
District #7

Connie Krull

Connie Krull has been a Benton REA member since 1996 and a member of the Benton REA board since 2012. She and her husband have five children and two grandchildren. They spend their free time participating in family activities and enjoying the vast opportunities that the community and this area of the country have to offer.

Connie has a Bachelor of Science in Business, with a focus on Project Management, and a master’s degree in Business Administration. She has more than 25 years of experience supporting and managing infrastructure, and operations and maintenance activities. During her career she has worked closely with the Hanford Site Electrical Utilities organization, Energy Northwest, and the Bonneville Power Administration on numerous projects and activities that include expanding services in support of new requirements, upgrading existing services and terminating/removal of unneeded or obsolete systems.

She is employed as a project manager involved with strategic planning initiatives associated with the cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

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Catherine Russell

West Richland, West Latin Area
District #8

Catherine Russell

Catherine Russell prides herself on being active in the community and feels privileged to represent the Benton REA members as a trustee.

“I believe in doing volunteer work within the communities I live. I am willing and able to continue dedicating the time needed to represent the members’ interest at Benton REA,” she says.

Catherine feels it is important to study and keep current with regards to the electric utility industry to better serve her district and to this end has earned the Credentialed Cooperative Director certification and Board Leadership Certification. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from Washington State University Tri-Cities. Before retirement, she worked as a payroll supervisor. 

Catherine and her husband, Kevin, moved to the Tri-Cities in 1982 and to West Richland in 1994. In her spare time, Catherine enjoys traveling, sewing and gardening. Catherine was elected to the Benton REA Board of Trustees in 2007.

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