MEA board candidate vows commitment

To the editor:

As a mother of four and lifelong resident of the Mat-Su, I understand the importance of stretching a dollar and using our resources wisely. That is why I am so excited about the opportunity to be elected to the Matanuska Electric Association Board of Directors.

I understand that some organizations are also so excited about my candidacy they have decided to reach out to voters and spread the word by making phone calls. I thank them so much for their time and efforts. I am humbled that people are willing to spend their evenings talking to their neighbors to make sure everyone understands my experience, dedication and passion for this community.

A recent letter to the editor by Mr. Yoder inquired why one person had received a phone call highlighting some of his more controversial stances. I have not seen nor approved any such suggestion for volunteers making calls on my behalf. I do not believe in tearing someone else down to build myself up.

I have lived here my entire life. I was in the first graduating class of Colony High School and immediately began my career in the social work field as a therapeutic specialist with autistic children. I worked for many years helping adults with disabilities find jobs. I then worked for many years with child victims of sexual abuse find safety and recovery.

All the while I volunteered in my community because I want to raise my four sons in a place I helped to make healthy and prosperous. That is why I served on the board of directors for LINKS Mat-Su Parent Resource Center, which helps families that have children with disabilities find the resources they need to live happy, fulfilled lives. I even served as president of that board for a few of those years and am proud to say I helped grow the organization and left it on firmer financial ground than when I entered it.

His letter also brings up my position on coal. I am proud of my involvement on that issue as well. You see, two years ago I became aware of the proposal to open an industrial scale open pit strip mine just outside of Palmer. I realized that coal mining on that scale could potentially undo the quality of life folks in this community have worked so hard to achieve. I left my successful social work career to stand with my neighbors and fight for a future where our children and our grandchildren are not dependent on an industry that is neither healthy for the community nor prosperous. I am not ashamed of that choice because I believe it was the right thing to do.

This is why I am the perfect choice to serve on the MEA board. In recent years, MEA have has a new awareness about cost effective and healthy energy sources. The commitments made by the current board need to be followed through as MEA becomes a leader in a more cooperative and efficient electrical system that ties us together in the Railbelt. I want to help my local utility cooperative continue to make economically feasible, and just good old-fashioned logical decisions about how and where we generate energy. Affordable energy is good for families.

Thank you to the Frontiersman for the opportunity to answer the question. Next time anyone has a concern, I’d be happy to meet for coffee or speak on the phone. Please call me anytime at 982-6828, email jamey.duhamel@gmail.com or Facebook message me at Duhamel for MEA Board.

Jamey Duhamel

Palmer