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Board of Directors
Front Row, left to right:
Robert Baker (read bio),
Larry Carlson (read bio),
Secretary/Treasurer Jerry Peevler (read bio),
Vice President Richard Harlow, Jr. (read bio),
Kirk Alter (read bio),
Back Row, left to right:
Curt Hudson (read bio)
Attorney Jeff Helmerick
President Brent Bible (read bio),
Lynn Beck (read bio)
Tipmont REMC is governed by an eight-person Board of Directors elected from among the membership. As a Tipmont member, you can vote for Directors at the Tipmont Annual Meeting. Each year, there are two or three Director positions up for re-election. Each Director is elected to a three-year term. The Tipmont service area is split into eight Districts with one Director per district. Please refer to the map below for the geographical boundaries of each of the eight Director districts.
The regular meetings of the Board are normally held the fourth Tuesday of every month and begin at 9:00 am. If you have additional questions, please contact Tipmont's CEO.
KIRK ALTER – DISTRICT 1
Kirk Alter came to central Indiana in 1984, and has been a Tippecanoe County resident since joining the Purdue University faculty in 1995. A Purdue graduate, he received his MBA from the Krannert School. Alter’s areas of teaching and research at Purdue include energy and sustainability. His background is in the dynamic systems in buildings and industrial/agricultural processes — energy, water, air, light and waste.
For the past 15 years Alter has been very active serving the community as director of continuing education in the department of building construction management at Purdue. He is a member of the Energy Center at Purdue, and is on the executive committee of the Purdue Climate Change Research Center.
In his ongoing quest to understand and address the challenges of providing adequate energy re-sources to consumers at an affordable cost Alter has focused on both the demand side — energy conservation in buildings, and the supply side — energy production. He is a senior member of the Association of Energy Engineers, and is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-accredited professional and Passive House Design Consultant.
In 2006, Alter was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for a year-long study of energy conservation and alternative energy production in Europe. In 2009, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) pegged him to serve as the inspector general for the technical monitoring of IHCDA’s $130 million statewide residential weatherization program, an energy conservation program designed to reduce homeowner’s utility costs.
Alter’s wife, Pamela, is a special education teacher at Harrison High School, where his four children have attended, or are attending now. His oldest son, Adam, has studied sound engineering at Purdue, his second son, Jacob, will begin attending Wabash College to study economics in the fall of 2010, and his daughters, Alison and Emily attend Harrison.
Prior to coming to Purdue, Alter was an energy services contractor for 21 years, specializing in mechanical, electrical and environmental systems.
Alter has a passion for sustainable energy production, delivery and consumption. He believes in providing for the needs of the present without detracting from the ability to fulfill the needs of the future. If elected to the REMC board he will do everything in his power to fulfill that commitment to his neighbors and fellow co-op members.
RICHARD W. HARLOW, JR. – DISTRICT 2
During my thirty seven (37) year career in manufacturing I focused on providing a quality product to the consumer at the lowest cost. I use the same principles as a director for Tipmont REMC. One of the most satisfying parts of my position is being able to problem solve for the consumers in my district. The most challenging part of being a director is making sure that we, as a cooperative, are making the best decision for our members.
I completed the required courses to become a Credentialed Co-op Director (CCD) and I concentrated on issues that benefit our members. I feel much better qualified to represent the consumers in my district. I authored and presented a resolution at the NRECA Regional Meeting, to have all Co-ops replace the old transformers with biodegradable soy oil transformers. The resolution passed and was accepted by all NRECA Regions in the USA. The environmental impact of this change is significant and the new ideas and technologies will benefit our members. My goal is to provide the most reliable service for low cost electricity.
The next few years will be an exciting time for the electricity utility business. At Tipmont we are going through a period of growth and have a number of capital projects planned to provide more reliable service to all our members. Also, with concerns regarding the environmental impact of producing electricity, we must keep a continuing dialogue of “Our Energy, Our Future” to make electric power affordable to all our members.
LYNN BECK - DISTRICT 3
Lynn Beck was born in Columbus, IN, and has been an Indiana resident all his life. He graduated from Franklin Community High School in 1976 and then attended the University of Indianapolis where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1986. Lynn was a banker for 11 years and moved to Lafayette, IN, in 1989, and began a career with IBM where he is currently employed as a Sales Representative in the Systems and Technology Group.
Debbie, Lynn’s wife of 33 years, is a nurse at IU Health in Lafayette. They have 3 children and 5 grandchildren. They attend the Dayton United Methodist Church where Lynn serves as Staff Parish Relations Chair and Lay Delegate Leader.
Lynn and Debbie have been very active over the past 5 years with the Dave Ramsey program and have led 7 Financial Peace University classes that have helped many families with their finances.
Lynn’s goal as a new director is to learn as much as he can to help provide a value-added perspective to providing low cost service and to maintain the values that the cooperative was founded upon.
BRENT BIBLE – DISTRICT 4
Brent Bible was born and raised in southern Tippecanoe County, near Stockwell. He graduated as valedictorian of his McCutcheon High School class in 1992, and then attended Purdue University, earning a B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics in 1998. In 1995, Brent became a Trooper with the Indiana State Police. During 12 years of active duty, he had numerous opportunities and experiences, including being involved in the planning and coordination of the 2001 Farm Progress Show held south of Lafayette, as well as a multitude of sporting events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and working alongside REMC employees in 2005 during relief efforts on the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
His last charge with the Indiana State Police was serving as a Captain in the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, which is charged with truck and bus safety issues in Indiana. At that posting, he had supervisory responsibility for 125 employees and oversaw a $7 million state and federal budget. As the Department’s representative to the Indiana Legislature for commercial vehicle issues, as well as a representative to the Department of Transportation and the international Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, Brent had the opportunity to participate in crafting legislation and policy aimed at enhancing safety on our highways as it relates to large truck and bus traffic. In 2007, a previous trauma injury to both lower legs necessitated his taking a medical retirement from the State Police. Since then, he has managed his family’s farming operation in southern Tippecanoe and northern Montgomery counties.
Brent’s wife, Stacy, was a pharmacist for over 10 years with Arnett Clinic and is currently a pharmacist with the Kroger Company, working at the Payless store on Greenbush Street in Lafayette. Brent and Stacy have a large family of pets and live south of Lafayette near the Tipmont REMC Pop Center Substation. They attend the Stockwell United Methodist church, where Brent serves as the Treasurer and Building Committee chairman. He is a member of the Mulberry Masonic Lodge and an Advisor at FarmHouse Fraternity at Purdue.
Brent states, “As energy costs continue to outpace other inflationary factors, it is important that we maintain the structural integrity of our REMC, as this has proven to be a safe, effective, and efficient means of providing for the electrical needs of our community.”
LARRY CARLSON - DISTRICT 5
I am a resident of Davis Township, Fountain County, and was first elected to the Tipmont board of directors in 1973. During that time, I served six years as secretary-treasurer and twenty-four years as chairman of the board.
Currently I am the representative for Tipmont REMC as a director of the Indiana Statewide Association board. I became a certified director in 1985 after completing several utility seminars taught by the national Rural Electric Cooperative Association. I served as a direct to the boards of the North Central Data cooperative in Bismarck, North Dakota and its successor the National Information Services Cooperative of St. Louis, Missouri from 1993 to 2008. I have also served on the Financial Planning committee of the Wabash Valley Power Association.
I graduated from Purdue University in 1965 with a bachelor’s degree in science, majoring in chemistry and biology. After college, I returned to the family farm, where my wife, Zoetta a retired clinical research coordinator, and I reside today. We are the parents of Jason and Amy, and have three grandchildren. Besides farming, I am a licensed real estate broker, a member of the Fountain Trust Bank advisory board and served four terms as the Davis Township Trustee. In my leisure time, I enjoy fishing, traveling and my grandchildren.
My goals as a director are to represent the member owners in ways that will improve their lives, by providing efficient, reliable, requested serves at reasonable costs.
CURT HUDSON – DISTRICT 6
Curtis K. (Curt) Hudson is 57 years old and lives in Madison Township of Montgomery County. He is a graduate of Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Farm and Business Management. Curt raises corn and soybeans on his 2500 acre farm. His personal hobbies include water sports, reading, and travel. As a Tipmont REMC director, Curt became a Credentialed Cooperative Director as certified by the National Rural Electric Association.
“As a director, I would continue my efforts toward dependable and affordable electricity and initiate programs that enhance the quality of our lives by allowing members to save both time and money. I would be responsive to member's needs and questions. I would also stress the importance of promoting a safe and efficient work environment for all employees and the safe use of electricity by its members and children.”
Curt serves as president of the Linden Cemetery Association, member of the National Corn and Soybean Associations, Linden-Madison Township Historical Society, New Richmond Masonic Lodge, Indiana Farm Bureau and Linden Methodist Church. Curt and his wife, Cindy, are the proud parents of a son, Christopher, and a daughter, Courtney. Christopher currently farms with Curt after obtaining a business degree from Butler and working toward a post graduate degree at Purdue. Courtney is married and works as a high school teacher after graduating from Bradley.
JERRY PEEVLER – DISTRICT 7
Jerry Peevler’s first term on the Tipmont REMC board was, as he puts it, a time of “constant learning and developing a complete understanding of the nuts and bolts of the everyday cooperative business.”
Part of that process involved completing the educational requirements to become a Credentialed Cooperative Director and to earn a Board Leadership Certificate through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
Though Peevler’s tenure on the board has been relatively short, he has been very active. As the board’s alternative energy representative, he keeps fellow directors apprised of developments in that field. He has also served as Tipmont REMC’s voting delegate at meetings on the state and national levels.
“Right now is an extremely exciting time at Tipmont REMC and the energy field as a whole, with new and ever-changing developments in technology and innovations,” Peevler said. “My goal as a director is to continue to offer reliable and low cost service while operating in a progressive manner."
Peevler owned Acme Shuey Hauck Insurance Agency for 30 years before selling the firm in 2000. The agency is now known as Fountain Agency, and Peevler continues to work there as a manager and salesman.
Last month, Peevler retired from the North Montgomery School Board after serving for 12 years. He is a member of the New Richmond Masonic Lodge.
A lifelong resident of Fountain and Montgomery counties, Peevler resides in New Richmond with his wife, Kathy. They are the parents of four adult children. The Peevlers enjoy boating, fishing, scuba diving and spending time with friends and family — especially their grandchildren.
I was born and raised in central Illinois and grew up as a "city kid"! However, my parents were both raised on the farm and I believe they instilled the values that we associate with rural America into me. I also feel that my love of the outdoors has kept me well grounded.
After high school, I attended Wabash Valley College in southern Illinois and earned my associates degree. From there, I transferred to Eastern Illinois University earning a B.S. degree in geography. This lead to a career in public education that began in the small community of Perrysville located in western Indiana. After teaching there for five years, I moved to Veedersburg and continued teaching at Southeast Fountain Elementary School. Along the way I earned a master’s, education specialist, and finally a PhD, all majoring in school administration.
I served the Southeast Fountain School Corporation as an assistant principal, principal, and then district superintendent. After retirement in Indiana, I accepted a position as the chief administrator for a vocational and special education cooperative in Illinois. Retiring from that position in 2006, I thought my career was complete. However, I was called back to the Southeast Fountain district in 2007 to serve as interim superintendent while the board searched for a permanent superintendent. Once again I thought I was retired only to be called upon once again to serve as an interim superintendent for a neighboring school district. Now on my fourth attempt at retirement, I think I might just get it right!
My wife, Nancy, and I have been married 36 years and we have one son. He and his family live near Lebanon and they have a daughter. It’s hard to believe, but she is completing her sophomore year at Western Boone High School.
My hobbies are hunting and horses. I spend quite a lot of time in the saddle and just recently earned a silver belt buckle for completing 5,000 hours of riding. For non-horsemen, that's between 15,000 to 20,000 miles!
I was first elected to the Tipmont board nine years ago. At first I felt overwhelmed, but after getting some experience and training, I grew to enjoy my role as Tipmont director immensely! I also serve as the Tipmont representative to the Wabash Valley Power Association board. WVPA is our power supplier.
I believe strongly in the cooperative principles and if I were to name one thing that sets us apart from the investor owned utilities it would be that we don't have customers, we have members. The members elect the directors to operate the coop as efficiently as possible. I try to never forget that my role as a director is to serve the members as best as I can and I try to always remember that I work for you.