West Oregon Electric Cooperative (WOEC) > Uncategorized > Nominees for Director – Bios

District 1 – Jewell, Elsie, Hamlet
Brian Baker
Occupation: Director of Sales & Service for Legacy Automation Inc. and Co-owner of Bakers General Store

Candidate Message: I have lived in Jewell Oregon since 1968, and have been a member of West Oregon Electric off and on since that time. I graduated from Jewell High School, attended Clatsop Community College, and worked as a logger. I joined the US Navy and served for 4 years as an electrician and ships electrical safety petty officer. After the Navy I worked for Crown Zellerbach Co in Oregon and The Weyerhaeuser Co in Everett Washington for three years as a process and systems
technician at development saw mills. I moved back to Jewell and have spent the last couple decades putting my children through the Jewell Schools, serving on the Jewell School Board, and now have a third generation in Jewell. In 1982 I joined the Lamb Grays Harbor Co. I was with them for 20 years as a field representative and electrical engineer. I supervised the installation and started pulp and paper mill equipment in almost all the States and many countries around the world. Ten  years ago I was involved with rebuilding the company under the name of Legacy Automation Inc. I am presently the Director of Sales & Service for the company.


About ten years ago my wife and I also opened Bakers General Store in Elsie, Oregon on Hwy 26. Suzie has worked hard over the years to run the store and maintain a satisfied customer base. My wife and I are both proud to be associated with the community and have strived to give back to the community. We see the  timber products we are involved in as the original “Green” and sustainable resource and products. As a director I would use my experience to help optimize the West Oregon Electric Co-op, I believe we can balance a well funded and well maintained organization with attention paid to a sustainable budget. I feel this is an opportunity to help see WOEC into the future for my children, grandchildren, my neighbors and the members of the Co-op.


District 4 – Vernonia
Brett Costley
Occupation: Teacher


Candidate Message: I have been on the WOEC board since the spring of 2017. I was born and raised in Covington, Georgia and graduated with Bachelor and Master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech. I worked for six years as an engineer for Compaq Computer Corporation in Houston, Texas where I met my wife, Penny. We moved to Oregon in 1997 where I worked for Intel Corporation in Hillsboro, Oregon for fifteen years. Shortly after moving to Vernonia in 1998, I became involved in community work including serving on the Vernonia City Council for almost ten years. I currently serve as President of the Vernonia Health Center. I am leaving my position as board chair on the Vernonia School District board this summer in order to begin teaching engineering in the Vernonia Schools. Penny and I are proud parents of two native Vernonians: Grace and Nicholas. I make no promise to lower electric rates. I do promise to strive to ensure that WOEC operates
in a fiscally responsible manner.

District 4 – Vernonia
Sharlena Roberts
Occupation: Human Resources

Candidate Message: My name is Sharlena J. Roberts and I am running for the position of Board Member for the cooperative. I have lived in the wonderful community of  Vernonia for 6 years with my daughter Portland who is turning 4 in August!

I have a Bachelors of Science in Human Resource Management from Devry University, for which I graduated Cum Laude in 2013. I moved to Vernonia, Oregon in June of 2013 after completing Chemotherapy and Radiation for of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, of which I am  thankful to say is in remission as of January 25th, 2018.

At present, I work for 2 wonderful organizations; the Pixie Project, a non-profit animal rescue, as Human Resources, managing employee relations, processing payroll, managing expenses for the business as well as working with our brokers for the business insurance and employee health insurance. On Saturday nights I work for the Portland Rescue Mission, in the domestic violence units.

My objective with the board is to utilize the talents and skills I have amassed over the last decade to facilitate a level of peace and understanding between the cooperative and the community, so we can work together to reach our goals in maintaining the budget, and create an affordable rate that will help everyone in this town live their lives without having to sacrifice more then what we already do to survive.


District 6 – Vernonia
Rosemary Lohrke
Occupation: Retired

Candidate Message: I’ve lived in West Oregon territory most of my life. My grandparents were amongst the original members. They happily joined as soon as electricity became available. My husband, Frank, and I became members of West Oregon Electric Cooperative in 1978 and I took a position on the board of directors in December of 2013 when Dixie London retired.

I serve on several committees including the Columbia County Traffic Safety Commission, the Northwest Area Commission on Transportation, The Columbia County Road Advisory Committee, and the Citizens’ Planning Advisory Committee.

I accepted the position on the board and filed for election for the same reason as I serve on other boards and committees. I like where we live and want to do all I can to protect and preserve what we have.