Bob Sahr joins East River Electric as general counsel
Dec. 7, 2006
Madison – During the December meeting on Thursday (Dec. 7), the Board of Directors welcomed the newest member of East River Electric Power Cooperative's management staff. Bob Sahr, the former chairman of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, recently began his new position as new general counsel for the Madison-based power supplier.
Sahr now provides legal advice for East River's board and management. During Thursday's meeting, the board also appointed Sahr as Assistant Board Secretary, for purposes of attesting contracts and other legal documents.
"Bob's strong background in energy and telecommunications issues will be a great asset to East River's management team,” said General Manager Jeff Nelson. “With East River involved in extensive construction, economic development and communications programs, our new general counsel will provide us with important services.”
A graduate of the University of Colorado School of Law, Sahr previously served as general counsel for the South Dakota Bureau of Personnel and practiced law with a firm in Pierre, before being appointed to the Public Utilities Commission in 2001. The Pierre native was elected to a four-year term in 2002, served as chairman and did not seek reelection in 2006.
As a public utilities commissioner, Sahr supported efforts to increase the use of renewable energy, including the cooperatives' efforts to develop the state's first wind farm at Highmore. He was also involved in a variety of power supply, transmission, telecommunications and consumer-advocacy issues. He broadened his knowledge of energy and telecommunications issues as an officer for two regional organizations comprised of state utility and regulatory commissioners.
During his years as a PUC commissioner, Sahr gained a greater appreciation for the work done by East River and other electric cooperatives in South Dakota and the region.
"At the PUC, I saw firsthand how East River and the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives always had the best interests of their members and their communities in mind," Sahr said. "It is an honor to join an organization with such an impressive past and such an important role to play in our region’s future.”
Bob and his wife Christine have purchased a house in Madison. The couple and their 4-year-old daughter Allison will be moving into their new home late this year. Former general counsel David Blair recently retired and is moving with his wife Victoria to Arizona.
East River Electric is a power-supply cooperative that delivers wholesale power through a 2,600-mile transmission system to 21 member electric distribution systems. These distribution systems in turn provide retail electricity to more than 85,000 homes and businesses in a 36,000-square-mile service area, covering 41 counties in eastern South Dakota and nine counties in western Minnesota. East River and its member cooperatives belong to an alliance of 630 Touchstone Energy Cooperatives in 45 states, delivering energy and energy solutions with integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community.
