Serving the Member at the End of the Line: Rick Gordon’s Legacy

After 34 years of service on the Mountain View Electric Association Board of Directors, Rick Gordon is retiring, leaving behind a legacy of growth, reliability, and a deep commitment to the cooperative’s members.

Gordon’s journey began in 1992, following the passing of longtime director Wes Maranville. Having worked for Maranville managing a seed company, Gordon was inspired by his mentor’s passion for cooperative service and decided to run for the board seat.

At his first board meeting, Gordon quickly realized the complexity of the cooperative business model saying, “I wanted to make sure MVEA had sound business practices and kept rates as low as possible for members. That’s what has motivated me for the last 34 years.”

During Gordon’s tenure, MVEA grew from approximately 18,000 members to nearly 60,000. Through that growth, he is most proud of the cooperative’s commitment to reliability.

“When I started on the board, outages and blinks were much more common,” Gordon said. “Over the years, we’ve invested in infrastructure and planned for future growth. Today, reliability is something our members can count on.”

Another accomplishment close to Gordon’s heart is MVEA’s partnership with Conexon to bring fiber broadband to rural communities.

“Access to fiber is changing lives,” he said. “It’s connecting people in ways that weren’t possible before, even in our most remote areas.”

A firm believer in the cooperative model, Gordon says co-ops remain important because they focus on serving members rather than generating profits for outside shareholders.

Throughout his service, Gordon enjoyed the challenge of balancing the needs of MVEA’s diverse membership, from rapidly growing urban communities to rural agricultural areas.

“It always kept things interesting,” he said. “Every decision required balance.”

As he retires, Gordon is optimistic about MVEA’s future. He looks forward to seeing the fiber project completed and believes the cooperative is well-positioned to continue serving its members for years to come.

When asked what he hopes members remember most about his service, Gordon’s answer was simple.

“I was always concerned about the member at the end of the line,” he said. “I tried to be fair, honest, and always think about how every decision would affect our members.”

Reflecting on his years of service, Gordon credits much of his success to the support of his wife Cindy, his family, and the employees who helped carry responsibilities at home and at work while he attended meetings, conferences, and training sessions.

“It’s been truly great to be a part of MVEA’s success story for the last 34 years,” Gordon said.