“ I enjoy the people. The employees at GLE do a great job and I want to make sure we keep good people around because they are the ones who keep the cooperative going strong.”
Four Decades of Dedication hen Shelby-area farmer Paul Byl first joined the Great Lakes Energy Board of Directors nearly 40 years ago, the cooperative was much smaller and was known by a different name.
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Paul said the job of a board member for then-Oceana Electric Cooperative was much less complicated than it is today. However, four decades, two mergers, and a name change later, Great Lakes Energy now serves more than 126,000 members in portions of 26 counties. “Originally, it was a fairly easy job,” Paul said. “As the industry has become more complicated and all these mergers have happened, now it’s a lot more work.” Beyond the changes in the cooperative’s name and size, Paul said advances in technology have had a major impact on GLE during his tenure on the board. He pointed to the growth of computer systems that now not only play a critical role in nearly every aspect of the cooperative’s operations but also served as the
driving force behind the launch of GLE’s Truestream fiber internet service in 2018. Looking to the future, Paul is hopeful more grant opportunities will become available that will help expedite Truestream construction efforts. He said one of the biggest challenges facing the cooperative will be balancing electric service reliability with affordability as the industry shifts toward carbon-free power generation. Paul said it’s the people who work at Great Lakes Energy who have been a big part of his desire to keep serving on the board all these years. “I enjoy the people,” Paul said. “The employees at GLE do a great job and I want to make sure we keep good people around because they are the ones who keep the cooperative going strong.” Paul also serves on the board of directors for Wolverine Power Cooperative—GLE’s sole electric supplier—and Spartan Renewable Energy.
In addition to serving on these boards, Paul continues to operate his family farm where he grows cherries, asparagus, apples, peaches, and blueberries. Paul also serves his community as a volunteer with the Ladder Community Center in Shelby. He soon will be expanding this work through a new program the center has started known as “Kid’s Hope.” The program will pair Paul with an elementary schoolage student with whom he’ll meet for about an hour each week to provide mentorship and a listening ear. In his free time—usually in the farm’s off-season—Paul enjoys the occasional evening out or a winter getaway with his wife Anne.
Paul is one of three GLE board members whose terms will be expiring in 2024 and he said he is planning to again seek reelection to his District 7 seat on the board.
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