A little bit about me……
I was born in Detroit into a family of twelve (I’m number ten). After high school, I attended the University of Michigan and Lake Superior State University where I graduated with a degree in Finance and Economics. While there, I met my wife, Deb, and we have been married for thirty-six years and have two adult daughters, Nikki and Alex.
I am a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and have been involved in the investment industry for over thirty-five years. I launched my own firm, Schweitzer Capital Group, in 1996. I was an adjunct instructor at Davenport University for ten years where I taught corporate finance, economics, and personal investments. Over the past thirty years, I have experienced and guided my clients through many major economic events including the 1987 crash, the 1999 dot-com bubble, 9/11, the Great Recession of 2008/2009, and COVID-19.
As chairman of your board, I feel strongly that my experience is vital in keeping your cooperative financially strong. 2022 was a watershed year for Cherryland. As a member of the retiree health care committee, we have made defensive changes to the retiree health care investment portfolio to protect its funded status. Due to rampant inflation and supply chain issues, we made the difficult decision to raise rates for the first time in five years in order to stabilize the finances of Cherryland. We also selected Rachel Johnson as our next CEO due to the retirement of current CEO Tony Anderson. The bottom line is that we continued to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electric service to your homes and businesses during this time period. I bring no personal agenda and always strive to do what’s best for our members.
During this uncertain time, experience is vital. I bring that experience and feel strongly that your cooperative will come through this successfully. Please see the May issue of Country Lines or go to the Cherryland website for instructions on how to vote. It is a very easy process. Thanks for participating in this important election and I thank you for your vote!
It’s all about the facts
There is a lot of discussion regarding renewables, electric vehicles, broadband, and other issues affecting the electric utility industry. My default is to look at the facts regardless of the issue. Following are some of my “go to” websites when studying these issues:
Electricity Usage (note the “Sources and Uses” in the lower left corner of the page as well)
Electric Vehicles (Note: EV technology is changing fast. Much of the information on this site will be obsolete in a short period of time)
Governmental Affairs (relating to Michigan-based electric cooperatives)
Cherryland in action
As a member of your board, I have voted in favor of the many technological improvements that the management team has requested. Your cooperative has continued to run smoothly because of some of those improvements, especially text outage notification and online bill pay which alleviates the need for in-person cash payments. They are proving their worth and are critical in keeping Cherryland operating without interruption.
Cherryland is in very good financial shape. When measured by several metrics, Cherryland ranks among the best compared to our peer group of over nine hundred cooperatives across the country (especially capital credit retirements). As a member of the audit committee, I am pleased to report that our yearly independent audits have received consistently high marks.
Finally, we take care of our members. Programs such as Cherryland Cares, partnerships with Habitat for Humanity and Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the YMCA, our volunteers at Hospice House, blood drives, and others too many to list, indicate our concern and our willingness to help those that need it most in our communities.
Staying ahead of the curve
Electric vehicles (EVs)– They are coming! Tens of billions of dollars are being spent by the auto companies on their development. Cherryland needs to be prepared and is examining rate structures and demand issues as most of the charging will occur at the home overnight. In addition, Cherryland has leased several EV models in order to understand and prepare for their eventual mass adoption. The de-carbonization of the automobile will have the greatest impact on the reduction of CO2 emissions in the US, more so than any other source.
Energy mix– Natural gas, nuclear, wind, and solar are the power generation sources of the future. Cherryland’s carbon-free mix (provided by Wolverine Power) is over 60% and growing. There are many exciting developments as technological change drives down prices for all sources. If you’re so inclined, please consider leasing a solar panel from our community solar program. We have thousands of panels available (see the Cherryland website for more details). One of the biggest issues with the adoption and continued growth of renewable energy are local zoning regulations which prevent wind and solar farms from being developed. Cherryland has long urged grassroots involvement and action at the local level in this regard.
votedaveschweitzer.com 