Mary Wright

Mary Wright has served on the WREC Board since 1981. She is a Certified Credentialed Director, and has earned her Leadership credential as well.

Marys husband, Bill Wright, served on the Board. Mary nominated Bill, and he served for three years. Time restraints demanded Bill give up his position on the Board, and Mary took his place. “I feel that is a wonderful honor and a pleasure to serve on the WREC Board of Directors,” Mary says.

Mary met her husband Bill in 1950, when she was 16 years old. They were both students at Stanford University. They married, graduated and Bill took his bride to the Marys River family ranch 20 miles north of Deeth in 1954.

“People thought I might have a hard time adjusting to an isolated Nevada ranch, but I was born on a farm in Georgia. Mala Vista Headquarters had running water and two diesel generators: a five KW and a 15 KW to power basic energy needs.

“When WREC energized the system in 1960, Bill Wright Sr. insisted on keeping the generators maintained and ready in the event of the lengthy outages he felt we could surely expect of a new untried system. Those generators were never started again after WREC activation,” Mary smiles.

Mary remembers that co-op members had to guarantee a $25 a month payment to WREC when they signed on for power. “But Bill Sr. volunteered to pay $100 a month until the system was financially stable and the monthly minimums were discontinued.” That was an expression of the deep appreciation for sufficient energy to meet the ranch’s energy needs.

Mary and Bill Wright reared five children on the Marys River Ranch. Three of the adult children still make their home on the ranch. Bill Wright 111’s veterinarian service covers northeastern Nevada from his base in Elko. The youngest Wright daughter lives in Ketchum, Idaho and works as an investment banker.

“I’m proud of WREC’s reliable service. WildBlue’s faster and more reliable Internet service is a further commitment to WREC members,” Mary says.

“We are working to keep a dependable electrical supply that will support growth and control costs in the WREC service area,” Mary says when asked about her goals as a director.

Mary has served on the Executive Board of the Northwest Public Power Association for five years and is currently the president of  NWPPA which represents over 150 public utilities, cooperatives, municipalities, and utility districts in eleven northwestern states. Most of these energy companies get their power from Bonneville Power Administration, as does WREC.

Mary says she thinks nuclear power will likely supply much of the country’s energy needs in the future. “We need to accept that there must be trade-offs, but I would regret seeing large areas of the land covered by wind generators or solar panels.”

Mary and Bill Wright travel widely. After the fall of the Soviet Union, they observed the devastation in the country of Georgia when the local government, in reaction to Chernobyl, closed down their nuclear plants. “There was nothing to replace the nuclear plants. Now Georgia’s once flourishing automobile plants sit empty, rusting away. Local citizens get by on two hours of electricity daily. The hills surrounding Tiblisi were denuded for firewood.  Well-maintained nuclear plants have served Europe well,” Mary says.

"I hope WREC’s Board of Directors will continue the home grown, home-based service we enjoy in our small company.  WREC works for all of us,” Mary says.