The best candidate for NLI is Thomas Fletcher

Vote for Thomas Fletcher for the board of Northern Lights.

You may have noticed campaign signs scattered along the roads from Sagle to Athol stating that the NLI employees support the reelection of Dave Pemberton.

I think it is appropriate for an employee to personally endorse a board member. However, for a collective of employees to announce to the public their support implies something very different. The board of directors represents NLI customers, not the employees.

Consequently, one of the cardinal rules of the relationship between a board of directors and management of a company rests in a strict separation of power. It would be a conflict of interest for the board members to become beholden to the management or employees.

Should Dave Pemberton get reelected to the board, will he be grateful to the employees for their support? When he first ran, I voted for him because he promised to get rid of the “old boys” club. Now though, it appears one hand is washing the other.

Did the board really give him permission to use the copyrighted NLI logo on his signage? That management has not insisted on the removal of the signs implies at least tacit approval. This is why I’m voting for Thomas Fletcher, a local business owner who believes in accountability. I love the fact that he’s selflessly going to donate all of the money he receives for his service on the board to a local charity here in the area.

THOMAS LEO

Cocolalla