Border States Electric

Executive Council


Tammy Miller

Tammy Miller

CEO

Tammy joined Border States as the Accounting Manager in 1991 and was appointed Treasurer in 1992. She has served in a variety of positions at the corporate office, including Corporate Controller, Vice President Finance, Senior Vice President, and Executive Vice President. In 2003, she relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, where she assumed general management responsibilities for the Southwest Region. Tammy was named President in 2005 and CEO in January 2006. She has been a Border States officer and member of the Board of Directors since 1996, and was named Board Chair in 2006. She has also been an Executive Council member since its inception in 1997.

In 2007–2008, Tammy led the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) as the Board Chair. She was the first woman in the 100-year history of NAED to serve as the Board Chair. Additionally, Tammy serves on the Board of Directors for Affiliated Distributors (A-D is the largest wholesale buying and marketing group in North America), the Board of Directors for the Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, and is the Chair of the Elite Distributors Insurance Captive (EDIC) Finance Committee. Tammy also serves as the Chair for the 2010 United Way of Cass-Clay Campaign and on a variety of community advisory councils. 

Miller has received NAED’s Distributor Distinguished Service Award for her outstanding and dedicated service to NAED and the electrical distribution industry, the YWCA Women of the Year in Business Award, and two distinguished alumni awards from Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM). Additionally, she has been recognized as one of the most influential women in Fargo-Moorhead.

Gary Miller

Gary Miller

President

Gary joined Border States in 1979 and has served in a variety of positions at the branch and corporate levels. He has been an Assistant Branch Manager, Branch Manager, West/Central Region Area Manager, Northwest Region Vice President, and Executive Vice President. Gary was named to the Border States Executive Council in 1997, has been an officer since 2000, and joined the Board of Directors in 2005.

Greg Thrall

Greg Thrall

Senior VP Operations & IT

Greg joined Border States in 1973 and has served in a variety of positions at the branch and corporate levels. He has worked in the warehouse, and has served as a Customer Service Representative, Account Manager, Branch Manager, Corporate Operations Manager, and Vice President Operations. In 2005, he was named Senior Vice President Operations and Inventory Management. Greg was named to the Border States Executive Council in 1999 and has been an officer since 2000. He joined the Board of Directors in 2005 and serves as Corporate Secretary.

Brian Becker

Brian Becker

Vice President Finance

Brian began with Border States in July 1999 and has served as Accounting Manager and Corporate Controller. In 2006 he was named Vice President Finance and joined the Executive Council. Brian also serves as Corporate Treasurer. He is a member of the company’s safety, donations, ESOP, and 401(k) committees, and is the liaison for the company’s audit committee. He also serves on the Performance Analysis (PAC) committee of the National Association of Electrical Distributors and on the North Dakota State University School of Business Advisory Board. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the North Dakota Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Gerald "Poke" Buck

Gerald “Poke” Buck

Vice President Northwest Region

Poke has been with Border States since May 2003. He has served as Supply Chain Services Specialist, Business Development Specialist, and Region Manager. Poke has general management responsibilities for the company’s branch locations in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. He was named Vice President Northwest Region in 2007 and has been a member of the Executive Council since 2006.

Matt Eddleman

Matthew Eddleman

Vice President Southwest Region

Matt joined Border States in June 2005. He was named Vice President Southwest Region and to the Executive Council in 2006. He has general management responsibilities for the company’s branch locations in Arizona and New Mexico. Matt is a member of the National Association of Electrical Distributors and Affiliated Distributors. He serves on the Thomas and Betts Distributor Advisory Council, Seimens Distributor Advisory Council, and the Small Business Leadership Council for the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.

Bruce Johnson

Bruce Johnson

Vice President East Region

Bruce joined Border States in November 2008 when Border States acquired Harris Electric Supply of Tennessee. He served as Vice President–Sales & Engineering for Harris Electric, and East Region Sales Manager following the acquisition before being named Vice President and to the Executive Council in May 2009. He has general management responsibilities for the company’s branch locations in Tennessee. Bruce is a member of the Association of High Tech Distributors, the National Association of Electrical Distributors, and Affiliated Distributors.

Barry Nelson

Barry Nelson

Vice President Marketing

Barry joined Border States in 1992 when Border States acquired Sterling Electric Supply in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Since that time, Barry has served as Corporate Marketing Manager, Vice President Sales and Marketing for Electrical Construction, and currently serves as Vice President Marketing. He has been a Border States officer and Executive Council member since 2000. Barry leads the Border States Green Team for our corporate sustainability initiative and has been an active participant in various NAED task force initiatives. He currently serves on the Affiliated Distributors (A-D) Electrical Supply Division Board and is an A-D Network Chairman. Barry also is involved with various manufacturers’ distributor or business advisory councils including Thomas and Betts, Lightolier/Genlyte, Schneider Electric, and others. Barry has 31 years of industry experience.

Ken Rowland

Ken Rowland

Vice President Northeast Region

Ken began with Border States as an Account Manager in July 1992. He served as Northeast Region Business Development Manager and Northeast Region Manager before being named Vice President in 2008. He was named to the Executive Council in 2007. Ken has general management responsibilities for the company’s branch locations in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

Sherri Sandvig

Sherri Sandvig

Vice President Human Resources

Sherri has been with Border States since March 1996. She was named to the Executive Council in April 2007 and Vice President–Human Resources in April 2009. Sherri is a certified Professional in Human Resources and a member of the Society of Human Resource Management, National Association of Electrical Distributors’ Education and Development Council, and the Agassiz Valley Human Resource Association. She is a past member of the Board of Trustees and serves as the Human Resource Committee Chair for the United Way of Cass-Clay.

Jason Seger

Jason Seger

Vice President Operations and Inventory

Jason began his career with Border States in November 1999 as part of the Utility Marketing team. He has served as a Material Requirements Planning Specialist, Sales and Marketing Coordinator for the utility market, and Purchasing Manager. In May 2009, he was named Director of Inventory and Operations, and in April 2010, he was appointed vice president and to the Executive Council. Jason is a member of APICS The Association for Operations Management, the Institute for Supply Management, and Minnesota State University Moorhead’s Operations Management and Industrial Technology Advisory Board.

Lex Silbernagel

Lex Silbernagel

Vice President Alliance Director

Lex joined Border States in 1984 and has served in a variety of positions at both the branch and corporate levels. He has served as Engineer, Branch Manager, Corporate Utility Sales Manager, and Corporate Marketing Manager for Utility Products. In 2000, Lex was named Vice President Sales and Marketing for Utility and named to the Executive Council. In 2005, he was named Vice President Supply Chain Services, and in 2009, he was named Vice President Alliance Director. Lex serves on several manufacturer and customer advisory councils pertaining to the commercial and technical aspects of the evolving supply chain.

Jason Stein

Jason Stein

Vice President Sales

Jason joined Border States in May 1995 as a part of the Management Trainee Program. He has served in various positions including Product Manager, Automation Account Manager, and Northwest Region Industrial Sales Manager. In 2009, he was named Director of Sales. Jason was appointed vice president and to the Executive Council in 2010. Jason is a member of NAED’s Leadership Enhancement and Development (LEAD) organization, participates in Minnesota State University Moorhead’s Alumni Foundation, and is a 2010 United Way campaign leader.



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