DEMCO Board of Directors
DEMCO Board of Directors is composed of 13 individuals elected by the general membership to represent the membership in all matters pertaining to the electric cooperative.
DEMCO Board of Directors is comprised of thirteen individuals elected by the general membership to represent the membership in all matters pertaining to their electric cooperative. Each director is elected for a term of three years. Elections are alternating, allowing four directors to be elected yearly, with five directors elected every third year.
Each board director serves a "board district," which is made up of DEMCO members. Each member has one vote in the election of their district's director.
DEMCO Board of Directors elects the board president. The president serves for a term of one year and can be re-elected. The current Board President is Daniel P. Berthelot representing Livingston Parish, Board District 9. The board of directors appoints DEMCO CEO/General Manager.
Each board director has obtained the Director Gold Credential, which is the most comprehensive level of education to advance their knowledge and fulfill their fiduciary duty as elected officials serving and representing DEMCO members. Only nine of the 900+ electric co-ops in America can boast this achievement.
Your DEMCO board directors have each completed coursework and certification provided through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association on topics: co-op governance, engineering, operations, management, politics, finance, technology, communications, risk management, power supply, parliamentary procedure, technology, policy development, and other ongoing and emerging issues.
Meet Your Board of Directors
Elinda Taillon
Elinda Taillon
District 1
Ascension Parish
Credentialed Co-op Director
Board Leadership Certificate
Director Gold Credential
Elinda Taillon was appointed to the DEMCO Board of Directors effective November 12, 2020, to fulfill the unexpired term of Clarence Brock, serving District 1 members. She serves on the Operations Committee.
Retired from BASF Corporation as Supply Chain Coordinator in Geismar, Louisiana, Taillon served in multiple departments for 37 years. She is a lifelong resident of Ascension Parish.
Taillon serves as Secretary to the President and Sponsor Coordinator for the Jambalaya Festival Association. She is a past Ascension Leadership graduate and past chairman of Ascension Parish Tourism for seven years.
She resides in Prairieville, Louisiana, and is the mother of one son, a daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.
Jill McGraw
Jill McGraw
District 2
East Baton Rouge
Credentialed Co-op Director
Board Leadership Certificate
Director Gold Credential
Jill McGraw, a lifelong resident of the Zachary area, was appointed to the DEMCO Board of Directors in February 2018 to fill Ann Samuel's unexpired term. She completed her Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) Certificate and proudly serves on the Purchasing Committee, the Rate Committee, and the Manager's Evaluation Committee.
Having been active in the fast-growing community of Zachary, Jill is well-versed in the efforts necessary to serve cooperative members in the rural town she grew up in and the thriving city it has become today.
Jill represents the northwestern part of East Baton Rouge Parish, which includes Baker and Zachary. District 2 is located south of East Feliciana Parish, east of the Mississippi River, north of Harding Boulevard, and west of Plank Road, Blackwater Road, and Rheames Road.
Randy Lorio
Randy Lorio
District 3
East Baton Rouge
Credentialed Co-op Director
Board Leadership Certificate
Director Gold Credential
Randy Lorio was appointed to the DEMCO Board of Directors in 1994. He currently serves as Vice President, Chairperson of the Purchasing Committee, and member of the Board Governance Committee.
District 3 is located south of East Feliciana Parish, east of Plank Road, Blackwater Road, and Rheames Road, west of Livingston and St. Helena Parishes, and north of Greenwell Springs Road.
Steve Irving
Steve Irving
District 4
East Baton Rouge
Credentialed Co-op Director
Board Leadership Certificate
Director Gold Credential
Steve Irving was elected to the DEMCO Board of Directors in 1987. A native of Alexandria, Louisiana, he attended LSU-A, LSU, and the University of Alabama. In 1971 he moved to Baton Rouge and enrolled at LSU Law School.
Irving served as Vice President of the Board for ten years. He currently chairs the Finance Committee and is a member of the Board Governance Committee. He is also a member of the Board of Managers for DEMCO Energy Services.
After graduating from Law School in 1974, he accepted a position with the Attorney General's office. In 1976, he was named director of the Consumer League's Energy program. During his tenure with the Consumer League, Irving was named a Consumer Advisor to the U.S. Department of Energy to assist in formulating the national energy policy.
In 1981, Irving entered his full-time private law practice in Baton Rouge. He has been recognized for his efforts in environmental cases. From 1989 to 1992, Irving also served as an Assistant Attorney General and Chief Counsel for the Louisiana Inspector General.
Steve is the Technology Lead for the Louisiana Region of the Red Cross. He is also a manager in Disaster Services Technology, the volunteer force within the Red Cross that supplies IT and communications support for relief operations. He is also an Emergency Coordinator for the Amateur Radio Emergency Service Region 2 and has been involved in disaster communications for 50 years.
District 4 is located south of Magnolia Bridge Road, east of Greenwell Springs Road and Airline Highway, west of Livingston Parish, and north of Ascension Parish.
Mike Anderson
Mike Anderson
District 5
East Feliciana Parish
Credentialed Co-op Director
Board Leadership Certificate
Director Gold Credential
Mike Anderson was appointed to the DEMCO Board of Directors in March 2020 to fill Faye Morris's unexpired term. He completed his Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) Certificate and serves on the Operations Committee.
Anderson is a native of Zachary and a graduate of Zachary High School. He has worked in the air conditioning trade for 30 years and has owned and operated A&B Mechanical for the past 15 years.
He and his wife Patti have settled in East Feliciana Parish, where they now call Ethel, LA, home. Mike has always been known for his community involvement and passion for helping others. He is looking forward to serving on the board and serving the members of District 5.
Glenn DeLee
Glenn DeLee
District 6
East Feliciana Parish
Credentialed Co-op Director
Board Leadership Certificate
Director Gold Credential
Glenn DeLee was appointed to the DEMCO Board of Directors in August 2010. He is currently a member of the Purchasing Committee.
A native of Clinton, DeLee has worked for the State Department of Transportation and Development as a Project Engineer for the past 29 years, serving the citizens of East and West Feliciana Parishes.
DeLee is an active Clear Creek United Methodist Church member and enjoys coaching and participating in sports with his teenage children. He served several years as president of the East Feliciana Little League.
District 6 is located south of the State of Mississippi, east of Louisiana Highways 68 and 955, west of St. Helena Parish, and north of Louisiana Highways 68, 955, 67, and 10. This includes the Ethel, Jackson, McManus, Norwood and Wilson areas.
Leslie Falks
Leslie Falks
District 7
Livingston Parish
Credentialed Co-op Director
Board Leadership Certificate
Director Gold Credential
Leslie Falks was appointed to the Board in 1987. He serves on the Purchasing Committee.
Falks is a member of the Dixie Business Center board of directors. He is also DEMCO's representative to the Southwest Power Resources Association (SPRA) Board of Directors and a member of the DEMCO Energy Services board of managers. He is a former president and a member of the Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives (ALEC) Board.
Falks is a lifelong resident of Livingston Parish and a local business owner.
District 7 is located south of St. Helena Parish, east of East Baton Rouge Parish, west of Louisiana Highway 447 and north of Louisiana Highway 16.
Dennis Lott
Dennis Lott
District 8
Livingston Parish
Credentialed Co-op Director
Board Leadership Certificate
Director Gold Credential
Dennis Lott was appointed to the DEMCO Board of Directors in March 2009. He is currently the Board Secretary-Treasurer, Chair of the Board Governance Committee, member of the Finance Committee, and member of the DEMCO Energy Services Board.
Lott has lived in Livingston Parish his whole life and retired from DEMCO in March 2007 after 35 years of service. He and his wife, Darlene, have two children and six grandchildren.
District 8 is located south of St. Helena Parish, east of Louisiana Highway 16 and 447, west of Tangipahoa Parish, and north of Louisiana Highway 447 and Interstate 12.
Daniel P. Berthelot
Daniel P. Berthelot
District 9
Livingston Parish
Credentialed Co-op Director
Board Leadership Certificate
Director Gold Credential
Danny Berthelot was elected to the DEMCO Board of Directors in 1989. He is currently the Board President and serves as an Ex Officio member of all DEMCO Board Committees.
As President of the Board, Berthelot is the principal executive officer of DEMCO. He also serves on the following boards: DEMCO Energy Services and the Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives, and he is a former president of that board.
Berthelot is a lifelong resident of Livingston Parish and resides in the Whitehall community. He graduated from Maurepas High School and attended Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. Berthelot is a business owner in Livingston Parish.
District 9 is located south of Interstate 12, east of Ascension Parish and Louisiana Highways 16 and 447, west of Tangipahoa Parish, and north of Lake Maurepas.
Richard W. "Dickie" Sitman
Richard W. "Dickie" Sitman
District 10
St. Helena Parish
Credentialed Co-op Director
Board Leadership Certificate
Director Gold Credential
Richard Sitman was elected to the DEMCO Board of Directors in 1987. He serves as Chairperson of the Operations Committee and is a member of the Board Governance Committee. Sitman is also President of Dixie Business Development Center and serves on the DEMCO Energy Services board.
He served 22 years on the Board of Directors for CoBank, a cooperative bank with $130 billion in assets. He also serves on the Board of Directors for First Guaranty Bank and is a past board member of the Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives.
Sitman is a lifelong resident of St. Helena Parish and was a previous business owner in the Town of Greensburg for thirty years. He is a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond with a degree in business administration.
District 10 is located south of the State of Mississippi, east of East Feliciana Parish, west of Tangipahoa Parish, and north of Louisiana Highway 10.
Tresa Byrd
Tresa Byrd
District 11
St. Helena Parish
Credentialed Co-op Director
Board Leadership Certificate
Director Gold Credential
Tresa Byrd, a lifelong resident of the St. Helena parish, was appointed to the DEMCO Board of Directors in March 2020 to fill Frank Johnson's unexpired term. She completed her Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) Certificate and serves on the Finance Committee.
Mrs. Byrd has been employed by the St. Helena Parish Police Jury since 1994 and has served as the building official since 2008. She serves on various committees with the Police Jury and served four years as a board member of the Building Officials Association of Louisiana.
Byrd is a graduate of St. Helena High School. She is blessed with two wonderful children and one handsome grandson.
Melissa Dufreche
Melissa Dufreche
District 12
Tangipahoa Parish
Credentialed Co-op Director
Board Leadership Certificate
Director Gold Credential
Melissa Dufreche was appointed to the DEMCO Board of Directors on July 25, 2019, representing Board District 12 Tangipahoa Parish. She serves on the Operations Committee.
A lifelong resident of Tangipahoa Parish, Melissa resides in the Pumpkin Center area and is a Certified Court Reporter.
She attended Southeastern Louisiana University and the University of Phoenix and graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas Regional Catholic High School in Hammond, La.
Melissa is married to Corey Dufreche and has one child, Kirstin.
She serves on various Richard Murphy Hospice Foundation Gala committees, including the 2020 Gala Chair. Past service includes serving on the Tangipahoa Parish Chapter of Coastal Conservation Association and the Tangipahoa Parish Chapter of Ducks Unlimited.
Kevin Beauchamp
Kevin Beauchamp
District 13
West Feliciana Parish
Credentialed Co-op Director
Board Leadership Certificate
Director Gold Credential
Kevin Beauchamp was elected to the DEMCO Board of Directors in May 2019. He serves on the Finance Committee.
A lifelong resident of West Feliciana Parish, Kevin graduated from St. Francisville High School in May 1978 and worked at DEMCO for 38 years before retiring in 2018. "I represent the entire parish of West Feliciana Parish and look forward to helping our community."
Kevin served on the West Feliciana School Board for over 18 years; for eight years, he was President of the Board. For the past twenty-four years, he served on the Gas Utility District Board and served as President for sixteen of the twenty-four years.
He has been married to Rhonda Beauchamp for 30+ years and has three children and four grandchildren.
Contact Kevin Beauchamp: (225) 933-0006
District Map
To identify your DEMCO Board Member representative, enter your address on the district map provided.