Meet the Board: Mike Dolan

Northern Lights District 1 Director Mike Dolan Invests in the Place That Brings Him Peace

After years as a mortgage banker in Seattle, Mike Dolan was ready to trade corporate life for something different.

Having grown up in Spokane, Washington, and attending college at Washington State University, Mike looked toward home. Priest Lake, where childhood visits had left a lasting impression, kept calling.

“Priest Lake is 1 of the most beautiful places in the world,” he says. “I thought, ‘I’ll live there and figure out something to do.’”

Thirty years later, Mike still lives in Nordman, Idaho, a small, unincorporated community on the west side of Priest Lake.

Mike built a successful residential construction business, established roots in the community, and spent the last decade helping guide the future of Northern Lights as a board member.

When Mike accepted an appointment to the Northern Lights, Inc. Board of Directors in 2016, he knew he was joining an organization with a strong reputation.

Mike heard firsthand from then-board member Eric Anderson what made Northern Lights different. Eric spoke highly of the cooperative’s mission, its commitment to members, and the responsibility of serving on the board.

Those conversations stayed with Mike. When Eric left the board to fill a vacancy on the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, Mike applied to take his place. After being appointed, he was elected by cooperative members to continue serving during the next election.

Today, Mike serves as the board’s secretary/ treasurer and confidently confirms that everything Eric shared with him about Northern Lights was true.

“The cooperative is well run, and everyone takes pride in the work they do,” he says. “Northern Lights has great employees and a dedicated board.”

He is 1 of 7 elected directors responsible for overseeing the cooperative’s long-term financial health and strategic direction.

To strengthen his ability to serve, Mike completed director education, earning the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Certificate in Board Leadership. The training helps directors better understand cooperative governance and the unique challenges facing electric cooperatives.

“The electric industry is really changing,” he says.

Seeing what’s going on and helping plan the future of the co-op’s system is 1 of his favorite parts of serving on the board.

While much has changed in the electric utility industry since he joined the board, Mike enjoys working alongside fellow directors and cooperative leadership to prepare Northern Lights for whatever comes next.

“Helping plan the future of our electric system at Priest Lake is pretty interesting and rewarding,” he says.

When he’s not building homes, volunteering or attending board meetings, Mike enjoys spending time on the lake with his wife, Robbi, and their son. Making the trip through the narrow thoroughfare connecting Priest Lake and Upper Priest Lake is his favorite.

“It’s pretty spectacular,” he says.