SSVEC hires General Counsel Sara Ransom

Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative has announced Sara Ransom to as General Council. Below is the press release:

Sara Ransom, an attorney who has been serving as contracted Corporate Counsel to Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC) since 2021, has been hired as General Counsel. The announcement was made on March 10, 2023, by Jason Bowling, the Chief Executive Officer at SSVEC. According to Mr. Bowling, Ms. Ransom has become an indispensable contributor to the Cooperative, advising the Board of Directors and providing legal guidance in almost all aspects of SSVEC's operations. Mr. Bowling expressed his excitement and satisfaction that Ms. Ransom has agreed to join their organization.

Ms. Ransom took over as a contracted attorney for SSVEC upon the retirement of Bisbee attorney Chris Hitchcock, who served SSVEC for 28 years. Like her predecessor, Ms. Ransom is a graduate of the University of Arizona, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology before completing her Juris Doctor. She is a native of Oregon but has resided in Arizona since 1998. She moved to Cochise County in 2015, where she continues to reside.

Before relocating to Cochise County, Ms. Ransom practiced complex commercial litigation, including disputes involving commercial real estate, water rights, and product liability issues at Squire Patton Boggs and Ballard Spahr. During her time in Phoenix, she was regularly recognized by Southwest Super Lawyers, a nationally-recognized rating organization, for her commercial litigation work.

She joined the Cochise County Attorney’s Office in 2015 and advised the County in multiple areas, including commercial litigation, water adjudication, regulatory and land use matters, and prosecuting violent felony crimes. In 2017 Ms. Ransom was awarded “Rising Star Prosecutor of the Year for the State of Arizona” by the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council. Ms. Ransom was also honored with a State Commendation in 2019 from the Arizona Department of Game and Fish for negotiating a multi-use recreational land access agreement, allowing the public access to a previously inaccessible section of the Whetstone Mountains.

In her role as SSVEC’s first-ever General Counsel, Ms. Ransom will provide legal support for all aspects of SSVEC operations.

“I look forward to working full-time at the member-owned Cooperative, especially at this time when energy issues are at the forefront of development and transition,” Ms. Ransom said. “I am excited to join SSVEC.

It is an organization that genuinely cares about its community, and I am happy to be a part of a team that.