Aerospace engineer and noted inventor Dr. Jerry Whitfield is the newest member of the Orcas Power and Light Cooperative board of directors.

A Shaw Island resident since 1999, Whitfield was appointed to the board to fill a vacancy in the cooperative’s District 4 area, which comprises Crane, Canoe, Bell and Shaw islands. He takes over the position of former director John Bogert, who stepped down in 2013; the term expires in 2016.

An renewable energy entrepreneur and inventor of the wood pellet stove, Whitfield has been associated with such companies as Rolls Royce Aero Engines, General Electric and Boeing during his career. His latest invention is a cafe coffee roaster, called Sonofresco, which he and his wife, Carol, manage from the company’s Burlington-based headquarters.

Whitfield’s tenure on the OPALCO board of directors began in March.