General Manager/Executive Vice President of Benton Rural Electric Association

Number of employees you oversee: 72

Brief background about

your electric cooperative:

Benton REA is a not-for-profit, electric cooperative

that has been providing the people of Benton, Yakima and Lewis counties with

high-quality, reliable service since 1937. Our structure of being owned and

controlled by the members we serve ensures that we remain focused on providing

cost effective and reliable electric service along with other member-driven

services.

These member-driven services include extensive

energy-efficiency and renewable energy programs, vocational and academic

scholarships, the Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., and classes to educate

members on general computer skills and our programs.

Our member-driven services are highlighted by

PowerNET, which provides internet, IT consulting and PC repair services.

PowerNET was created because our members identified and asked Benton REA to

help fill a need. We provide individuals, businesses and even school districts

with solutions to their internet and IT needs.

Benton REA also offers extensive economic development

programs. The co-op has partnered with local agencies to recruit new businesses

or help current businesses expand, resulting in hundreds of new jobs to our

area.

Benton REA is proud of its member-focused approach,

and our members say they like it too. For three straight years, Benton REA

received an American Customer Satisfaction Index rating that ranks in the top 4

percent of the nation for electric cooperatives. And we bring this same

collaborative and member focused approach to the state Legislature. For more

information about Benton REA and its latest positions on issues facing the

Legislature, please visit bentonrea.org.

How did you land your

current role? How long have you been in it?

I was hired at Benton REA in 1989 as the manager of

finance, then worked under various titles for Benton REA over the years while

always being willing to learn new things and volunteering for tough assignments

and projects. I was appointed to the general manager position in January of

2016.

What is the biggest

challenge or challenges facing utilities today?

Delivering the message about the importance of our

way of life in the Pacific Northwest being highly dependent upon the dams in

the Columbia and Snake rivers. The reliable and affordable hydropower that is

generated by the dams is carbon-free and is critical for providing backup power

to wind and solar generation for when the wind doesn’t blow and when the sun

doesn’t shine. The hydropower associated with dams also has “energy storage”

capability by virtue of the water pools behind the dams, and the dams also

provide necessary flood controls along the lengths of the rivers.

What’s the most common

question you get from your members?

Many Benton REA members ask me to explain capital

credits. It isn’t common for most electric utilities to give money back to

their consumers. But Benton REA consumers are also owners, and capital credits

are the way that Benton REA returns net margins back to the member-owners. It’s

one of the benefits of being a member-owner of an electric cooperative.

If you had a magic wand,

what would you change about your industry?

I would eliminate and/or simplify any rules,

regulations, and/or state and federal laws that don’t make economic or

environmental sense and that unfairly burden the electric utility

industry. 

What goals do you have for

the coming year?

I am going to work closely with Benton REA’s

wholesale power supplier, the Bonneville Power Administration, in their

endeavor to be more responsive to new potential large industrial, manufacturing

and commercial entities with regard to electric service capabilities and

electrical capacity information. My goal is to encourage economic development

growth within the Benton REA service territory and the Tri-City area. 

What’s the best tip you

can share to save energy this winter?

Visit the Energy Savings section of the bentonrea.org

website for electric energy savings ideas, and consider signing up for our

conservation class on Jan. 16 at our West Richland office.

What is one characteristic

that you believe every leader should possess?

Humility.

What advice would you give

someone going into a leadership position for the first time?

Don’t sweat the little things. Let the little things

go and only worry about the big issues. Let others participate in the big

decisions as much as possible and whenever possible.

Who are your role models

or mentors? Explain why.

My parents were my primary role models because of

their honesty and perseverance when it came time to handle tough situations. My

mentors were all of the general managers that I worked for over the years in

the electric utility industry. I learned many things from all of them about

working with people.  

How do you keep your

employees motivated?

I involve them in

the decision-making process whenever possible, and I trust them.

How did you decide to

pursue the career that you are working in today?

When I graduated from Eastern Washington University

in 1981 I wanted to be in an industry that would provide a stable career

environment, that would be interesting and challenging, and that would involve

providing a product or service that would be essential and important to people

as they go about their daily lives. I found that career in the electric utility

industry.  

How do you measure success

in your workplace?

One metric that I pay close attention to regarding

system reliability is the percentage of time that the Benton REA electric

distribution system is operational and providing electricity, and in most years

Benton REA’s system is available at least 99.97 percent of the time. We work

hard at Benton REA to keep power outages to a minimum.     

What do you consider your

leadership style to be?

Collaborative, with my personal attention applied as

needed on high-priority issues. Leading by example, and being accessible in

order to help people, is also important.

How do you manage your time?

Focus on the top

priorities, delegate as much as possible, and let people do their jobs.

How do you balance work

and family life?

I try not to work on weekends or holidays, unless

absolutely necessary.

What do you like to do

when you are not at work?

I like to go to various concerts and music venues

with my wife. Blues music is my favorite. And I like to watch my amazingly

athletic grandson play high school basketball or baseball.

Best tip to relieve

stress?

Take a walk.

What’s your favorite

website? Favorite book?

It sounds kind of corny, but one of my most used

websites is dictionary.com. I like to make sure that I spell and use words

correctly! One of my favorite books is “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor E.

Frankl.

Do you have a personal

mantra, phrase or quote you like to use?

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”