JPUD in the Community: ‘Brewocracy Now’ & Give Jefferson
Jefferson County PUD General Manager Joe Wilson joined KPTZ’s Taylor Clark and Port Townsend City Manager John Mauro to chat lights, water, fiber, and the future for the PUD on KPTZ’s Brewocracy Now October 23.
Brewocracy Now airs Thursday’s from 12:30–1pm and covers local government and civic affairs in Port Townsend and surrounding areas. During the chat, Wilson fielded questions on his utility 
career prior to joining Jefferson PUD in August of 2025, the onboarding process and getting up to speed on a new utility landscape, and goals for the future.
Wilson marked his appreciation in seeing how interconnected local providers are, whether with the City of PT, Port, Jefferson County, regional Fire services, and beyond.
“The way the government interacts here is different than it has been in my past experience,” Wilson said. “It’s a different level of collaboration than what I have been use to in Pierce County and I am super grateful for that,” adding that it’s always community minded. “There’s not competition, there’s cooperation.”
Wilson previously held the role of Deputy General Manager – Power Delivery at Tacoma Public Utilities and has more than 30 years of utility experience.
Port Townsend City Manager, John Mauro, noted the need for collaboration. “We’re distant from a lot of metropolitan areas–there is a benefit, but there is also a challenge there.” He added that it requires agencies to bridge divides and work together because when service providers don’t, it comes at an opportunity cost to the community.
Wilson noted the benefits that have followed the purchase of the electric utility from PSE on 2013–benefits that he continues to learn about daily in the GM role.
Since purchasing the electric grid from PSE, Jefferson PUD has secure millions in Federal and state grant dollars for services, provided more than 80 local jobs, established 3 full line crews to reduce outage times, and established a new broadband service with a local team.
“This is not a ‘good on me’–this is what I have come to learn that has happened before me,” Wilson said. “There has been a tremendous value-adder by the wisdom by the community to make the decision to do this with local resources.”
United Good Neighbors: Give Jefferson
Jefferson PUD staff are proud to join organizations across the region in volunteering time and donating resources to help “fill the gap” in our community. The goal is simple: to ensure everyone has access to the services and support they need to meet their basic needs. Since the launch of the Give Jefferson campaign, PUD employees have raised $520 to date and volunteered for a playground cleanup at Chimacum Primary School in Port Hadlock. An additional work party is planned to repaint the playground basketball court and paved play area.
Thank you all throughout the community who have donated both time and money to help our neighbors. Give Jefferson is underway until December 31st! Please consider donating HERE!
