Ken Collins elected to WPUDA Board
Olympia – Commissioners from four public utility districts assumed top leadership positions for 2019-2020 as the Washington Public Utility Districts Association (WPUDA) announced the election of its new officers. Chelan County PUD Commissioner Randy Smith, from Cashmere, was tapped to serve as President; Skamania County PUD Commissioner Liz Green was elected Vice-President after serving a year as Secretary; Jefferson County PUD Commissioner Ken Collins was elected Secretary; and Lewis County PUD Commissioner Ben Kostick was elected to serve a two-year term as Treasurer. Lewis County PUD Commissioner Dean Dahlin completed his year of service as President and will now fill the role of Past President.
The officers serve on the Association’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors, providing oversight and recommendations in support of WPUDA’s mission. The Washington PUD Association represents 27 not-for-profit, community-owned public utility districts and one-joint operating agency, Energy Northwest. WPUDA member PUDs provide electrical, water and wastewater, and wholesale telecommunications services to residential, business and industrial customers in communities across Washington. The new officers assume an important leadership role in achieving the Association’s mission to “support, protect and enhance members’ ability to conserve power and water resources of the state and to provide not-for-profit, locally-controlled utility services.”
Newly elected WPUDA President, Randy Smith served as Vice-President and Secretary prior to being named President. “It’s an honor to lead an organization dedicated to providing the best quality, most affordable and reliable utility service possible to our customers across the state,” said Smith, a Chelan County PUD commissioner from Cashmere. “PUDs are unique in our connection with customer-owners. We are directly responsible to the people we serve in the communities where we live.”
Vice President Liz Green is continuing her service as an Executive Officer of the Association after completing a year in the role of Secretary. “I’m looking forward to serving as Vice President of WPUDA as we work cooperatively to support the ability of PUDs to serve customers with safe, reliable, affordable utility services,” said Green.
Jefferson County PUD Commissioner Ken Collins is the newest member of the Executive Committee, elected to the position of Secretary. Collins is not new to serving in a leadership position in the Association having served as the Chair of the Commissioner Education Committee, a committee charged with identifying training topics and facilitating information sharing among PUD commissioners. Collins says he is grateful for the opportunity. “Being involved with WPUDA has greatly expanded my awareness of the role of the PUD Commissioner and this is an opportunity to make a contribution, provide service and show my appreciation,” said Collins.
WPUDA Treasurer, Lewis County PUD Commissioner Ben Kostick will continue to serve as the Association’s Treasurer, a role he’s held for eight years. “I am pleased to have the opportunity to continue to serve as Treasurer and use my experience as a Certified Public Accountant to support the important work of the Washington PUD Association,” said Kostick.