Grant County PUD commissioner dies at 62
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| Randy Allred |
Former commissioner of Grant County Public Utility District Randy Allred passed away in December 2012 at age 62.
Allred was commissioner of the Pacific Northwest utility since 2003 and had a reputation for wise decisions and a no-nonsense approach when it came to serving the residents of Grant County, Wash.
While in office, Allred played a significant role in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission relicensing of the 1,893-MW Priest Rapid project, as well as capital upgrades and bond relicensing. He focused on improving the services the utility provided and caring for the people receiving those services. Allred served as a member of several committees, including the facilities master planning committee, the Washington state PUD association, Grant county PUD’s financial management oversight committee, and many Energy Northwest boards.
He has been quoted as saying, “It’s about what’s most helpful for Grant County PUD. It’s not about Randy … it never has been and it certainly isn’t now … The little things don’t matter too much anymore.”
Allred resigned as commissioner in early 2012 because of his declining health. In addition to this role, he sat on the Quincy Columbia Basin Irrigation District board of directors for 29 years.
Grant County PUD is a municipal corporation owned and run by the state of Washington that generates and sells electricity to the residents of the region. The utility operates two hydro plants as part of the Priest Rapids project, 955-MW Priest Rapids and 1,038-MW Wanapum.
Drummond named new administrator for BPA
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| Bill Drummond |
The U.S. Department of Energy has named Bill Drummond the new administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), a hydroelectric power marketing agency.
In this role, Drummond will manage the Washington, D.C.-based federal agency and oversee its operations, including the hydroelectric power projects on the Columbia River and one nuclear plant.
Drummond brings 30 years of experience in the energy industry to the position. He has served as deputy administrator of BPA since 2011, a role in which he was responsible for executive management and leadership for the agency. In addition, he oversaw a number of agency departments and functions, including finance, compliance, governance, audit, risk management, corporate strategy, public affairs, and general counsel.
Before joining BPA, Drummond spent 17 years as the manager of the Western Montana Electric Generating and Transmission Cooperative and also led the Public Power Council, which is an association of publicly owned utilities in the Pacific Northwest.
Throughout his years in the energy industry, Drummond has held a number of leadership roles on committees and task forces, including the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and Task Force, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Northwest Wind Integration Forum, and committees of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and American Public Power Association.
Drummond’s educational background includes a degree in forestry from the University of Montana and a degree in economics from the University of Arizona.
Black & Veatch names Anders director of hydropower
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| Jay Anders |
The Black & Veatch Hydropower & Hydraulic Structures division has named Jay A. Anders regional director for the southeastern U.S.
Anders brings more than 26 years of experience in management and technical expertise to Black & Veatch. In his current role, he will be responsible for client management in the southeast, as well as project and program management. Anders will also provide support to developing hydropower projects in the area by working with B&V Energy and Government Divisions.
Before joining Black & Veatch, Anders was associate vice president and director of hydro projects at Mesa Associates Inc., where he held responsibility for directing Mesa’s Hydro Business Unit. His duties included business development, overseeing technical quality and profitability, and management. Anders managed both project managers and engineers on a wide range of hydro projects.
His work experience also includes 12 years with the Tennessee Valley Authority as manager of the Electrical and I&C Power Group and eight years in the Navy as an electrician, plant operator and staff instructor. In both positions, Anders fulfilled management and technical responsibilities, demonstrating proficiency for both electrical engineering and leadership. His experience includes plant assessments prior to rehabilitations and plant upgrades.
Anders received his undergraduate education in business administration and electrical engineering at Columbia College and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, respectively. He also holds a Masters of Science degree in engineering management from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Marvin Cones has replaced Anders as Mesa’s director of hydro projects. Cones has worked as a hydropower project engineer and project manager at Mesa for the past five years.
Black & Veatch is a global engineering, consulting, operation, and construction firm serving the energy, water, management, federal, and telecommunications sectors. The company has more than 30 years experience in the renewable energy industry, including nearly 500 hydropower projects adding more than 50,000 MW of capacity.
Emagineered Solutions appoints Dahl VP, GM
Emagineered Solutions Inc. has appointed Bill Dahl to the position of vice president and general manager.
“Bill Dahl brings a wealth of experience guiding technology companies experiencing a high growth opportunity curve like ours. He has been a trusted advisor to our company for several years. We are very fortunate to have Bill join our team,” states Steve Waring, president and chief executive officer of Emagineered Solutions.
Dahl’s responsibilities include strategic plan development and implementation, domestic and international market development, mergers and acquisitions, strategic partner development, distribution channel management, contract management and intellectual property protection, according to Waring.
Prior to joining Emagineered Solutions Inc., Dahl served in a variety of different industries, ranging from start-up corporations to Fortune 100 companies. His expertise includes managing company operations, acquisitions, mergers, and strategic growth plan development.
Emagineered Solutions develops, produces and installs a Remedial Water Stop solution (RWS G-5) for large concrete gravity dams experiencing monolith joint leakage. The company also distributes and supports a trenchless technology solution for underground pipe restoration.
