Debra Smith has stepped down from her position as general manager and chief executive officer of Seattle City Light, in a previously announced plan.
In March, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that a national search would be launched and that Smith would transition into an advisory position with the utility in July and retire before the end of 2023. He said Smith would “evaluate the utility’s long term strategic directions and structure” in this advisory position.
Smith was sworn in for the GM and CEO position in October 2018. At that time, the Mayor of Seattle said Smith would “help ensure City Light puts its customers first while building on the steps we’ve taken to improve our workplace culture.” Smith brought 22 years of public utility experience in the Pacific Northwest to the position.
In her announcement, she said moving on “to my next chapter” means putting family first. “I’ve decided that means I need to be closer to home and more available to family. I feel fortunate that the City is supporting my decision and I’ve got a lot of work to do before flipping that page,” Smith said.
On June 23, Mayor Harrell announced the members of a selection committee to help select the next permanent GM and CEO of Seattle City Light. “As we look to accelerate our work towards clean energy to build a healthier future for our community, the next leader of this critical department must be a champion for the customer experience, show a strong commitment to environmental stewardship and climate action, and center equity and accountability across all decisions,” Harrell said.
This week, Mike Haynes, current chief operating officer, reported on LinkedIn that he has started the position of interim GM and CEO at Seattle City Light.
Seattle City Light is one of the largest community-owned electric utilities in the U.S. City Light serves more than 460,000 meters and 900,000 people across Seattle and parts of eight adjacent franchise cities. City Light’s hydroelectric projects on the Skagit and Pend Oreille rivers provide about half of the power customers need. The company’s power mix in 2016 was 88% hydro.
In May 2023, Seattle City Light submitted a final license application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for its 711 MW Skagit River Hydroelectric Project, which is a series of three dams and hydro powerhouses that provide 20% of City Light’s power.
