New chapter for PUD general manager

EPHRATA — Tony Webb said one of his goals, when he took the job as Grant County PUD general manager, was to plan for leadership succession. “Build a deep bench,” he said, develop the leadership that could take on new roles in the future.

Webb was named general manager in 2012 and announced last week that he will give up that job in July. Kevin Nordt will be the new general manager, “then I’ll take a senior role here in the district,” Webb said.

Nordt currently is the chief financial officer.

Webb said an orderly and transparent transition was part of his plan when he took the job. “Is the bench ready, and when they’re ready, how do you execute that plan?”

The PUD’s strategic plan has been in place for three years and the utility is in a financially stable condition, Webb said, which makes it a good time to start transitioning to new leadership. The more transparent the process, the better for the PUD and its customers, he said.

Whoever is manager, the PUD’s first job is to provide electric power to its customers, and do it in a way that makes the process look simple, even when it’s complicated. “Making the job look routine, even when it’s not routine.”

As far as the customer is concerned, Webb said, they shouldn’t have to think about it when they use electricity. “It’s all about reliability.”

The electricity has to keep flowing even while the PUD is working on accommodating fish passage, protecting cultural resources on its lands and providing recreation access for anybody who wants to play along the river. All of those are requirements of the PUD’s operating license, and it’s important to meet those requirements and operate Wanapum and Priest Rapids dams responsibly, he said.

The Washington Legislature is considering proposals that would place fees on carbon generation, and voters will consider a carbon-fee initiative in November. Webb said it’s going to be important to keep making the case for hydropower as an environmentally friendly source of renewable energy.

Everything feeds back into the mission of electric generation. “That’s what we do, we generate and deliver energy to our customers.”

The job comes with the unexpected. “You get curve balls thrown at you,” he said, like the crack in a spillway pillar at Wanapum Dam in 2014. Webb said the secret to success is the PUD staff. “We’ve been fortunate to have good employees doing good things for the customer and the PUD.” The camaraderie at the PUD makes it a good place to be, he said. “It’s the employees that really drive this and make it fun for me as a general manager.”