July 21, 2016
(PORTLAND, OR) – The
Bonneville Power Administration has selected Michelle Mizumori Cathcart to be
its vice president of Transmission System Operations. She will begin her new
position Aug. 8.
“Michelle is a results-driven leader with impressive
electric power industry experience and academic credentials,” said Richard
Shaheen, senior vice president for Transmission Services. “She’s a great
addition to the BPA transmission team, as well as an outstanding talent to
oversee the operations of Bonneville’s transmission system and tackle all of
the complexities of delivering electric power today.”
As leader of BPA’s Transmission System Operations
organization, Mizumori Cathcart will oversee the safe, reliable and open access
operation and dispatch of BPA’s high-voltage transmission system and
interconnected generation. The group also operates and manages BPA’s two
regional control centers and represents the agency on operations and other
coordination issues with the Northwest Power Pool, California Independent
System Operator, PacifiCorp and other balancing authorities and system
operators. She succeeds Randi Thomas, who has led the organization since 2006
and is retiring this summer.
“I am thrilled to join BPA and lead a team of professionals
dedicated to Bonneville’s mission of delivering reliable power and services to
the customers and communities we serve,” Mizumori Cathcart said.
Most recently, Mizumori Cathcart served as the director of
strategy and organizational performance at Peak Reliability, a reliability
coordinator that provides situational awareness and real-time monitoring of the
bulk electric systems of 14 western states, British Columbia, and the northern
portion of Baja California, Mexico. Before assuming that role, she oversaw
Peak’s real-time operations and training as the director of operations.
Prior to arriving at Peak, Mizumori Cathcart served as the
managing director of operations and market interface at the Western Electricity
Coordinating Council, a regional entity responsible for compliance monitoring
of bulk electric system reliability in the Western Interconnection. She spent
the early part of her career at Madison Gas and Electric Company where she led
the Wisconsin utility’s participation in the Midwest Independent System
Operator and the Midwest Contingency Reserve Sharing Group, and was responsible
for purchased power agreements and operator training.
Mizumori Cathcart has a doctorate of Philosophy in Geography
and Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, a master’s of
Business Administration from Washington State University and a bachelor’s of
Science in Engineering from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania.
