(EVERETT, WA) – Snohomish County Public Utility District
CEO/General Manager Craig Collar has announced his retirement from the utility,
effective October 1, 2018, with his last day at the PUD June 29, 2018. Collar
has led the PUD for nearly three years, and previously served as an Assistant
General Manager of Power, Rates and Transmission. He joined the utility in
2006. Collar is leaving to spend more time with family.
Collar has played an instrumental role in securing tens of
millions of dollars in grants and forging numerous partnerships with
universities and research organizations as the PUD has studied and developed
new renewable energy resources in the Pacific Northwest. He also led negotiations
with the Bonneville Power Administration, the utility’s largest energy supplier,
and worked to address a broad of range of federal energy compliance issues.
“PUD customers have benefited greatly from Craig’s
expertise amid an increasingly complex energy industry,” said PUD Board of
Commissioners President Kathleen Vaughn. “His many contributions have helped
reinforce our continued commitment to conservation, financial prudence,
renewable resources, safety, customer service and ongoing improvements to
system reliability.”
As general manager Collar has placed a renewed emphasis on
safety to reduce the risk of utility worker injuries and help ensure the
well-being of all employees. As
a result, the utility’s recordable injury rate is at its lowest level in nearly
30 years – down 50% from 2015. He also worked with the PUD’s Leadership Team to
develop a set of strategic priorities that guide the utility to pursue a set of
goals across several areas, including continual improvement, customer experience,
fiscal management and delivering energy in the most prudent and reliable way
now and into the future.
Prior to joining the PUD, Craig was employed at
Kimberly-Clark Corporation for 16 years, serving in several positions that
included energy and environmental manager, operations manager, operations
leader, technical manager and mechanical engineer. He also served in the U.S.
Navy as a nuclear submarine officer. He earned his MBA at Colorado State
University and a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from
Montana State University.
The utility’s Board of Commissioners will conduct a thorough
internal and external search, both regionally and nationally, to select the next
individual to lead the PUD. With a seasoned leadership team in place, the PUD
Board has expressed its confidence that current initiatives and day-to-day
utility operations will move forward successfully in Collar’s absence. The
Board of Commissioners will appoint an interim CEO/General Manager by June 29,
2018.
