GENERAL MANAGER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (CEO)

UMATILLA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

Hermiston, Oregon

PROFILE

Umatilla Electric Cooperative (UEC) is one of the most unique and strategically positioned electric cooperatives in the United States. Serving portions of northeastern Oregon through a member-owned cooperative structure, UEC evolved from its rural electrification roots into a sophisticated energy infrastructure enterprise that supports some of the most significant industrial, agricultural, food processing, and emerging technology loads in the United States. While serving over 16,000 meters, the cooperative ranks among the nation's leaders in annual energy sales, placing it among the top three electric distribution cooperatives in the United States by kilowatt-hour sales. Its customer profile, infrastructure requirements, and growth trajectory more closely resemble those of a large metropolitan industrial utility than a stereotypical rural electric cooperative.

The cooperative is governed by a seven-member elected Board of Directors and led by a collaborative executive leadership team of five responsible for Engineering, Operations, Power Supply, Finance, Member Services, and Administrative functions. UEC grew from around 80 total employees to over 130 in the span of the last ten years. This structure reflects UEC's commitment to maintaining the reliability and affordability expected by its members while thoughtfully pursuing opportunities created by extraordinary economic development and large-load growth occurring throughout the region.

Over the past decade, UEC experienced a period of remarkable transformation. Significant native load, agricultural, and industrial expansion; accelerating demand from large-load customers to including ongoing interest from hyperscale data center developers; increasing transmission requirements; and substantial capital investment have elevated both the opportunities and complexities facing the cooperative. Throughout this period, the Board of Directors demonstrated a willingness to proactively position UEC for future success while remaining firmly committed to the cooperative principles and a member-focused mission that guided UEC since its founding.

The next CEO will inherit an organization with exceptional momentum, strong financial performance, a highly engaged workforce, and a reputation for innovation and execution. This leader will be expected to build upon those strengths while guiding UEC through an increasingly complex environment involving power supply strategy, transmission development, economic growth, regulatory relationships, large-customer engagement, organizational expansion, and long-term infrastructure planning. The successful candidate will possess the strategic sophistication necessary to lead a rapidly evolving energy enterprise while never losing sight of the cooperative's fundamental responsibility to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electric service to its member-owners.

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Founded in 1937, Umatilla Electric Cooperative has grown into one of the most dynamic electric utilities in the United States and ranks in the top three cooperatives in kilowatt-hour sales among much larger cooperatives. UEC serves a wider-than-average variety of customer-member profiles throughout portions of Umatilla, Morrow, Union, and Wallowa Counties and has become a critical economic development partner within one of Oregon's fastest-growing industrial corridors.

UEC's service territory includes an uncommon concentration of energy-intensive customers, including food processing facilities, irrigation operations, advanced manufacturing enterprises, and large-scale industrial users. This customer mix produced a level of energy consumption that distinguishes the cooperative nationally. While many of the nation’s largest electric cooperatives achieve scale through growing member counts, UEC’s growth has been driven primarily by increasing energy demand and large-load development. Recognizing that this type of growth requires a different approach, the cooperative has strategically invested in long-term power supply planning, transmission development and infrastructure procurement to ensure reliable, affordable service for existing members while supporting the region’s expanding energy needs. Rather than reacting to demand after it materializes, the cooperative strategically pursued transmission access, delivery capability, substation expansion, and resource planning initiatives designed to ensure future growth can be accommodated while maintaining reliability and reducing risk for existing members. This forward-looking philosophy positioned UEC to capitalize on emerging opportunities while carefully managing the risks associated with hyperscale customer-members and safeguarding the interests of existing members

UEC’s enterprise includes affiliated entities intended to create flexibility around economic development, infrastructure investment, large-load opportunities, and real estate-related initiatives while preserving the financial strength of the cooperative and creating additional investment opportunities to benefit the core membership and maintain affordability.

The cooperative's thorough strategic planning process continues to identify both opportunities and pressures associated with rapid growth. Transmission availability, regional power supply dynamics, workforce development, infrastructure investment, and increasingly sophisticated customer requirements all represent critical issues that will shape the cooperative's future. UEC remains equally committed to preserving the rural character, cooperative values, and member-first mission that have defined its success for generations.

UEC serves a diverse and rapidly evolving region of northeastern Oregon that stretches from the Columbia River corridor through productive agricultural lands and into the foothills of the Blue Mountains. The service territory includes some of the Pacific Northwest's most important centers for agriculture, food processing, transportation, manufacturing, logistics, and emerging technology investment. The region's communities combine a strong rural heritage with growing economic significance driven by industrial development, transportation infrastructure, and increasing interest from major energy-intensive industries.

Community Web Links

CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

The Board of Directors seeks an accomplished executive who combines leadership, strategic vision, operational discipline, political and community awareness, and a genuine appreciation for the cooperative business model. The successful candidate will be expected to lead an increasingly sophisticated organization while maintaining credibility with employees, members, regulators, public officials, large commercial customers, and industry partners.

Ideal candidates must offer evidence of many of the following qualifications and experiences:

• Significant senior leadership experience within an electric utility, cooperative, public power organization, transmission provider, power marketer, or similarly complex infrastructure enterprise.
• Demonstrated experience with power supply strategy, wholesale energy procurement, transmission strategy and planning, resource adequacy, or related energy portfolio management responsibilities.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating, structuring, and managing complex commercial, power supply, transmission, economic development, infrastructure, or other high-value transactional agreements. A leader capable of balancing opportunity and risk while protecting the interests of cooperative members through sophisticated business judgment and effective negotiation.
• Experience working with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) or a comparable federal or wholesale power organization.
• Proven success overseeing major capital infrastructure programs, including substations, transmission facilities, system expansion, and other utility investments.
• Experience managing relationships with sophisticated commercial, industrial, institutional, or large-load customers and representing the organization in complex negotiations and strategic discussions.
• Demonstrated vision to evaluate economic development initiatives, large-load opportunities, business partnerships, and strategic investment opportunities while accurately predicting and preparing for associated challenges.
• Success leading workforce talent initiatives, organizational growth, and talent management while maintaining a strong culture, workforce engagement, and customer-focused values.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a governing board and support informed decision-making through proactive communication, judgment, and collaborative leadership.
• Strong financial and business management skills, including budgeting, long-range planning, capital allocation, enterprise risk management, and organizational performance oversight.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution required; an advanced degree in business or a related field is preferred.
• Experience and accomplishment within a rural environment would be beneficial to candidates along with a respect and appreciation for the electric cooperative business model are desired.

COMMUNITY/SERVICE TERRITORY SNAPSHOT

Ideally, the next CEO will reside within the service territory and display full commitment to communities served by UEC. The UEC service territory offers a unique combination of small-town livability, outdoor recreation, economic vitality, and strategic importance within the western energy landscape. Residents enjoy access to world-class hunting, fishing, boating, golf, hiking, and wine country while benefiting from a lower cost of living than many areas. At the same time, the region is increasingly becoming a focal point for industrial expansion, energy infrastructure investment, and technology-driven economic development, creating a rare opportunity to live and lead within a community experiencing meaningful growth while retaining its rural character.

BENEFIT SUMMARY

UEC offers a comprehensive benefits package that supports employees’ financial security, health, and work-life balance. Benefits include employer-funded retirement programs with a 401(k) contribution and pension plan, medical/dental/vision coverage, life and disability insurance, generous leave benefits, and a post-retirement health reimbursement arrangement. Employees also enjoy a four-day workweek, paid holidays, vacation accrual, tuition reimbursement, wellness programs, and community engagement opportunities.

UEC will cover the customary costs to relocate external hires.

TIMELINE

June 22 – Beginning of sourcing phase

Week of August 3 – Applicant review and semi-finalist selection

By August 28 – Semi-finalist virtual interview completed, finalists selected

By September 18 – Finalist interviews completed

November 2 – Ideal start date for successful candidate

CONTACT INFORMATION AND RESUME SUBMITTAL (PDF PREFERRED)

Patrick Prouse  -  Senior Executive Recruiter  -  Mycoff Fry Partners LLC

pprouse@mfpllc.us  -  303-607-5372  -  www.mfpllc.us

About Umatilla Electric Cooperative

is working with MFPLLC - A Retained, Executive Recruiting firm for the Utility Industries

Connections working at Umatilla Electric Cooperative