Five Inside Directors and One Outside Director Elected
information released
Energy Northwest’s Board of Directors elected five inside directors and one outside director to the agency’s 11-member Executive Board recently during its regularly scheduled meeting. Each of the directors will serve a four-year term on the Executive Board, beginning in July.
The Executive Board sets the policies that govern the operations of Energy Northwest.
The Board of Directors elected the following utility commissioners from its members to serve as inside directors:
- Jerry Asmussen, Okanogan County PUD
- Arie Callaghan, Grays Harbor County PUD 1
- Dave McKenzie, Skamania County PUD
- Randy Smith, Chelan County PUD
- Clint Whitney, City of Richland Energy Services
Selected from outside its membership, the Board of Directors elected Bill Pitesa, a former chief nuclear officer and a 43-year nuclear industry veteran, to serve as one of three outside directors.
“Our board brings together knowledgeable leaders who understand the energy needs of our region and share a strong commitment to public power,” said CEO Bob Schuetz. “We’re focused on delivering reliable, responsible, and innovative energy solutions for our communities.”
Jerry Asmussen
Jerry Asmussen, of Tonasket, Washington, was elected to the Okanogan County PUD Board of Commissioners for a second term in 2023 and was appointed to the Energy Northwest Board of Directors in 2017 where he serves as president and previously vice president. He is a rancher and auctioneer who has lived in Okanogan County for most of his life.
Arie Callaghan
Arie Callaghan, of Elma, Washington, was elected to the Grays Harbor County PUD 1 Board of Commissioners in 2012 and was appointed to the Energy Northwest Board of Directors in 2014 where he served as vice president and secretary. He was elected to the Executive Board in 2018. He has 29 years of experience with the Mason Trucking Company of Aberdeen. Callaghan is a lifelong resident of Grays Harbor and proud to be a third generation Harborite.
Dave McKenzie
Dave McKenzie, of Stevenson, Washington, was elected to the Skamania County PUD Board of Commissioners in 2016 and was appointed to the Energy Northwest Board of Directors in 2017 where he served as president and vice president. He was elected to the Executive Board in 2025. He has more than 44 years of experience in the private and public sectors which include banking, real estate and appraising complex commercial and industrial properties. McKenzie was also the mayor of Stevenson for 20 years.
Randy Smith
Randy Smith of Cashmere, Washington, was elected to the Chelan County PUD Board of Commissioners in 2006 and appointed to the Energy Northwest Board of Directors in 2025. He is a lifelong resident of Cashmere, and returned to the family farm to grow apples, pears, and cherries. He has served on more than 20 industry and community boards and is currently a board member of the Community Foundation of North Central Washington. Smith is especially proud of the 17 years he served as a citizen advocate for the College of Agriculture at Washington State University.
Clint Whitney
Clint Whitney of Richland, Washington, became the City of Richland’s Energy Services director in 2018 and was appointed to the Energy Northwest Board of Directors where he serves as secretary and previously assistant secretary. He has worked in public service for 25 years in a variety of electrical engineering, operations and management positions.
Bill Pitesa
Bill Pitesa, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was first appointed to the Energy Northwest Executive Board in 2022. He is a nuclear industry veteran with 43 years of experience and retired after working at the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) as chief nuclear officer. Previously, Pitesa served in multiple roles at Duke Energy including chief nuclear officer and senior reactor operator where he was responsible for the safe operation of 11 nuclear power reactors in North Carolina and South Carolina. In 1992, he served two years as a loaned employee to the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations. He also supported the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Association of Nuclear Operators by serving on nuclear plant review teams in the United States, Korea, France, South Africa and Ukraine.
Energy Northwest’s Board of Directors has 28 member representatives; one representative for each of the 23 public utility districts and five municipal utilities that comprise Energy Northwest. The Executive Board members include five elected from the Board of Directors, three appointed by the Board of Directors from outside of Energy Northwest, and the remaining three appointed by the governor of Washington.
About Energy Northwest
Energy Northwest is a Washington state public power joint operating agency and a premier provider of carbon-free electricity. Energy Northwest comprises public power member utilities serving more than 1.5 million customers, and provides its members and regional customers with safe, reliable, cost-effective, responsible power generation and innovative energy and business solutions. The agency owns and operates hydroelectric, solar, battery storage, wind and the Northwest’s only nuclear power facility. Energy Northwest also actively supports transportation electrification and new generation projects to the benefit of public power.www.energy-northwest.com.
