April 11, 2001 – The Water and Power Authority Governing Board has ended its search for a new executive director, naming Joseph R. Thomas to succeed the recently retired Raymond George.
Thomas is president of J.R. Thomas Associates, a company formed in 1996 to provide competitive market assessment and business care development services to public utilities and telecommunications hardware providers.
Prior to forming the company, Thomas was corporate vice president in charge of the telecommunications implementation services business for A&C Enercom Consulting, a utility industry consulting firm based in Atlanta.
He has also served as marketing and district operations manager at Wisconsin Electric, where he implemented innovative approaches to utility product and service enhancements, according to a WAPA release. He is also credited with designing and managing Wisconsin Electric's strategic planning process.
Thomas has a bachelor of science in chemistry from Duquesne University and a master of business arts in marketing from the University of Pittsburgh.
WAPA Governing Board chair Carol Burke said in a statement that Thomas "brings a wealth of experience to the utility at a time when WAPA is strategically positioned for positive change." As executive director, he "will be responsible for making WAPA's strategic plan a reality," she said.
Thomas is expected to visit the territory in May for orientation and meetings with the governing board and WAPA staff. Burke said he will assume his new position on June 4.
WAPA's longtime assistant executive director, Glenn Rothgeb, has been serving as acting executive director since George's retirement in February. Burke thanked Rothgeb for his "dedicated service while the selection process was under way."
George retired after 27 years with the utility, 10 of them as executive director.
