Replaces David Gottula in July
The Okanogan County Electric Cooperative announced last week that it has selected Greg Mendonca to be its new general manager, effective July 19.
Mendonca will replace Dave Gottula, who announced his retirement earlier this year, after 10 years leading the electric co-op.
The consumer-owned private power utility serves about 3,000 customers in the Methow Valley.
“I am extremely excited for the opportunity to take on the position of General Manager at Okanogan County Electric to provide safe and reliable service to our members,” Mendonca said in a statement provided to the Methow Valley News. “Member service is at the heart of the mission of every electric cooperative and I am honored the board of directors has selected me to lead the team at OCEC to continue to work towards that mission.”
Mendonca was most recently the vice president of power supply for the Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative in Oregon. In that position, he was responsible for power contract management, planning, load forecasting, rate modeling, electricity acquisition, energy efficiency and other duties.
He has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and a Masters of Business Administration from Oregon State University. He lives with wife, Jessica, and children Cora and Miles.
“The industry landscape is rapidly changing and we must not only rise to meet the challenges facing us today, but we must also plan for the challenges we face in the future,” Mendonca said. “Finally, I look forward to moving my family into such a beautiful valley and meeting members in the community.”
The OCEC board worked with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association to find a candidate for Gottula’s replacement.
When asked what the OCEC board is looking forward to under Mendonca’s tenure, and what made him stand out as a top applicant to the board, board president Dale Sekijima declined to comment.
