Expanding Opportunity, Abundance for Everyone
Comments during the vote for the Chair of the Board of Directors at OPPD
Thank you very much Director Bogner for your leadership over the past 2 years.
As we prepare for the future, I appreciate the trust and support from my colleagues in nominating me to be Chair. I have been inspired and motivated by the excellent performance and progress within OPPD over the 4 years that I have had the pleasure to represent Subdivision 6, and I look forward to this opportunity to continue to serve in a new role.
The critical work of the Board is to set policy and oversee operations which provide affordable, reliable, and environmentally sensitive energy services. These can all be accomplished as we advance the just and equitable clean energy transition which is underway around the world, across the country, and within our organization. Public power has proven that by working together to focus on our customer owners, we are indeed “Leading the way we power the future.”
In that spirit, I encourage us all to remember that the future is always uncertain and unseen, whether or not we are adapting and growing. OPPD has risen to overcome many unexpected challenges over recent years. Among them; straight line wind, historic flooding, global pandemic, massive storms, unpredictable economic times, and global energy instability. Perseverance and dedication by employees and leadership through these numerous difficulties has been nothing short of awe inspiring.
As we continue forward, we must do so in a way which expands opportunity for the people we serve. The recent work to understand and address energy burden has been critical to making sure that everyone has access to electricity as an underlying service for a happy and successful modern life. Systems across society which have led to disproportionate benefits and impacts must be understood, and updated. The tools to provide abundance for everyone are available, and we must choose to use them. I am looking forward to continuing to work with all of you as we collectively live up to the mission, vision, and core values of our organization.