Kirk Hudson Named New General Manager of Washington State’s Chelan PUD

Chelan County Public Utility District (PUD) in Washington State recently announced that Kirk Hudson has been selected as the PUD’s next general manager.

The PUD said it conducted an extensive national search to fill the position of the general manager vacancy and accepted community feedback about the qualities they wanted to see in a new general manager. 

Customers said that they wanted the PUD to recruit a candidate with strong leadership skills, business management capabilities, background with Pacific Northwest issues, and a strong understanding of renewable energy. 

Hudson has over 30 years of engineering and management experience in the energy and utility industries, and ten years of executive-level experience in strategic planning, risk management, and business planning. 

He has held several positions at the PUD for the last 24 years, most recently serving as its managing director of generation and transmission. 

In addition to his current role at the PUD, in 2018 Hudson led the formation of the Hydropower Research Institute, a data-driven collaborative aimed at driving the digital transformation of hydropower and improving energy generation at hydropower facilities. 

Hudson will replace Steve Wright who has served as the PUD’s general manager since 2013. 

Earlier this year, Wright informed the PUD’s Board of Commissioners that he does not intend to serve as the general manager beyond his contract that runs through the end of 2021. 

Hudson will assume his new role on January 1, 2022. 

He will be the 13th general manager since the PUD’s formation in 1936. 

Chelan County PUD provides electric, water, wastewater, and wholesale broadband internet services to customers in Chelan County, located in north-central Washington.