Staff Member Brings Community Values to Northern Wasco County PUD
For Karen Heim, Northern Wasco County Peoples Utility District's (NWCPUD) new community relations program manager, the path to public power began in the fields of a small Willamette Valley farm. There, among the beef cattle and hay bales, she learned lessons about community, hard work, and service that would shape her future career.
The daughter of a Connecticut transplant who found his calling as an Oregon farmer, Karen grew up in a uniquely blended family.
“We had a bit of a ‘Yours, Mine and Ours’ situation in my house,” she says. “My parents both had kids from previous marriages and then got married and had my 3 sisters and me.”
This early experience of bringing different perspectives together proved invaluable in Karen’s future career.
Life on the family farm near Corvallis was filled with important milestones.
“Moving up to hamburger trimmer when processing our beef or becoming the stacker on the hay truck—these were our rites of passage,” Karen says.
She says these hands-on roles on their small farm, where they raised beef cattle for their own needs, helped shape her understanding of teamwork and responsibility.
As a young girl, Karen’s first connection to public power came in the form of a small, white truck winding up their driveway.
“I grew up as a public power customer of Consumers Power in Corvallis,” she says. “I remember the little, white meter reader truck coming up the driveway as we waited for the school bus. It’s funny to think about that small memory now as an employee of a public power utility.”
Karen says these early morning glimpses of public power service, combined with the hands-on experiences of farm life, taught her the value of teamwork and the satisfaction of serving one’s community.
Karen’s educational journey took her from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, for her undergraduate degree to the University of San Diego for her master’s. But her connection to the Pacific Northwest remained strong, leading her to the Public Power Council, a Portland-based trade organization representing Northwest public power utilities.
During her eight-year tenure at PPC, Karen demonstrated the same dedication to growth that she learned on the farm. Starting as an administrative specialist, she worked her way up to director of communications and administration. Her experience there provided a broad view of the public power landscape, but she yearned for something more focused.
“I really wanted a chance to stretch my communicator wings and focus on 1 story,” Karen says. “Northern Wasco County PUD offered me that chance. We’re a growing utility with a lot of exciting things going on, so every day is something new and different.”
As the community relations program manager, Karen wears many hats. She serves as the district’s spokesperson, manages its social media presence, helps strengthen employee engagement through internal communications, and keeps the community informed about its People’s Utility District. The role perfectly combines her communication skills with her passion for community service.
“Public power is all about the people and the community we serve,” Karen says. “I don’t think there are many other industries where you can say that you are directly responsible to and work for the people that you live around. We’re always trying to do the best for our customers. Whether that’s working to keep our rates low or providing new efficiency programs, everything we do, we do for you.”
The transition to NWCPUD in July felt natural, as Karen discovered the same sense of family she had known growing up.
“The district is such a great family, and I’ve felt that since day 1,” she says. “Everyone works toward our mission of providing low-cost, reliable, energy and related services for the benefit of our customers just like the tradition of public power. We all believe in it, which makes each day a great day to come to work.”
When not serving the community through her work at NWCPUD, Karen is busy creating memories with her own young family. As a mother of 2 children—1 almost 5 and the other 2½—she spends her free time exploring parks, visiting the library, and making trips to the zoo.
On those rare occasions when she finds herself child-free, “We’re trying to enjoy a meal where we didn’t cook and don’t have to clean up after,” she says with a laugh.
From working alongside family on their Willamette Valley farm to managing communications for a growing utility, Karen’s journey has come full circle. Her rural roots, combined with her professional expertise and deep commitment to community service, make her a natural fit for Northern Wasco County PUD, where the spirit of public power continues to thrive and grow. Through her role, she embodies the best of what public power represents: a commitment to community, a drive for excellence, and a deep connection to the people being served.