To most, utility board service conjures images of monthly meetings and routine votes. In truth, guiding Northern Wasco County PUD through today’s energy landscape demands far more—a blend of foresight, technical expertise, and deep community responsibility.
All 5 NWCPUD board members recently earned Director Gold status from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, making them the only people’s utility district board in Oregon to reach this pinnacle of utility governance education. But this achievement represents something much deeper than certificates on the wall—it reveals the depth of dedication and preparation required to guide a modern utility through an era of unprecedented change.
The Reality Behind Board Service
“Coming from a public safety career, I had a good understanding of public law and organization, but walking into the electrical industry—holy cow, there’s a lot here I didn’t even think about,” Secretary Daniel Hammel says.
Daniel’s comment reveals a broader truth: Utility governance in 2025 demands expertise far beyond what most people imagine. These aren’t ceremonial positions or simple oversight roles. Today’s utility directors must understand cybersecurity threats, renewable energy integration, financial risk management, regulatory compliance, and emerging technologies— all while navigating the complex dynamics of public meetings and community engagement. This extensive preparation directly benefits customer-owners through more informed decisions on rate structures, infrastructure investments, and service improvements.
The Director Gold credential requires the completion of 18 courses, each lasting 6 hours, followed by ongoing education every 2 years to maintain the certification.
“That’s a lot of time we put in, but it’s worth it to better serve our customer-owners,” Vice President Scott Taylor says.
That need for deep knowledge laid the groundwork for what would become the board’s culture of continuous learning.
A Culture of Learning
Treasurer Roger Howe understood the magnitude of responsibility from early in his board service.
“When I first started, we had revenue of about $35,000,000,” he says. “When I saw that it was going up to $140,000,000, I thought I wanted all of the knowledge I could get to help our board and our PUD make the right decisions.”
Roger’s realization sparked the entire board’s commitment to education.
“Whatever you put in comes back tenfold,” he says. “When I found out they had certifications, I said, ‘I want all of them.’”
President Wayne Jacobson was quick to follow Roger’s lead.
“Howe was quite a motivator, but basically I wanted to learn how to do a better job as a director,” Wayne says. “Most directors, when they come on board, really have limited or no knowledge about what the utility does.”
The education prepares directors for strategic thinking beyond traditional utility boundaries.
“If you want to survive as public power, you need to be thinking outside the box,” Daniel says.
Director Greg Johnson echoes this commitment to comprehensive learning.
“I want to be the best director I can,” he says. “The classes we take help us to be more informed about the moving parts in the electrical industry and make us better decision-makers.”
The courses fundamentally reshape directors’ understanding of their role.
“I know what directors should do, what’s expected of them, and what they shouldn’t do,” Wayne says. “A lot of people, when they become directors, think they can manage the PUD. It’s nice to find out exactly what we should be doing and what we shouldn’t be doing.”
The Personal Commitment
Director Gold status isn’t just earned— it’s chosen, through hours of study and sacrifice beyond monthly meetings.
“It’s a serious commitment,” Roger says. “The biggest message is that we are not just sitting on the board for 1-, 2-, or 3-hour meetings once a month. We are continually raising our standard of education.”
That commitment shows in their approach to ongoing requirements. Recently, when Roger and Wayne needed to complete continuing education, Roger insisted they do it from the PUD offices.
“We had to finish up our last continuing education hours,” he says. “I said, ‘Let’s do it at the PUD office so other employees see that we’re working on improving our education just like they are.’”
Positioning for Tomorrow
This education isn’t just about understanding today’s challenges—it prepares directors for tomorrow’s risks and opportunities. In an industry where decisions made today affect infrastructure for decades, forward-thinking governance becomes essential.
Their education covers emerging technologies, evolving business models, and changing customer expectations. As utilities face pressure to decarbonize while maintaining reliability and affordability, boards need a sophisticated understanding of complex tradeoffs and strategic options.
“I think it gives us the ability to think outside the box and look at the bigger picture,” Wayne says.
What This Means for Customer-Owners
For the customer-owners who elected these directors, the Director Gold achievement represents a significant investment in governance quality that pays dividends in multiple ways:
- Informed decision-making on complex technical and financial issues.
- Proactive planning for industry changes rather than reactive responses.
- Risk management expertise to protect utility assets and customer interests.
- Strategic thinking capability to position NWCPUD for long-term success.
- Industry connections that bring the best practices and innovative solutions to NWCPUD.
“When people ask me questions, I have the information to answer them,” Scott says. “If I don’t have an answer, I’ll go find it and get back to them. We’ve put in a lot of time, and we have a commitment to our customer-owners.”
Ready for Whatever Comes Next
As the only people’s utility district in Oregon with all directors holding Director Gold credentials, NWCPUD has positioned itself at the forefront of utility governance excellence. This achievement reflects an ongoing commitment to staying ahead of industry changes, ensuring customer-owners benefit from forward-thinking leadership.
“By being better educated, we can serve our customer-owners better,” Wayne says. “People in our district certainly don’t want a dummy representing them. The more educated and qualified we are as directors, the better job we can do for the utility and especially for the people in our district.”
Roger reflects on the board’s collective achievement.
“It gives me tremendous pride,” he says. “We are as serious as our employees, and having all 5 directors with Director Gold certification demonstrates the caliber of people on our board and their willingness to improve themselves to be better directors.”
Behind every board decision lies this foundation of dedicated learning and preparation. For NWCPUD’s customer-owners, that means more than confidence—it means knowing their utility is guided by leaders who are prepared, engaged, and ready for whatever comes next.