General Manager Dawson PPD Lexington, Nebraska

The Board of Directors invites applications for the position of General Manager (GM). The current GM has announced her plan to retire, and the Board has engaged Holmes Executive Search LLC to facilitate the search process. Dawson PPD is a public power district that plays a vital role in the quality of life in the communities it serves.

Dawson Public Power District serves more than 23,000 electric meters and maintains over 5,800 miles of power lines in south central Nebraska, along the Platte River valley. Dawson PPD was organized on February 26, 1937.

With about 80 employees, Dawson PPD is one of the larger rural systems in the state of Nebraska. The District is a member of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Nebraska Generation & Transmission Cooperative and the Nebraska Rural Electric Association. The District is guided by an elected eleven-person board of directors , representing the people served.

Dawson PPD’s territory includes all the rural areas in Dawson and Buffalo Counties, approximately two-thirds of Gosper County, a third of Lincoln County and parts of Custer, Sherman and Frontier Counties. The District also serves several villages: Hershey, Maxwell, Brady, Farnam, Eustis, Elwood, Eddyville, Smithfield, Overton, Sumner, Miller, Riverdale, Amherst, Odessa and Pleasanton. Dawson PPD does not serve customers within the cities of North Platte, Gothenburg, Cozad, Lexington, Elm Creek, Kearney, Gibbon, Shelton or Ravenna.

The District’s headquarters is in Lexington, NE. Their service centers are located in North Platte, Gothenburg, Sumner, Ravenna and Kearney.

Dawson PPD purchases electricity from Nebraska Public Power District through Nebraska G&T and distributes it to customers in our area. During the summer months, as energy sales peak, Dawson PPD receives supplemental power from Western Area Power Association. This low-cost WAPA power is produced by federally-owned hydro-electric generators. Nearly half of Dawson PPD’s revenue is generated by electricity sales to residential and farm customers. Another third of the revenue comes from irrigation services.

Dawson PPD operates similar to the co-op model, but with some key differences. They do not pay capital credits, do not hold annual meetings and can issue bonds. PPDs are considered political subdivisions of the State of Nebraska and are publicly controlled by residents of a state or local area. PPD’s may not own or control subsidiary businesses. Board members are elected during a general election and not solely by the customers served.

MISSION: We exist to safely provide reliable, low-cost power using effective technology to meet our customers’ needs.

The General Manager position reports directly to the Board of Directors. Experience and an understanding of the GM / Board relationship and PPD/cooperative governance is highly valued. The successful candidate will have a strong commitment to cooperative principles and to the core values of innovation, accountability, commitment to the community and integrity in order to serve the energy needs of our customers today and in the future.

The successful candidate must have excellent people, listening, and communication skills, a history of demonstrated leadership skills, management responsibilities and the ability to work effectively with a board. The capacity to think strategically while promoting cohesion and team building among the staff is paramount. The board expects the GM to be able to build on current and establish relationships with the capability to impact and influence others within the PPD, business arena and community. Keeping abreast of all pending and current industry changes and legislative issues impacting the PPD is vital so as to plan purposely.

Experience with and a comprehensive understanding of all core business practice areas and processes within an electric distribution utility is expected. A minimum of five years of related utility senior management experience, in a rural electric environment, is required. A degree from a four-year college or university is strongly preferred or equivalent education combined with relative work experience and an upward career progression.

Dawson is a summer peaking system at approximately 250 MW, with a customer density of 4 meters/mile, $69 million in revenue (58% irrigation and industrial) and modest growth. Plant valuation is $248M.

The home office is in Lexington, NE. Lexington is a city in Dawson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 10,348 at the 2020 census, making it the 16th most populous city in Nebraska. It is the county seat of Dawson County. Lexington is located in southern Nebraska, on the Platte River, southeast of North Platte. It sits along the route of U.S. Route 30 and the Union Pacific Railroad. In the 1860s, Lexington was the location of a stop along the Pony Express.

The business climate in Lexington is consistently strong and diverse. Tyson Foods is the communities’ largest employer, with over 2,700 employees. Lexington’s extensive labor force fosters several other industries and businesses including Darling Ingredients, Orthman by Unverferth, Eilers Machine and Welding, Chief Ethanol Fuels, Lexington Regional Health Center, and Lexington Public Schools.

Lexington was chosen in 2021 as one of the Top 10 Affordable Small Towns Where You’d Actually Want To Live by Realtor.com.

Lexington has many activities to offer families and visitors. The City of Lexington maintains the many community parks as well as the Lexington Family Aquatics Center. In 2015, Lexington opened the doors to its new Orthman Community YMCA facility. This facility was a joint partnership between the YMCA of the Prairie, Lexington Community Foundation, and Lexington Public Schools.

Dawson offers a comprehensive benefits package and a salary structure commensurate with qualifications and representative of the market. Interested parties should direct their inquiries to Holmes Executive Search LLC and submit the following electronically: cover letter, resume, contact information for at least three references. All applications must be received by October 11, 2024, and submitted electronically and directly to:

Ken Holmes, CEO, Holmes Executive Search LLC

Ken@HolmesExecutiveSearch.com

785-452-0495

Dawson PPD is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All replies are confidential.

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Dawson Public Power District

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