Six applicants for MPPD manager

McCOOK, Neb. -- Following a nationwide search, the McCook Public Power Board of Directors has received six applicants for the general manager's position. The applications were presented Tuesday to the seven-member board at the REA office in McCook, according to John W. Scharf of Frontier County, the president of the REA district's board of directors.

"We will review the applications and select the top two candidates for interviews," Scharf said. "They are a diverse group of applicants, with one local, in-house candidate, and five applicants from Georgia, Missouri and elsewhere in Nebraska."

The MPPD directors are searching for a replacement for Jim Florke who is retiring after serving for five years as the general manager. "Jim has done a great job for the district," Scharf said. "He is leaving the district in really good shape."

The candidates for the REA leadership position are expected to have at least 10 years of electric utility experience, with at least five of those years in a manager/supervisory role. A bachelor's degree in an appropriate field is highly preferred.

The board is seeking candidates with a broad electric utility experience in areas such as electric operations, finance, planning and customer service. The successful candidate is expected to have excellent communication skills, proven leadership ability and a strong commitment to teamwork with a proven emphasis in safety.

The district's annual revenue is approximately $18 million. Because the general manager's salary will be determined by experience and certifiable qualifications, the amount of the salary will not be announced until the hiring is confirmed by the board, Scharf said.

McCook Public Power District is a large operation, serving rural and community electrical power users in parts of six counties, including Red Willow, Hitchcock, Frontier, Lincoln, Gosper and Hayes counties. The district has 2,581 miles of lines and operates 13 sub-stations.

In order to serve this wide area, the McCook REA team has 28 staff members. Eighty one years have passed since the McCook Public Power District's founding in July of 1935.

According to Scharf, the McCook REA hopes to have a new general manager hired by the end of September and have him on the job by Monday, October 3, 2016. That will permit a three-month period for the leadership transition, as Florke's date of retirement is Dec. 31, 2016.

As the changing of the guard nears, the McCook Public Power District Board of Directors is joining to express their appreciation to the REA District's 28-member staff. "We are indeed fortunate in Southwest Nebraska to have such a competent team of employees," the directors said.

In addition to Scharf, whose address is Curtis, the members of the MPPD Board of Directors are: Duane Dodson, Maywood; Raymond Tillotson, Farnam; Roger Messinger, McCook; Stan Quigley, Indianola; Dennis Reiners, Trenton; and Jim Ruggles, McCook.