Board of Directors
A five-member Board of Directors, elected by the voters within the District, governs the PUD. The Board sets rates and policies and hires the General Manager, who oversees daily operations.
See maps of the PUD's Service Area and Board Member Subdivisions.
Board Members
Listed below are the board members, and the areas they serve:
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Dave BakerDave has represented customers in the Scappoose area since 2001. Prior to being elected, he served for three years on the PUD’s Budget Advisory Committee. Dave appreciates the local representation, excellent customer service, and lower rates that public utilities offer their customers. Dave recently retired from the Portland Fire Bureau after 30 years. He has also worked for his family’s excavation company and was a builder. He and his wife, Debbie, live in Scappoose. They have three children and three grandchildren. Email Dave Baker |
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Loren TarbellLoren represents customers in north Scappoose and Warren. He has served on the board since 1995. Loren and his family have a long history of service to the PUD. His grandfather helped lobby for the creation of the PUD during the 1930s and his uncle, Arnold Tarbell, was a PUD Board Member for 37 years. Prior to being elected, Loren served on the PUD’s Budget Advisory Committee. Loren is the retired Director of Maintenance from the Housing Authority of Portland, where he spent 31 years. He and his wife, Chris, live in Scappoose. They have two children and six grandchildren. Email Loren Tarbell |
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Richard SimpsonDick represents customers in Deer Island, St. Helens and Yankton. He has served on the board since 1989. Dick believes in the low rates and excellent service that public power utilities offer to customers. He is also proud of the PUD’s commitment to community involvement and can often be found helping out at PUD-sponsored events such as the Junior Rodeo at the county fair and the Public Power Week Spaghetti Feed. Dick is a former firefighter and construction worker who retired from the City of Columbia City in 2001. He served as State President of the Oregon Bowling Association. He and his wife, Mary Jo, live in Yankton. They have four children and 11 grandchildren. Email Richard Simpson |
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Jake CarterJake represents customers in St. Helens. He has served on the board since 2013. Jake believes in providing customers with safe and reliable power while maintaining the lowest possible rates. Jake is employed at IBEW Local 125 in Portland as a Business Representative for several utilities and is a former employee of Columbia River PUD. While employed at the PUD, Jake held the positions of Meter Reader, Groundman, Apprentice Lineman, Lineman and Meter/Relay Lineman, so he is very familiar with the operations of the utility. He and his wife, Danette, live in St. Helens. They are raising three children and are very active in the community. Email Jake Carter |
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Carol EvermanCarol has served on the board since 1995, and represents customers in Deer Island, Prescott, Rainier, and Columbia City. She was asked to serve on the board by former Board Member Don Nys, who previously held the Subdivision 5 seat. Carol is a long-time public power supporter who actively participated in the successful Bond election which allowed the PUD to purchase the facilities from Portland General Electric in 1984. She values local control, lower rates, and the quick outage response that the PUD provides for customers. Carol is a retired nurse who is also active in the State Grange and Beaver Valley Grange. Email Carol Everman |
Contact the Board
To contact any PUD Board Member, please contact:
Heidi Ralls
Board Secretary,
Columbia River PUD
PO Box 1193
St. Helens, OR 97051
(503) 397-1844 phone
(503) 397-5215 fax
Board Meetings
The Board of Directors meets in public session on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the PUD office in Deer Island.
