WECC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the WREGIS Stakeholder Advisory Committee
- Bonneville Power Administration / Member
Job Titles:
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
- Member of the Nominating Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the WREGIS Committee
- Member of the WREGIS Stakeholder Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the WREGIS Stakeholder Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
- Western Area Power Administration
Job Titles:
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the WECC Standards Committee
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- Member of the WREGIS Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Reliability Planning and Performance Analysis
Branden Sudduth, Vice President of Reliability Planning and Performance Analysis, is responsible for WECC's technical and analysis functions, including Reliability Planning and Assessments, Standards Development, Performance Analysis, Event Analysis, and Situation Awareness.
In his previous role as Director of Reliability Risk Management, Branden provided leadership and strategic direction for the Performance Analysis and Event Analysis/Situation Awareness departments and was responsible for supporting several industry stakeholder efforts through WECC's Operating and Market Interface Committees.
Branden holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Brigham Young University, a Master of Engineering degree in electrical engineering from the University of Idaho, and an MBA from Weber State University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Nominating Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
- Member of the Nominating Committee
- Representative
- Independent Subject Matter Expert
Job Titles:
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
- Member of the WECC Standards Committee
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the WREGIS Stakeholder Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the WREGIS Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Member of the Board of Directors
Felicia Marcus is an attorney who has served in leadership and management positions in the government and non-profit sectors. She is currently the Landreth Visiting Fellow at Stanford University's Water in the West Program and is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. Felicia was most recently Chair of the California State Water Resources Control Board after having served as Regional Administrator of the U.S. EPA Region IX and as head of the Los Angeles Department of Public Works in addition to leadership in national non-governmental organizations and experience as a private and public interest sector attorney.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
- Member of the Nominating Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the WREGIS Committee
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of Finance and Audit Committee
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Executive Vice President of FirstEnergy Corporation
Gary Leidich served most recently as Executive Vice President of FirstEnergy Corporation and President of FirstEnergy Generation, where he was responsible for 26,000 MW of generation in four states and FirstEnergy's retail operations. Previously, he was Senior Vice President of Operations, which included Transmission and Utility Operations and Dispatching. His 37 years of industry experience also included five years as Executive Vice President with the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, where he led nuclear plant evaluations.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the WREGIS Committee
Job Titles:
- Independent Director
- Member of the Nominating Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the WREGIS Stakeholder Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the WREGIS Committee
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the WECC Standards Committee
- Member of the Board of Directors
Ian McKay recently served as Executive Director, Electricity and Alternative Energy, with Alberta Energy. Prior to that, he held executive positions with the City of Winnipeg and Manitoba Hydro, including experience in utility operations, planning, design, and administration. Ian previously served on the WECC Board as a Class 6 Member Director and represented Alberta on the Western Interstate Energy Board.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Vice Chair of the Board of Directors
- Chief Development Officer for San Diego Gas & Electric
James Avery served most recently as the Chief Development officer for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), where he was responsible for establishing the long-term vision for the company. At SDG&E, he also served in turn as Senior VP of Power Supply and Senior VP of Electric. Mr. Avery has also worked as a consultant, was the CEO of gas and electric operations at Citizens Utilities Company, and chaired the California Transmission Planning Group. He was a member of the Association of Energy Engineers and the National Society of Professional Engineers.
Jeffrey Droubay - Chief Legal Officer, Secretary
Job Titles:
- Corporate Secretary
- General Counsel
Jeffrey Droubay joined WECC as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary on August 1, 2022. Jeff leads the legal team and the Assistant Corporate Secretary at WECC and provides overall legal guidance to the organization. In his executive team role, Jeff provides leadership and oversight of the organization and shares the responsibility of leading strategy, collaboration, and engagement across WECC. Additionally, Jeff supports the Board of Directors regarding corporate governance documents, corporate bylaws, Board policies and procedures, committee charters, and other executive matters.
In his prior position as Senior Vice President for Legal and Business Affairs for Dyno Nobel Americas, Jeff led legal, compliance, and environmental functions for several industries. He most recently served as chair of the steering committee and vice-chair of the board of governors for the Institute of Makers of Explosives. Before his tenure at Dyno Nobel, Jeff was an attorney at Parsons, Behle, and Latimer for over 10 years.
Jeff received his undergraduate degree in English and Juris Doctor from Brigham Young University (BYU). While at BYU, Jeff was Senior Editor of Law Review and graduated with honors.
Job Titles:
- Member of Finance and Audit Committee
- Member of Human Resources and Compensation Committee
- Vice President and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer
Jillian Lessner, Vice President and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, is responsible for the management of Finance and Accounting, Information Technology, Human Resources, Meetings, Administrative Services, and the Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System (WREGIS).
Jillian served as WECC's Controller from 2008 through 2010 and rejoined WECC in 2012 to serve as Director of Finance and Accounting. Prior to rejoining WECC in 2012, Jillian served as Corporate Technical Accounting Manager at Stanley Black and Decker in New Britain, Connecticut.
Jillian began her career in public accounting at a small local firm in New York City and obtained her Certified Public Accountant license in 1994. Jillian has over 20 years of experience in accounting and financial management. Earlier in her career she held accounting management positions at Duke Energy Trading and Marketing in Salt Lake City, Utah and Forrester Research, Inc. in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Jillian holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Joe McArthur spent 38 years with Portland General Electric, where he had responsibilities for distribution, customer service, and transmission. He was responsible for labor relations and negotiations, NERC/FERC compliance, compliance audit processes, safety programs, succession planning, and management development. Joe contributed to the budget process and strategic planning, serving on the executive management team. He is currently a Board Member for the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Job Titles:
- Member of the WECC Standards Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
- Vice President, Strategic Engagement and External Affairs
Kris Raper, Vice President of Strategic Engagement & External Affairs, coordinates and oversees engagement with WECC's strategic partners and stakeholders. Kris works both regionally and nationally to coordinate efforts, facilitate conversations, and educate others on matters critical to the reliability and security of the Western Interconnection.
Prior to joining WECC, Kris served as an appointed commissioner for the Idaho Public Utilities Commission for seven years. During her time as a commissioner, Kris not only adjudicated matters in the public interest related to regulated utilities in Idaho, but was also involved in regional collaborations regarding the proposed governance of energy imbalance markets and day-ahead markets. In 2021, Kris served as chair of the Western Interconnection Regional Advisory Body (WIRAB) and as one of two Western representatives on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Joint Task Force on Electric Transmission.
Before being appointed Commissioner, Kris served as deputy attorney general to the Idaho Commission for seven years. She holds an undergraduate degree in criminal justice from Boise State University and completed her Juris Doctor at the University of Idaho College of Law.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Kristine Hafner began her career in information technology marketing and consulting at IBM where she managed large systems accounts and led national consulting engagements in public and private sector organizations. As Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer for the 10-campus University of California system, Kris oversaw shared IT systems and strategic IT investments. She also held the position of IT Division Director and Chief Information Officer at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Ms. Hafner served on the California ISO's Board of Governors.
Job Titles:
- Member of the WREGIS Stakeholder Advisory Committee
- Bonneville Power Administration / Member
Job Titles:
- Member of the WREGIS Stakeholder Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the WREGIS Stakeholder Advisory Committee
- Bonneville Power Administration / Member
Job Titles:
- Member of the WREGIS Stakeholder Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Nominating Committee
- Member of the WECC Standards Committee
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the WECC Standards Committee
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President
Melanie Frye, President and CEO, oversees WECC's mission to effectively and efficiently mitigate risks to the reliability and security of the Western Interconnection's Bulk Power System. Melanie achieves this work through active interactions with members and stakeholders, by managing relationships with regulatory and policy-setting bodies, and ensuring WECC contributes to a positive relationship with NERC and the ERO.
Melanie leads WECC and works to strengthen the developing leadership culture. She created the framework for WECC's Invented Future and shaped the transformation within the organization. She has profoundly influenced the development of the internal organizational culture to inspire alignment with the "why" of WECC.
Prior to this role, Melanie served as Vice President of Reliability Planning and Performance Analysis, overseeing WECC's technical and analysis functions, including events analysis, situation awareness, reliability planning and assessments, performance assessments, and standards development. Melanie also served as WECC's Vice President of Shared Services, overseeing Human Resources, Accounting and Finance, Information Technology, Project Management, and Administrative Services functions and staff. She joined WECC in 2007 as Director of Human Resources.
Before joining WECC, Melanie spent several years with PacifiCorp as a Senior Human Resources Consultant where she was responsible for providing advice and counsel to the leadership team of eight thermal and three natural gas power generation facilities in Utah and Wyoming. She provided support to over 2,500 union and non-union employees located across the company's six-state service territory.
Melanie holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, and a Utility Executive Course Certificate from the University of Idaho.
Melanie Frye oversees WECC's mission to effectively and efficiently mitigate risks to the reliability and security of the Western Interconnection's Bulk Power System. Melanie achieves this work through active interactions with members and stakeholders, by managing relationships with regulatory and policy-setting bodies, and ensuring WECC contributes to a positive relationship with NERC and the ERO.
Melanie leads WECC and works to strengthen the developing leadership culture. She created the framework for WECC's Invented Future and shaped the transformation within the organization. She has profoundly influenced the development of the internal organizational culture to inspire alignment with the "why" of WECC.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
- Chairman - Class 4
Job Titles:
- Member of the WECC Standards Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board of Directors
Richard Campbell served as a Commissioner and later as Chair of the Utah Public Service Commission. Before joining the Commission, Ric was the Director of the Utah Division of Public Utilities. Prior to the creation of the independent Board at WECC, Ric served as a Class 5 member director. Ric has also been a member of the State Provincial Steering Committee, the Northern Tier Transmission Group Steering Committee, and on the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Board of Directors. Prior to Ric's public service in state government, he worked for Shell Oil Company.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Nominating Committee
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Retired Partner from Deloitte Consulting
Richard Woodward is a retired partner from Deloitte Consulting, where he worked with senior business executives. His professional experience includes investment banking, corporate finance, consulting in the energy industry, and higher education. As policy Vice President for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Richard negotiated a tariff arrangement for pipeline access among stakeholders.
Job Titles:
- Member of the WECC Standards Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the WECC Standards Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the WREGIS Committee
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of Human Resources and Compensation Committee
- Member of the Board of Directors
Shelley Longmuir has served on Corporate boards for over a decade both in the U.S. and Europe. She served on the Board of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) from 2006-2015 where she chaired MISO's Human Resources Committee and served as a member of its Corporate Governance and Strategic Planning Committees. Previously, Shelley was a senior executive of United Airlines/UAL with primary duties for domestic and international regulatory matters worldwide. Thereafter, she served as CEO of the National Business Aircraft Association.
Job Titles:
- Member of the WREGIS Stakeholder Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the WREGIS Committee
- Industry / Load - Serving Entity
Job Titles:
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the WECC Standards Committee
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Reliability
- Vice President, Reliability and Security Oversight
Steven Noess joined WECC as Vice President of Reliability and Security Oversight (Oversight) in April 2022. Steve oversees the continued development of a risk-informed Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program (CMEP) for WECC and manages the diverse teams within the Oversight department, including Entity Monitoring, Risk Assessment and Registration, and Enforcement and Mitigation. As a member of WECC's executive team, Steve shares the responsibility for leading strategy, collaboration, transformation, and engagement across the organization.
Before joining WECC, Steve served as Director of Regulatory Programs at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), where he led and developed a working group to support the alignment, effectiveness, and oversight of the CMEP activities within the ERO Enterprise. Steve initially joined NERC as a Standards Developer, where he delivered the transformation of NERC's Critical Infrastructure Protection cybersecurity standards under aggressive timelines and led outreach and alignment efforts across the electric utility industry.
Before joining NERC, Steve was an attorney at the Minnesota Legislature, where he advised legislative members and coordinated rulemaking with agencies within the executive branch. Steve served in the United States Army, and during his deployment to Iraq, he received the Bronze Star Medal. Steve holds a Bachelor of Science in international politics from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School.
Job Titles:
- Member of the WREGIS Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Member Advisory Committee
- Member of the Nominating Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the WREGIS Stakeholder Advisory Committee
- Western Area Power Administration / Member
Job Titles:
- Member of the WREGIS Stakeholder Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Nominating Committee