EPHRATA — Commission chair Terry Pyle said the search for a new chief executive officer for the Grant County Public Utility District is starting with talking to employees. 

“We’ve taken hour-long blocks of time and brought people in and talked to them,” Pyle said. 

Commissioners have talked with executive personnel, employees and managers, Pyle said, asking them for their ideas on qualifications for a new CEO. 

“Tell us what you think we need going forward,” he said.  

The new CEO will replace Rich Wallen, who announced his resignation in early February. Wallen took a job with Oglethorpe Power in Tucker, Georgia. Christine Pratt, PUD public information officer, said Wallen remains on the job through March 27. No interim CEO has been named.  

Pyle said the ideas from the employees and managers will be an important part of the process since the employees have the most experience with PUD operation. 

“A more holistic, more realistic view of what people think they need in a leader,” he said. 

Commissioners haven’t identified any candidates yet, he said, or advertised the open position. They haven’t set a timeline for hiring a replacement, he said. 

“We’ve been debating back and forth about whether or not to go external. Most of us want to stay internal,” he said. “We have great people, so we’re looking first internally.” 

Commissioners want to ensure they make the right choice, he said.  

“We want to try and get it done as soon as possible without being in a hurry,” Pyle said. “We don’t want to hurry ourselves into a mistake.” 

Wallen joined the PUD in 2017 as the managing director of power production. He was named chief operating officer in 2019 and general manager in February 2022. He took over for Kevin Nordt, who resigned due to illness.