{"id":32178,"date":"2017-05-10T20:51:40","date_gmt":"2017-05-11T03:51:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ppcpdx.org\/?page_id=32178"},"modified":"2024-02-29T12:14:40","modified_gmt":"2024-02-29T20:14:40","slug":"staff","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ppcpdx.org\/about\/staff\/","title":{"rendered":"Staff"},"content":{"rendered":"\t
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Scott Simms, CEO & Executive Director<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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Phone: 503-595-9775
\nEmail: ssimms@ppcpdx.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Scott Simms joined the Public Power Council (PPC) as the Executive Director in the summer of 2019. \u00a0With more than 25 years of energy industry experience, Scott provides strategic leadership for the collective interests of the region\u2019s consumer-owned utilities that are preference customers of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). \u00a0Scott\u2019s broad knowledge of the issues facing Northwest public power and focus on finding collaborative solutions are critical to ensuring that PPC members can continue to deliver reliable, affordable, and carbon-free power to thousands of businesses and millions of residents every day. In addition to his role as CEO & Executive Director of PPC, Scott also serves as the Chairman of the Columbia River Treaty Power Group, a coalition of consumer-owned and investor-owned utilities seeking to rebalance the Columbia River Treaty with Canada.<\/p>\n

Prior to joining PPC, Scott spent 13 years at BPA, most recently as the Communications Director.\u00a0 He also held other leadership positions within BPA, including Manager of Long-Term Power Planning and Secretary to the U.S. Entity for the Columbia River Treaty negotiation process. \u00a0Prior to joining BPA, Simms held senior communications positions at Portland General Electric and worked for Pacific Northwest-based public affairs firms, providing strategic communications and policy counsel to large commercial clients.<\/p>\n

A Northwest native, Simms hails from Snoqualmie, Washington. \u00a0He studied Public Relations and Political Science at Washington State University in Pullman, graduating with distinction. \u00a0When he\u2019s not at PPC, Simms and his wife and daughter spend their free time exploring the Pacific Northwest and traveling internationally.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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Tom Creekpaum, General Counsel<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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Phone: 503-595-9779
\nEmail: tcreekpaum@ppcpdx.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Tom Creekpaum joined the Public Power Council (PPC) as General Counsel in February 2024. \u00a0Tom has nearly 12 years of legal experience and brings a passion for public power to the role. Tom supports PPC staff and members while providing expert-level legal advice to promote and preserve the rights of consumer-owned utilities in the Pacific Northwest.<\/p>\n

Before joining PPC, Tom worked as an Associate Attorney with a broad range of practice areas. He was especially successful in criminal defense litigation and developed a reputation for protecting the rights of his clients and holding government officials responsible when they overstepped the limits of their authority. Tom joined the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) in 2019, where he advised judicial officers about their ethical responsibilities under the Code of Judicial Conduct and helped train new judges. Additionally, Tom managed the AOC\u2019s Office of Legal Services and Appellate Court Support, which staffed various judicial committees and developed the court forms and legal publications necessary for the fair and efficient administration of justice in Washington state.<\/p>\n

Tom spent his entire life living in the Pacific Northwest and is originally from Shelton, Washington. Tom attended Gonzaga University School of Law and double majored in business and communication studies at the University of Puget Sound. When he\u2019s not working at PPC, Tom and his wife are avid sports fans. They spend their free time golfing, attending Mariners games, and enjoying time with family.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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Michael Deen, Policy Director<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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Phone: 503-595-9774
\nEmail:\u00a0mdeen@ppcpdx.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Michael Deen is currently the Policy Director at the Public Power Council (PPC), where he joined in 2013 as a Senior Policy Analyst. His work at PPC takes an analytical focus towards a wide variety of power supply, markets, rates, and transmission issues at BPA and throughout the region. Most recently prior to joining PPC, he was a consultant with Regulatory and Cogeneration Services (RCS) and worked primarily as an expert witness on power supply, rate design, and regulatory policy issues on behalf of large industrial customers. Before RCS, Deen held energy-related positions in Portland that included time as a Policy Analyst with PPC as well as an associate position at the consulting firm of McCullough Research. Deen holds an MBA in Business Analytics from Oregon State University is a graduate from Reed College with a BA in Psychology.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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Sean Ford, Energy Policy Analyst<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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Phone: 503-595-9778
\nEmail: sford@ppcpdx.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Sean Ford joined the Public Power Council (PPC) in summer of 2023 as an Energy Policy Analyst.\u00a0 He works with all PPC staff, supporting our initiative priorities in a number of areas.\u00a0 Sean has a B.S. in Quantitative Economics (QE) from Portland State University including a minor in Mathematics and significant coursework in Data Science.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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Karen Heim, Director, Communications & Administration<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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Phone:\u00a0503-595-9773
\nEmail:\u00a0kheim@ppcpdx.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Karen Heim joined the Public Power Council (PPC) in the spring of 2016 as an Administrative Specialist.\u00a0 As the Director, Communications & Administration Karen plays a multi-dimensional role within the office.\u00a0 She manages all office accounts for PPC, leads the planning and implementation of large off-site board meetings and events, and provides support to the CEO & Executive Director and Staff.\u00a0 She also directs the development and implementation of PPC communications goals and strategies by leading in the development and creation of digital, video, audio, and print content for PPC.<\/p>\n

Prior to joining PPC, Karen worked as a Project Manager at a large-scale event production company where she oversaw all levels of planning from inception to execution.\u00a0 Karen graduated from Gonzaga University with a BA in History and has an MA in History from the University of San Diego.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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Michael Linn, Director, Market Analytics<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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Phone: 503-595-9776
\nEmail: mlinn@ppcpdx.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Michael Linn joined the Public Power Council (PPC) in summer of 2019.\u00a0 He specializes in the advanced economic analysis of wholesale power products, markets, and costs. \u00a0Prior to joining PPC Michael worked in the Commercial Business Assessment group within Bonneville Power Administration\u2019s Transmission organization.\u00a0 While at BPA, he worked on policy issues related to wholesale power and transmission and developed quantitative models for financial analysis and forecasting.\u00a0 During his eight-year tenure at BPA, he served as an expert witness for the agency and provided expertise on a range of complex qualitative and quantitative topics related to BPA rate design, policy development, and Pacific Northwest energy markets. \u00a0Michael has a degree from Washington State University in Economics and a M.S. in Economics from Portland State University.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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Lauren Tenney Denison,
\nDirector, Market Policy & Grid Strategy<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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Phone: 503-595-9777
\nEmail: tenney@ppcpdx.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Lauren Tenney Denison joined the Public Power Council (PPC) in the spring of 2018 and specializes in the advancement of regional policy pertaining to power system planning and grid operations, including issues related to transmission access, rates, and organized markets.\u00a0 In that capacity, Lauren represents the interests of PPC member utilities in the development of complex operational and regulatory issues, technical analysis, and overall policy positions.\u00a0 She frequently facilitates diverse groups on consumer-owned utilities to define common interests and works with the Bonneville Power Administration, regional stakeholders, and regulatory agencies to develop solutions that meet those interests.<\/p>\n

Prior to joining PPC Lauren spent ten years working in Bonneville Power Administration\u2019s Transmission organization.\u00a0 There she worked on a wide range of transmission policies, including those related to rates, planning, and provision of service. \u00a0In that role, Lauren worked with internal and external stakeholders on complex technical issues and served as an expert witness for the agency.<\/p>\n

Lauren is a graduate of Lewis and Clark College with a B.A. in Economics and a Graduate Certificate in Energy Policy and Management from Portland State University.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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Albina Sideras,<\/h2>\n

Finance and Benefits Compliance Director<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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Phone: 503-595-9781
\nEmail: asideras@ppcpdx.org<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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D.C. Representatives – Kanner & Associates, LLC.<\/h2>\n

Sam McDonald, President<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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www.kannerandassoc.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":32155,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ppcpdx.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32178"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ppcpdx.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ppcpdx.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ppcpdx.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ppcpdx.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32178"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/www.ppcpdx.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32178\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33900,"href":"https:\/\/www.ppcpdx.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32178\/revisions\/33900"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ppcpdx.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ppcpdx.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}