Grant PUD Head To Say Put, Will Not Become Chelan PUD COO

Chelan PUD will not be hiring Grant PUD Chief Executive Officer Rich Wallen to fill a newly created position. 

Grant PUD announced Tuesday that Wallen will continue to head the utility. 

Commission Vice President Terry Pyle offered clarification, saying the commission at no time asked for Wallen’s resignation and affirmed the commission’s support.  

Tuesday's announcement is a reversal from a Grant PUD release earlier this month, which said Wallen would be leaving to join Chelan PUD, and his last day would be June 14th. 

Chelan PUD confirmed shortly after Grant PUD’s release that Wallen was set to fill Chelan PUD's new position of Chief Operating Officer. 

The PUD said the position was created during a re-organization of leadership within the utility to allow it to respond quickly and efficiently to the volume and velocity of change they expect in the coming decades. 

Wallen was to earn a salary of $325,700 a year. 

Chelan PUD spokesperson Rachel Hanson told KPQ they were surprised to hear that Wallen would not be joining their team, but said Chelan PUD intends to continue to seek a candidate to fill the Chief Operating Officer position. 

Grant PUD said Tuesday that its commission had reluctantly accepted Wallen’s resignation on May 7 when he let them know he intended to take a position with Chelan PUD. 

A statement from Commission Vice President Pyle said, “So in the spirit of cooperation between Rich Wallen and the board, we are excited to announce Rich will continue to lead us on this voyage.”  

Wallen has been with Grant PUD for seven years and served the last two and a half as the utility’s general manager.