Brighton, Colo. – After a nationwide search, United Power’s Board of Directors has named Mark A. Gabriel as President and Chief Executive Officer of the organization effective March 15, 2021.
Gabriel, a 25-year veteran in the electric utility business, has served for the past eight years as the Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), which is part of the Department of Energy.
“United Power’s Board of Directors is very happy to announce we have selected Mark Gabriel as our new President and CEO,” stated Ursula Morgan, United Power Board Chair. “Mark Gabriel is the right choice to guide United Power into a more successful future. He will help create a lasting impact on our members."
“I am extremely honored to have been selected to lead such an amazing organization as we approach a transformational time in the electricity business,” Gabriel said. “United Power is uniquely positioned to be engaged in the decarbonization of the grid, and to take advantage of the introduction of new technologies as we move to a cleaner energy future.”
Prior to his appointment at WAPA, Gabriel served in numerous positions in the industry, including more than eight years as a management consultant and Acting President at the Electric Power Research Institute where he led the nationwide effort known as the Electricity Sector Framework for the Future. He is also the author of, “Visions for a Sustainable Energy Future”, which won the Indie Award for Environmental Writing.
“United Power has a rich history of innovation and is serving one of Colorado’s, and the Nation’s, fastest growing service territories,” Gabriel said. “The power of the cooperative business model to embrace change is unmatched in its ability to engage with its members for the future.”
Gabriel replaces Acting CEO, Bryant Robbins. Robbins is the Chief Operating Officer and has been filling both roles for the past year.
“The Board is appreciative of Robbins’ leadership and guidance this past year, helping us meet the many challenges of our fast-growing cooperative,” added Morgan.
United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to more than 97,000 meters at homes, farms and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The 900 square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson and Keenesburg. At the end of 2020, the cooperative reached more than 97,000 meters representing more than 300,000 members. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media at facebook.com/unitedpower or twitter.com/unitedpowercoop.
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