The Community Renewable Energy Association (CREA) announced the appointment of Mike McArthur as executive director. McArthur will take over for Brian Skeahan, who announced his retirement.

“We were pleased when Mike expressed interest in the position,” Les Perkins, Chair of the CREA Executive Committee and Hood River County Commissioner said when the announcement was made. “We had an excellent applicant pool,” Perkins said, “but ultimately the executive committee unanimously agreed that Mike was the right person with the right skill set for the CREA executive director position.”

McArthur was Sherman County Judge at the beginning of the wind boom in the gorge. He was involved in CREA’s formation and formative years. In 2004, McArthur became executive director of the Association of Oregon Counties, where he helped champion renewable energy development. McArthur chaired the Governor’s Renewable Energy Work Group from 2005 to 2007.

McArthur said, “I am committed to CREA’s original vision of the positive benefits renewable energy provides all Oregonians. CREA is unique as a place where local governments can come together with project developers to understand each other’s needs, and by doing so, ensure Oregon will continue to be a place where these developers will want to do business, thereby creating jobs and tax base for Oregon.”

Skeahan came to CREA in 2013 after a 30+ year career in public power. During that time, he was involved in renewable energy development including hydro, landfill gas, and wind project development. “I would like to thank this and prior CREA Executive Committee members for the opportunity to work with them. It was an interesting way to wind up my career, providing me a new and different perspective on this interesting and important industry,” Skeahan stated.

McArthur will join CREA officially on November 1, 2020. Skeahan will stay on board through CREA’s annual meeting November 17, 2020 and then until the end of November.

CREA currently operates as an intergovernmental entity pursuant to Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 190. CREA was formed to promote, foster, and advance the economic application and public understanding of community based renewable energy. Members include 13 Oregon counties, a city (Prineville), irrigation districts, and renewable energy developers.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-10-29 18:59:00

Last Update: 2020-10-29 21:21:24