Colin Whitley will leave his post as Winfield’s electric and water utility director this summer to become general manager of the Kansas Power Pool, an organization of municipal power providers he helped form.
Whitley will assume his new duties around June 1, according to city manager Warren Porter, who announced the departure. The city will conduct a national search for a replacement, a process expected to take about 3 to 6 months.
Nearly 13 years ago, Whitley arrived in Winfield from Iowa to become director of the city’s electric utility. Two years later he added direction of the water utility to his list of duties.
Whitley’s tenure was rarely boring. An ice storm in 2002 hammered Winfield’s electric distribution system and created millions of dollars in repair work. Nearly 20 percent of the city’s system was replaced as part of the project.
The city’s water department also switched to ozone treatment under Whitley’s watch.
Whitley was a key player in the formation of the power pool he will now oversee full time. The organization allows cities to combine resources with the goal of achieving efficient and less expensive power distribution.
Since 2005, Whitley has served as an unpaid, volunteer general manager of the pool. Because of growth and with the KPP expected to begin delivering energy services by June 1, a full-time position was developed.
Winfield is the pool’s largest member, Porter said, so Whitley will still be working to provide affordable energy for the city. Power pool offices will be located in Wichita but Whitley will continue to live in rural Winfield.
The pool began with just six members but has grown to 23.
