Zeeland Board of Public Works General Manager Andrew Boatright addresses the City Council on proposed electric and water rate increases for next year at a Nov. 17 council meeting. Boatright has announced he will retire in September 2026 after seven years in charge of the municipal utility.
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
The Zeeland Board of Public Works has begun the process of finding a new general manager.
Andrew Boatright, who has been BPW’s general manager for the last six years, has announced that he will retire effective September 2026. That announcement has set in motion efforts by the utility board of directors to find Boatright’s successor.
“I informed the board (of my plans) because it’s important that we begin the recruitment process,” Boatright said. “We’ve got plenty of time to get our ducks in a row … That’s really the concern, that we bring on the next leader in a timely fashion that doesn’t cause us to skip a beat in terms of our strategic objectives that are ongoing.”
The BPW board recently appointed a six-member selection team to interview possible successors for Boatright from within the city and BPW. That team would then forward to the board a hiring recommendation, BPW board chairwoman Linda Boerman said.
“We have a diverse team from the community, from the board and from the electric (utility) field,” Boerman said. “They are in the process of interviewing (candidates), and we will hear from them soon.”
Boerman is thankful for the lead time Boatright gave the board to find his replacement.
“He’s been very gracious,” she said. “It’s going to make for a very smooth transition.”
Boatright came to Zeeland BPW in January 2019 from Independence, Mo., where he served as deputy director and acting director of the city-owned electric utility. Before that, he served as electric utility manager for the city of Westerville, Ohio, just outside Columbus. He is a former chairman of the American Public Power Association (APPA) Board of Directors, which represents municipal utilities across the country.
Boatright’s retirement announcement comes as BPW is updating its integrated resource plan, which will help guide future decisions by the utility on power generation and supply. The first of three stakeholder working group meetings to address the IRP was held Nov. 18 at the Howard Miller Community Center, with future meetings set for Dec. 18 and Jan. 15.
BPW also recently completed a rate design study that is recommending rate increases for both electric and water service effective Jan. 1. The utility is proposing a 4.5 percent rate increase for water and a 1.5 percent hike for electric. The City Council is expected to approve the increases at next Monday’s meeting.
Zeeland Record
The Zeeland Board of Public Works has begun the process of finding a new general manager.
Andrew Boatright, who has been BPW’s general manager for the last six years, has announced that he will retire effective September 2026. That announcement has set in motion efforts by the utility board of directors to find Boatright’s successor.
“I informed the board (of my plans) because it’s important that we begin the recruitment process,” Boatright said. “We’ve got plenty of time to get our ducks in a row … That’s really the concern, that we bring on the next leader in a timely fashion that doesn’t cause us to skip a beat in terms of our strategic objectives that are ongoing.”
The BPW board recently appointed a six-member selection team to interview possible successors for Boatright from within the city and BPW. That team would then forward to the board a hiring recommendation, BPW board chairwoman Linda Boerman said.
“We have a diverse team from the community, from the board and from the electric (utility) field,” Boerman said. “They are in the process of interviewing (candidates), and we will hear from them soon.”
Boerman is thankful for the lead time Boatright gave the board to find his replacement.
“He’s been very gracious,” she said. “It’s going to make for a very smooth transition.”
Boatright came to Zeeland BPW in January 2019 from Independence, Mo., where he served as deputy director and acting director of the city-owned electric utility. Before that, he served as electric utility manager for the city of Westerville, Ohio, just outside Columbus. He is a former chairman of the American Public Power Association (APPA) Board of Directors, which represents municipal utilities across the country.
Boatright’s retirement announcement comes as BPW is updating its integrated resource plan, which will help guide future decisions by the utility on power generation and supply. The first of three stakeholder working group meetings to address the IRP was held Nov. 18 at the Howard Miller Community Center, with future meetings set for Dec. 18 and Jan. 15.
BPW also recently completed a rate design study that is recommending rate increases for both electric and water service effective Jan. 1. The utility is proposing a 4.5 percent rate increase for water and a 1.5 percent hike for electric. The City Council is expected to approve the increases at next Monday’s meeting.
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