Leadership

Rich Wallen

General Manager / CEO

Rich joined Grant PUD in June 2017. His professional background includes 30 years of energy industry experience within nuclear, coal, gas and hydro. He earned his bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University and received a master’s degree in business management from Clayton State University.

Rich is a veteran of the U.S. Navy where he served onboard the USS Enterprise as a nuclear power plant operator. He holds a project management professional certification.

Mitch Delabarre

Chief Legal Officer

Mitch joined Grant PUD in 2009. He has more than 28 years of legal experience, including 22 years working with municipal organizations in Grant County. He holds a bachelor's of science degree from San Diego State University and obtained his law degree from Willamette University College of Law.

Bonnie Overfield

Chief Financial Officer

Bonnie Overfield joined Grant PUD in July of 2004, and has since held a number of senior financial positions over this time with oversight of accounting, treasury, risk, compliance, governance, and other internal service/administrative functions. Bonnie has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration – Management from Eastern Washington University and a master’s degree in Business – Finance from City University of Seattle.

She is involved in industry associations having served in leadership positions with the Large Public Power Council, Washington Public Treasurer’s Association, and Women in Public Finance.

Jeff Grizzel

Chief Operating Officer

Jeff joined Grant PUD in 2010 as Natural Resources director. Strong management and team-building skills brought about a career pivot in 2018, when he was promoted to managing director of Power Delivery, overseeing Grant PUD’s electric system. In his current role, he oversees both Power Delivery and Power Production.

Jeff holds a master's degree in Forest Hydrology from the Oregon State University and a bachelor's in Natural Resources Management from Virginia Tech.

Julie Pyper

Chief Administrative Officer 

Julie Pyper began her career at Grant PUD in September 2009, bringing with her more than two decades of experience from positions at Okanogan County and Chelan County PUD.

She has held several positions here at Grant. In her current position, Julie oversees the teams who manage capital projects and provide support services in change management, project management, project analysis, safety, industrial training and employee enrichment.

Julie has a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from Washington State University and has certifications in asset and change management through the Asset Management Institute and Prosci, Inc. She is a Project Management Professional.

Ty Ehrman

Chief Customer Officer

Ty Ehrman joined Grant PUD in January 2010 and assumed his new role of Chief Customer Officer on March 31, 2023. He moved into the utility industry after 10 years as a design engineer and engineering manager for heavy equipment manufacturers in the sawmill and mobile-equipment industries. At Grant PUD, he has held positions in engineering and power plant management and most recently served as the head of Power Production.

Ty oversees teams that have direct contact with our customers, the media and our industry partners, plus the wholesale-marketing and rates-and-pricing teams. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Washington State University and is a registered professional engineer in Washington.

Charles Meyer

Chief Technology Officer

Charles, head of Enterprise Technology, joined Grant PUD as the manager overseeing Software Engineering and Architecture in 2021. His dynamic blend of leadership, interpersonal skills, and over two decades of software development expertise shines through from his previous roles at companies like General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Verizon Online. Charles earned his Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from the University of Phoenix.

Tod Ayers

Chief Human Resources Officer

Tod Ayers joined Grant PUD in 2022 to head the Human Resources team. His 12 years of service in the U.S. Army Reserve included deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan leading combat stress-control teams providing mental health support. That experience has served him well throughout his career in human resources, which includes 13 years with three Washinton State agencies, the most recent as deputy assistant director of Human Resources for the Department of Licensing. 

Tod has master’s degrees in human resource management and in business administration from the University of Southern California and Marylhurst University respectively. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology from Central Washington University.

John Mertlich

Chief Commercial Officer

John Mertlich joined Grant PUD in 2019 as senior manager of Financial Planning and Analysis. He has more than 20 years’ experience as a financial professional in the utility sector, with expertise in reporting, budgeting, analysis and project management. He is highly skilled in applied financial methods, communicating complex business concepts and technical research.

John holds a master’s degree in economics from Portland State University with undergraduate work in philosophy and economics at the same school.

Fallon Long

Chief Enterprise Shared Services Officer

Fallon Long began her career at Grant PUD in 2018 as the security manager, eventually moving into her current role in June 2024 overseeing Grant PUD’s “shared services” including the Transportation, Facilities, Safety, Procurement and Security departments.

Fallon has more than 10 years’ experience in the security field with increasing levels of responsibility. 

Fallon is a proud veteran of the U.S. Army. She earned her bachelor’s degree in security management from the American Military University. She also holds a master’s in business administration from Western Governors University.