PUD Commissioners Bergren and Allen sworn into service

WENATCHEE – Chelan County Auditor Skip Moore swore into office two newly elected

commissioners on Monday, January 9, Kelly Allen and Carnan Bergren.

For Bergren, the ceremony was more of a reunion than an initiation. He previously served eight years (2008- 2016) as a Chelan PUD commissioner. A retired fruit grower, Bergren recently relocated from Peshastin to Chelan Falls. He will serve a six-year term representing District 3 (North Wenatchee, Entiat, Chelan Valley).

“It’s fun to talk with people I haven’t seen for a while,” Bergren said. “ I bring a legacy of knowledge as a former commissioner, and I’ll be calling upon that as we go forward.”

Kelly Allen, a Chelan business owner, will serve a four-year term in an at-large position on the board.

The board of commissioners also elected its 2023 officers Monday: Commissioner Randy Smith as board president, Commissioner Steve McKenna as vice president, and Commissioner Garry Arseneault as secretary.

“I view this as a new board,” McKenna said. “It’s not just new people coming on board and trying to figure out how to fit in. We all have to figure out how we’ll work together and continue to do good things for Chelan County PUD.”

In other news, commissioners thanked staff for their efforts to restore power during a record-breaking cold snap, and also during several tree-caused outages over the last three weeks. They also celebrated a re-affirmation by Standard and Poor’s rating agency of Chelan PUD’s AA+ credit rating with a stable outlook.