Leadership

John Mertlich
General Manager / CEO

John Mertlich reports directly to the board of elected commissioners. He 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.

Jeff Grizzel
Senior Vice President of Power & Market Operations

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.

Ty Ehrman
Senior Vice President of Retail Operations

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.

Bonnie Overfield
Vice President of Finance, CFO

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 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.

Mitch Delabarre
General Counsel and CLO

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 of Science degree from San Diego State University and obtained his law degree from Willamette University College of Law.

Charles Meyer
Vice President of Technology, CTO

Charles 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 a bachelor’s in information technology from the University of Phoenix.

Julie Pyper
Vice President of Business Advancement & Strategy 

Julie 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's 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.

Fallon Long
Vice President of Shared Services

Fallon 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. 

She 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.

Tod Ayers
Vice President of Human Resources, CHRO

Tod 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, most recently 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.

Rich Flanigan
Vice President of Energy Supply & Markets

Rich started his career with Grant PUD in 2006 and has held positions ranging from financial analyst to senior manager of Wholesale Marketing and Supply. He has developed deep insights into energy markets and the state's changing landscape toward cleaner power. He now oversees a team exploring investments in additional sources of electricity to supplement the hydropower Grant PUD gets from its Columbia River dams. 

Rich is a graduate of Ephrata High School and holds bachelor's degrees in accounting and finance from Washington State University. He and his wife Dawn have lived in Ephrata for the past 35 years and have raised their four children there. He enjoys family snow-skiing trips, working around the yard and reading.  

Andy Wendell
Vice President of Customer Experience

Andy has more than 35 years’ experience in the public-utility industry, holding various roles in engineering, operations, planning, asset management, and customer care. Prior to coming to Grant, Andy was the director of customer service at Chelan PUD. He brings deep expertise in utility rate design, public policy and community engagement, with experience shaping strategy and best practices at regional and national utility forums. He joined Grant PUD as senior manager of Large Power Solutions, where he has led the development of processes and policies that support sustainable energy use and foster industrial growth in our county.

Rey Pulido
Vice President of Power Production Operations

Rey joined Grant PUD in 2015 as part of our Engineering Services Department. He has held various positions, from electrical engineer to plant manager, gaining over a decade of leadership experience. He has a strong understanding of continuous-improvement principles. Rey most recently was the director of Power Production, overseeing the maintenance, operations, and engineering for both Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams.

Rey has a bachelor's degree in Electronic Engineering Technology from Central Washington University. He was born and raised in Wenatchee, Washington.

Ron Alexander
Vice President of Power Delivery Operations

Ron joined Grant PUD in July 2020 as senior manager of construction and maintenance for our Power Delivery Department. He came to us with valuable knowledge in transmission, construction and safety gleaned over more than 20 years in leadership roles with the Bonneville Power Administration. He and his team’s focus on electric-system maintenance have reduced the number and duration of outages, leading to a more robust power grid, ready to serve Grant PUD customers. Over 36 years in the power industry, Ron served in three apprenticeships and is a U.S. Department of Energy certified restoration coordinator, FEMA incident management assessment team representative, and power instructor. Ron also holds certifications in human performance and asset management.  

Glen Pruitt
Vice President of Legal, Regulatory & Government Affairs

Glen joined Grant PUD in October 2023 and assumed his current role on June 20, 2025. He has over 20 years’ experience in the utility industry having held leadership positions in regulatory compliance, operations, maintenance, and training. Most recently, he served as the Senior Manager Risk, Compliance, and Controls at Grant PUD. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy nuclear power program.

Glen holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Missouri and an MBA from William Woods University. He holds a NERC System Operator certification.