Month: January 2018

by Mary Rupert

Three recently elected Board of Public Utilities members were sworn in on Wednesday, Jan. 3, at the BPU meeting at 540 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.

Mary L. Gonzales, Tom Groneman and Ryan Eidson were sworn in by Judge William Mahoney. About 35 people attended the meeting, plus board members and staff.

“You have to know in your heart and say frequently that the employees of this utility are its strength,” said board member Mary L. Gonzales, at large, position 1. She also said it’s important for board members to return calls, do what they say they will do, know that things change and be open to it, be a lifelong learner including science and math, and realize they don’t have an expiration date.

Gonzales, who was re-elected at the November election, said she represented the people of the community. When decisions are made on capital expenditures and setting rates, she said she knows that those decisions have to be well thought-out, board members need to take a serious approach and know their importance. She added she would continue to serve the utility with honesty and integrity.

Gonzales, a retired teacher from Piper Middle School, is a member of the American Public Power Association and the American Water Works Association. She serves on the board of Rosedale Development Association. She has a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction.

Tom Groneman, who was re-elected to the BPU, 2nd District, said it was a pleasure and honor to serve on the BPU. He also said the first four years have been a learning curve, straight uphill, and he expected to continue to learn each day.

“It’s something that’s quite complicated, and it’s something that takes dedication and some insight,” Groneman said.

Groneman, a lifelong Wyandotte County resident, is the former Wyandotte County register of deeds and from 2003 to 2011 was director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control for the state of Kansas. He has a bachelor’s degree in business and economics. He served in the U.S. Navy at the Naval Communications Station in the Philippines, and was assigned to duty aboard the USS Enterprise, Kitty Hawk and Constellation. He also worked as a probation officer for the 29th Judicial District, Wyandotte County District Court.

Ryan Eidson was elected to the at-large position 2 on the BPU. Eidson, a lifelong area resident, thanked his family.

Eidson noted that Groneman said it was an uphill battle, and Eidson is sure it is, and with the help of Groneman and everyone, he hoped to get up to speed quickly.

Eidson is the general manager for Wil Fischer of Kansas, the Anheuser-Busch distributor in Wyandotte County. Before beginning that role in 2014, he was in leadership positions with Schatz Distributing.

Eidson, a Piper High School graduate, has a degree in communications and advertising from Kansas State University. He is a board member of Helpful Hands Inc., and also on the board of the Chris Kugler Memorial Trust. Eidson’s father, Terry Eidson, served for many years on the BPU board.

During the regular BPU meeting, board member Bob Milan recalled the good experience he had on the BPU board with Terry Eidson. He also said they should always remember that BPU is a public-owned utility, not a private utility.

“We ought to be proud, we make every effort on the BPU to give our very best to customers,” Milan said.