Public Affairs Videos

At Seattle City Light's South Service Center in SoDo, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and leaders from the search committee announced she is nominating public utility industry veteran Debra Smith to be the next General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of Seattle City Light. If confirmed by the City Council, Smith would be only the second woman to lead Seattle City Light in its 108-year history.

Smith has 22 years of public utility experience in the Pacific Northwest. Since 2013, she has served as the General Manager of Central Lincoln Public Utility District, which provides electricity to residents of Oregon's Central Coast. Under her leadership, Central Lincoln PUD achieved its highest ever customer satisfaction ratings and transformed into a paperless utility. Prior to taking on the leadership role at Central Lincoln PUD, from 1996 to 2013 Smith served in a number of roles, including Assistant General Manager, at Eugene Water & Electric Board, a publicly-owned water and electricity utility.
 
In addition to her work in the utility industry, Smith also serves on a number of community and non-profit organizations, including the Northwest Requirements Utilities Board, the Public Power Council, and the Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee.