Mountain Parks Electric’s (MPE’s) Board of Directors has selected Mark Johnston as the cooperative’s next general manager. Johnston, who is currently Municipal Light & Power’s (ML&P’s) general manager in Anchorage, Alaska, will succeed Tom Sifers on April 22.

“Mark’s background and proven leadership will be an immediate asset to Mountain Parks Electric and its member-consumers,” said Jeff Hauck, President of MPE’s Board of Directors. “It’s no secret that the electric industry is currently in a state of transition. Generation is becoming more renewable. Electric vehicles are becoming more commonplace. And consumer interface with the electric grid is increasing. You don’t have to look somewhere else to see that. It’s happening right here. We believe that Mark is the right person to lead us forward as the industry continues to evolve.”

Johnston comes to MPE with 24 years of experience in senior finance positions. He was appointed as the ML&P General Manager in August of 2015 after working there 2 years as chief financial officer. ML&P provides electric service to more than 30,000 customers in Anchorage, Alaska’s most populace city.

Prior to his employment at ML&P, Johnston worked as a Senior Vice President of Insurance Operations for Alaska USA Insurance Brokers, a consultant for rate filings and company valuations and the Vice President of Central Operations and the Alaska Public Utilities Commission. He also served on the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education and worked for the Alaska Railroad Corporation and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of Nevada.

“I appreciate the board’s confidence in selecting me as the new general manager,” he said upon accepting the position. “It’s truly an honor. I look forward to working with the fine people of Mountain Parks Electric and its members in the days ahead.”

Johnston will become only the seventh general manager in 73-year MPE’s history. He will succeed Tom Sifers, who was appointed general manager in 2015, after working 18 years as MPE’s chief financial officer and 21 years at an electric cooperative in Missouri.

“It is not easy for me to say goodbye,” said Sifers, though he looks forward to spending more time with family in retirement. “The thing I enjoyed most about working for Mountain Parks Electric all these years is its community support – everything from cancer fundraisers, to college scholarships, to developing local renewable energy projects, to supporting local chambers of commerce, to returning millions of dollars of profits to our member-consumers, to supporting school athletic and drivers ed programs, county fairs and 4-H programs and on and on. It’s rewarding to have been just a small part of an organization that gives so much back to the community.”