SPP’s Board of Directors has elected independent director John Cupparo to be its chair, the RTO said Feb. 6.

Cupparo, who will assume the role Feb. 7, will fill out the remainder of Susan Certoma’s term, which expires at year’s end. Certoma told stakeholders Feb. 6 she is stepping down as chair but will remain a board member.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the SPP board chairs that have come before me,” Cupparo said during a Feb. 6 board meeting, which featured several discussions on resource adequacy and the grid’s transformation.

“As we saw in the conversation today, SPP is faced with a series of opportunities and challenges,” he said. “I believe SPP is well positioned to capture those opportunities and to meet those challenges, given the strength of this board, [SPP CEO] Barbara [Sugg] and her team, [and] the members in the broader SPP community.”

Cupparo was elected to the board in 2022. He will continue to chair the Strategic Planning Committee and serve on the Interim Markets+ Independent Panel and the Finance and Human Resources committees. He previously was an officer with PacifiCorp, a senior executive at Berkshire Hathaway Energy leading a transmission investment program in the West and a board member for WECC.

Certoma opened the board’s quarterly meeting Feb. 6 by announcing she was giving up her position as board chair, a position she has held since 2023. She will continue to serve on SPP’s Finance and HR committees.

“At this time, there are other matters that require my attention,” Certoma said.

Sugg lamented that the meeting’s virtual format prevented a standing ovation for Certoma. Still, members were able to use the webinar application to send virtual hand claps to Certoma.

“I don’t think that the membership realizes the load of work that the chair takes on, and it is significant,” Sugg said. “Susan has been with me at every step of the way over the last year.”

The three-year board terms for both Certoma and Cupparo expire at the end of the year, along with that of Ben Trowbridge. All three have expressed a desire to remain on the board. The Corporate Governance Committee will consider their interest when it meets next week.

Liz Moore will remain as the board’s vice chair.