By Tom Kleckner

DES MOINES, Iowa — Nick Brown remembers clearly back to 1985, when, as a young planning engineer, he took a leap of faith and joined an Arkansas company called Southwest Power Pool as Employee No. 7.

Back then, SPP was a much smaller regional organization and had yet to be incorporated. The Nebraska utilities had not joined, the Integrated System hadn’t been integrated and operations in Arizona were unthinkable.

“I just jumped at [the opportunity],” Brown said. “A lot of people thought I was crazy for … joining an organization that was not even incorporated at the time. It didn’t exist.”

On Tuesday, Brown, 60, told SPP’s Board of Directors he will be retiring after almost four decades in the electric industry and 35 years with the RTO, 16 as its CEO. His retirement will become effective in April 2020, by which time SPP will be a reliability coordinator and offering market services to companies in the Western Interconnection. (See SPP on Track for WECC RC Certification.)

Brown was elected CEO in December 2003, replacing John Marschewski. Since then, he has overseen the organization’s recognition by FERC as an RTO and the implementation of balancing and wholesale day-ahead markets. He has also focused the company on expansion into the Dakotas and as far west as Wyoming and Montana. SPP has invested nearly $10 billion in transmission facilities, and its footprint now extends to 14 states.

When the RTO was finally incorporated as a nonprofit in 1994, Brown notarized the legal documents. It still represents an important event to him.

“It still amazes me that this organization existed for 53 years and didn’t legally become a company until we incorporated,” Brown told RTO Insider. “It’s amazing how far we’ve come since then.”

“I have great appreciation for Nick’s contributions to an incredible amount of the RTO’s success,” Southwestern Public Service President David Hudson said. “His many years of service are remarkable.”

“It’s impossible to think of SPP without thinking of Nick Brown,” board Chair Larry Altenbaumer said. “[SPP’s] culture of collaboration was shaped and nurtured under Nick’s leadership.”

Mike Wise, Golden Spread Electric Cooperative’s senior vice president of regulatory and market strategy, has worked with Brown for 23 years and credited his vision, leadership and focus for SPP’s “great success.”

“He has helped foster the organization’s growth while meeting the needs of the members and focusing on end-use customers for those 35 years,” Wise said. “It was his desire to have an effective stakeholder-driven culture where all members who participate have a voice.

“SPP wouldn’t be here today at all in the way that it is without Nick Brown as a leader.”

Brown said his decision was a mutual one between him and his wife, Susan, and not driven by SPP’s recent mushrooming growth.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. The timing was right,” he said. “There’s no right time. A lot of people have postulated that Nick’s going to wait for this or he’s going to wait for that. SPP will always be a work in progress. It didn’t make sense to me to wait any longer.”

He becomes the second RTO CEO to step down in the last two months. PJM’s Andy Ott retired in June. (See PJM CEO Andy Ott to Retire.)

Outside of serving on corporate boards, Brown said he doesn’t have much planned except to spend time with his four children and two grandchildren, all of whom live within 5 miles of his house.

Asked if he intended to travel, Brown said, “I’ve traveled almost every week for 35 years. I don’t view travel as one of my retirement passions.”

Altenbaumer said Brown will work with three board members to ensure a smooth transition for his successor. SPP has engaged management consulting firm Russell Reynolds to conduct a “comprehensive search” for Brown’s replacement.

Brown became a vice president and corporate secretary in 1998 before assuming the CEO’s role. He began his industry career with Southwestern Electric Power Co.

He holds physics and math degrees from Arkansas’ Ouachita Baptist University and an electrical engineering degree from Louisiana Tech University. A registered professional engineer, a master electrician and an instrument-rated pilot, Brown is a member of several engineering, technical and professional honor societies.

“I’ve never regretted [my decision] for a single day,” Brown told the board, Members Committee and other stakeholders. “It’s been a true pleasure over the years working with many of you around the table. April 1 is next year, so don’t get too excited. This organization runs through my veins; it just does.”

“While we have some very big shoes to fill, we have an organization with a future that is every bit as bright and exciting as it has been,” Altenbaumer said. Turning to Brown, he said, “My thanks to you for everything.”