Lewis County Public Utility District Manager Dan Kay gives a presentation at the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce luncheon in February 2017. Kay was appointed by the PUD Commissioners in December after former Manager Bob Geddes announced his retirement.
The Lewis County Public Utility District Board of Commissioners terminated the contract of Manager Dan Kay last week, a move confirmed Friday by Commissioner Tim Cournyer.
Kay took over as manager in Dec. 2016 following the retirement of Bob Geddes. He had worked for Lewis County PUD since 1994.
Power Supply Manager Matt Samuelson is serving as interim manager.
“All I can tell you is his contract was terminated without cause,” Samuelson said Friday. “Anything else would be speculation on my part.”
Cournyer deferred further comment to Commissioner and Board President Dean Dahlin, who did not return messages left Friday.
Kay and Commissioner Ben Kostick also did not respond to requests for comment. Corenne Moses, a communications liaison for the Lewis County PUD, yielded to Samuelson.
Kostick sent out a staff email on Sept. 21 announcing Kay’s departure, according to Samuelson, who said he did not know a change would be made until he was told that day.
The email did not give a reason for Kay’s firing or a timeline for when a replacement will be named. Samuelson said he had no reason to believe anyone in a leadership position at the PUD expected the move.
“Apparently they’re looking to move in a different direction,” Samuelson said. “My role here is to keep the ship steered straight. It’s been business as usual. We have great leadership and a great staff that will keep providing great service.”
