Avista names Rosentrater first female president
Avista Corp. on Thursday announced that it has promoted Heather Rosentrater to become the utility company’s first female president in its 134-year history. She officially assumes the role on Oct. 1.
For Rosentrater, who started with Avista Labs in 1996 as a student engineering technician, she is joining a small group. She’s becoming only the 15th president since the company was founded in 1889.
“I’ve had a lot of opportunity to reflect about the 134-year legacy that I’ll be stepping into,” Rosentrater said in a brief interview Thursday. “I think about people before me that have broken barriers that allowed me to move into this role.
“I’m honored and humbled to help lead the challenges that are coming at us and to help our customers in the future.”
Rosentrater, 46, most recently held the title of senior vice president and chief operating officer. Her new title will become president and COO, meaning that she will assume the second-in-command role behind Avista CEO Dennis Vermillion.
“Heather is a dynamic leader with a clear vision,” Vermillion said in a news release. “At every turn since joining Avista, Heather has positioned our utility to be on the forefront of innovation.”
After starting as a student engineering technician in 1996, she joined Avista Corp. as an electrical engineer in 1999 and quickly rose to leadership roles in both the company’s electric and gas businesses.
After managing various departments and projects, the company promoted her to vice president of energy delivery in 2015.
Before being named president, her last promotion came in August last year when she was named senior vice president and COO.
“She’s established a reputation as a thought leader who constantly challenges Avista and our partners to strategically anticipate what’s next,” Vermillion said. “Heather has the full support and confidence of Avista’s board, executive leaders and employees to successfully lead us forward through a rapidly changing energy landscape and the complex challenges we’re facing as a business and an industry. I’m excited for Avista’s future under Heather’s leadership as president.”
Rosentrater helped Avista’s effort to receive multiple U.S. Department of Energy grants under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and she also led the implementation of Avista’s smart grid grants, according to the release.
She also served as a founding board member of Spokane’s civic research and technology initiative, called Urbanova, among other accomplishments.
“I look forward to continuing to tap into our deep, rich history of innovation, to partner with our customers in new and mutually beneficial ways, and to engage with our incredible employees to forge our future – together – during this transformative time in the energy industry,” Rosentrater said in the release.
The company also announced that Bryan Cox, who had been the vice president of safety & chief people officer, will become senior vice president of the same departments.
In that role, Cox will focus on safety initiatives throughout Avista and will also lead the company’s equity, inclusion and diversity strategies in addition to other human resource functions.