Mason County PUD No. 1’s Director of Electric Operations, Tracy Colard, has announced his retirement after 10 years with the utility and over 40 years in the industry. Colard’s career began at Grays Harbor PUD where he worked for 27 years in several different capacities from lineman to superintendent. He came to PUD 1 from the City of Ellensburg where he served as the electrical supervisor, and oversaw several other departments for the municipality. In addition to his utility experience, he also worked for the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers Local Union No. 77, as a union representative and as a lobbyist, working capital hills in both Washington State and Washington, D.C. Since joining Mason PUD 1 in 2003, Colard has been credited with updating and modernizing the utility’s operational processes and developing comprehensive work plans to replace aging infrastructure. He initially oversaw both the water and electric operations for nearly seven years before the departments were divided. Colard directly oversaw the construction of the new t3ba’das Substation (pronounced Tah-bah-das) located above the Skokomish Indian Nation’s t3ba’das Tribal Housing Project just off of Highway 101 in Potlatch. This substation will replace the soon to be decommissioned Skokomish Valley substation later this year. He also has helped develop plans for two new future substation sites to help replace the aging electric system, some of which is over 40 years old. PUD 1 lineman Darin Hall has accepted the position of Electric Superintendent and will begin transitioning into his new role starting August 1st. Colard’s last day will be October 11, 2013.