Brighton, CO – United Power is pleased to announce the hiring of Jan Kulmann to the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
“Now, more than at any time in the cooperative’s history, having the right people in place in our organization is critical, and Jan brings a rich combination of education and experience to this vital leadership position,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and CEO. “She is the right leader for our operations transition as we step away from our current wholesale power contract.”
Kulmann is a licensed professional engineer who brings nearly 25 years of experience in the energy arena. Her background includes work in the utility industry and the oil and gas sector. She has provided direction and strategic leadership for the development of design and engineering standards and compliance programs for natural gas pipeline and electric infrastructure; the management of drilling, completion, and production facilities; and environmental, health, safety, and regulatory programs as well as strategic technical initiatives related to emissions reduction efforts, electrical power transitions, automation, process safety, and mechanical integrity.
Before joining United Power, Kulmann served as Xcel Energy’s Senior Director of Standards & Compliance Program Development where she was responsible for the comprehensive design and engineering standards in order for the utility to achieve the clean energy transition while balancing risk, system reliability, resource adequacy, and safety.
Kulmann began her electric utility career at CenterPoint Energy in Texas, where she planned, organized, coordinated, and directed the utility’s relay and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) design group, electrical and structural design group, and substation construction design standards and materials group in the design and construction of distribution substation projects across the Houston metro area.
Kulmann earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering, along with a minor in music performance, from Louisiana State University and a Master of Business Administration from Colorado State University. Additionally, she was re-elected to her second term as Mayor of Thornton, CO, in November.
“We are excited to add such an accomplished and talented employee to our leadership team,” stated Gabriel. “Jan’s experience will be critical as the cooperative transitions to a distribution system operator. Establishing this new delivery model will benefit United Power members today and into the future. Controlling all the components of the power we deliver will help us ensure reliability and stabilize costs for all cooperative members.”
About United Power
United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to homes, farms, and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The cooperative is one of the fastest-growing electric co-ops in the nation, and in June 2021 joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 900-square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson, and Keenesburg. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options available to distribution co-ops and reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
###