Gary Hall of Estes Park and Sharon Israel of Loveland
FORT COLLINS, Colo., – During Platte River Power Authority’s annual board meeting, the board of directors appointed Gary Hall, mayor of the Town of Estes Park, to serve as the wholesale power provider’s board chair. The board also appointed Sharon Israel, utilities director for the City of Loveland, to serve as vice chair. Their appointments take effect immediately following today’s board meeting.
“I appreciate Gary’s engagement and insights as vice chair over the past year, and I look forward to his continued leadership and guidance as board chair,” said Jason Frisbie, general manager and CEO of Platte River.
Hall has been part of the Platte River Board of Directors since his election to Estes Park mayor in April 2024 and became Platte River’s vice chair in February 2025.
“I’m honored that my colleagues selected me to chair the board during this pivotal time,” said Hall. “I look forward to building on the strong foundation of collaboration and continuing to work together to advance our goals while staying true to Platte River’s foundational pillars of providing reliable, environmentally responsible and financially sustainable energy and services to our communities.”
Sharon Israel joined the Platte River Board in January 2025. She began her career in public service in 2000 and worked alongside former Loveland Utilities Director Kevin Gertig until his retirement in late 2024.
“I’m honored to help lead the board, and I’m grateful for the confidence my colleagues have placed in me,” Israel said. “This role is an opportunity to support the important work ahead of us, and I look forward to what we can accomplish together.”
Platte River also acknowledged the recent addition of Emily Francis, mayor of Fort Collins, to its board of directors. Francis is automatically appointed to Platte River’s Board per the organic contract between the owner communities. Francis replaces former Fort Collins Mayor and Platte River Board Chair Jeni Arndt who served on Platte River’s Board of Directors since 2021 and as board chair since 2025.
“During her time on the Platte River Board, Jeni served as an ambassador for Fort Collins and for Platte River, representing both agencies regionally, nationally and internationally,” said Frisbie. “Her pragmatism and calm, steady leadership greatly benefited our board during a critical time for the utility, and I appreciate her service.”
The board leadership elections preceded a 2025 year-in-review presentation by Platte River’s senior leadership team highlighting how the owner communities moved forward together to advance the energy transition. Milestones included achieving commercial operation of the 150-megawatt Black Hollow Sun phase 1 solar project, signing an agreement for Platte River’s first utility-scale battery energy storage system, and extending the organic contract and power supply agreements through 2075.