Gas Utility Fundamentals + Insights – open course – Virtual (May 16-17)

Larry has 37 years in the gas distribution industry, all with the same company. Positions held include laborer, crew foreman, construction supervisor, operations manager, and retired as Manager, Central Region, Questar Gas.

He has participated in WEI’s Business Acumen program for 3 years as a student, mentor, and facilitator.
Larry is a past member of the American Gas Association Distribution Construction & Maintenance Committee, (DC&M) and served as chair of the committee from 2011-2013.

Larry has been involved with Boy Scouts of America for almost 30 years and never had a scout injured very bad – just some burns, sprains, and near drownings.

Larry is currently teaching College and Career Awareness to 7th grade students at Spring Canyon Middle School and making sure that the students learn about careers in the energy industry.

Bob Rowe served as CEO of NorthWestern Energy from August 2008 until retiring in January 2023, and was also the only non-independent director on NorthWestern’s Board. Bob is widely respected throughout the electric and natural gas sectors, and in the regulatory and investor communities. Bob and his strong and cohesive management team tripled NorthWestern’s market capitalization, earnings per share, and rate base. They built a national reputation for excellent corporate governance. Bob’s areas of focus include long-term infrastructure planning; building a diversified electric supply portfolio; employee safety and culture; customer service and community engagement.

Bob continues to be active in a wide range of industry projects, including serving as a venture partner with The Westly Group.

Bob’s strengths include collaborative approaches to working with boards and management; excellent corporate governance skills; strategic planning and execution; legal and regulatory experience; public policy development; financial acumen; and, technical acumen.

Bob served on the American Gas Association (AGA) Board of Directors and Executive Committee. He served on the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Board of Directors and Executive Committee, and co-chaired both EEI’s Institute for Electric Innovation, and its CEO Committee on State Policy and Engagement. Bob also served on the Western Energy Institute (WEI) Board of Directors and Executive Committee (Past Chair). In addition, Bob serves on multiple non-profit boards, including Yellowstone Forever, the non-profit partner of Yellowstone National Park.

Bob has been an NACD Governance Fellow since 2011, and in 2021 earned the NACD Directorship Certified (trademark).

Prior to joining NorthWestern, Bob was Co-founder and Principle of Balhoff, Rowe & Williams, LLC, a national policy and financial consulting firm, focusing on technology and telecoms companies, including transactions and strategy. Clients included mid-cap and large-cap wireline and wireless companies and associations.

From 1993 to 2004 Bob was a Commissioner on the Montana Public Service Commission. During this time he served as President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC); as Chair of the NARUC Telecommunications Committee; as a member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service; as proposer and member of the FCC Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Services; and as proposer and Chair of the thirteen state Operations Support Systems Collaborative working with Qwest and its competitors on compliance with the 1996 Federal Telecommunications Act. Rowe also served on the National Research Council, Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, Committee on Broadband Technology; and, on numerous university-based advisory boards focused on technology, utilities, regulation and public policy.

From 1980 until 1993, Bob was an attorney with Montana Legal Services Association, having served as a VISTA Volunteer (Volunteers in Service to America) immediately after law school.

Bob earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Oregon. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lewis & Clark College in Portland Oregon. Bob also completed the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Advanced Management Program; and, the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Executive Program, among other professional education programs.

Eric Christenson brings 20 years’ industry experience and an inextinguishable energy for new ideas to the Western Energy Institute team.

In his role as Director of Program Curriculum + Engagement, Mr. Christenson works to ensure key industry information and education are available to all WEI Members and others in the energy business. He leads a team that provides nearly seventy courses annually to thousands of industry professionals. He also supports overall Member engagement and his teammates with his professional background in database marketing experience, analytics, and business consulting.

Mr. Christenson joined WEI after a wonderful career at Portland General Electric. While at PGE he developed and managed the company’s Enterprise Risk Management program and his ability to grasp complicated, interconnected opportunities brought him to work with several other areas including operations benchmarking, regulatory affairs, fleet services, AMI, and finance.

Prior to joining PGE, Mr. Christenson developed his skills in a leading internet marketing company and is role leading Strategy and Analysis at a lending company.

Mr Christenson earned his Bachelors in Mathematics and also in Economics from the University of Oregon. He has served the community as a past President of the Oregon Society of Association Management and Vice President of the Greater Portland Soccer District, and currently serves on the Executive Committee of Washington County’s citizen advisory organization.