KPP Team & Board

Colin began his tenure as CEO & General Manager of KPP Energy on February 1, 2022, where he is responsible for the strategic direction, administration, and overall management of the agency.  Prior to joining KPP, Colin served for 22 years as Executive Director of Kansas Municipal Utilities (KMU), the statewide trade association for municipal electric, natural gas, water, wastewater, and telecommunications utilities.  Before joining KMU, Colin worked as Assistant Executive Director for the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities.  Colin currently serves as the 2021-2022 Chairman of the Board of the American Public Power Association and has served on the Board since 2012.  Hansen earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Drake University.

James joined the Kansas Power Pool as Director of Engineering Services in 2017 and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in November of 2024.  James is responsible for coordination of KPP load and resources in the Southwest Power Pool Integrated Market, acquisition of generation resources and transmission service, cost and load forecasting for the KPP budget, annual development of the KPP budget and member rates, KPP member capacity accreditation testing and compliance, and participation in the Southwest Power Pool.  Before joining KPP, James was the Director of the Electric and Water for the City of Winfield.  James was with the City of Winfield for 21 years.  While at the City of Winfield he earned his Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from Wichita State University.  James also attended Spartan School of Aviation where he obtained an Associates of Science and received Airframe and Power Plant Mechanic certification.

Vickie joined KPP Energy in 2008, became Controller in 2016, and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in November of 2024. Vickie is responsible for all accounting and finance functions, including the Dogwood Energy Plant accounting, and overseeing the annual financial audit.  For 18 years prior to coming to KPP, Vickie was employed by the Wichita Eagle.  Vickie holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from Friends University and graduated Summa Cum Laude.

Eric joined KPP Energy in March of 2025 as Chief Strategy Officer. Eric has been in the energy industry since 1999 trading both physical and financial power, natural gas, and transmission products in various RTO and ISO’s. He recently spent 13 years at the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) where he was hired to be the project manager for transitioning GRDA into the Southwest Power Pool’s Integrated Marketplace in March of 2014. Once the transition was completed, Eric served several roles at GRDA eventually as the manager of the generation and marketing division who was responsible for developing and overseeing strategies for both offering GRDA’s generation and load into SPP and procuring GRDA’s natural gas requirements for its combined cycle resources while adhering to GRDA’s risk policy, maintaining GRDA’s Resource Adequacy Workbook and applicable resource testing, operating a 24 hour generation dispatch desk, updating GRDA’s Network Integrated Transmission Service annually including any applicable Aggregate Studies and was a voting member of both SPP’s Market Working Group and Supply Adequacy Working Groups. Eric holds degrees in both Finance and Marketing from the University of Oklahoma.

Mike joined KPP Energy as the Director of Energy Services in late 2024, bringing nearly 40 years of experience in the electric utility industry. His impressive career includes 37 years with the City of Coffeyville, Kansas, where he served as Director of Electric Services, Interim and Assistant City Manager. Most recently, Mike held the role of Manager of Wholesale Customer Relations at Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA), where he collaborated with 22 municipal and off-system wholesale customers. Additionally, Mike’s experience includes serving as an Operations & Maintenance Supervisor at Pennsylvania Power & Light (PPL) at their 2,100 MW coal-fired complex in Colstrip, Montana.

Mike has been a dedicated advocate for Public Power in both Kansas and Oklahoma. He served as the 2022–2023 President of the Kansas Municipal Utilities (KMU) Board and has held leadership roles on the Boards and Executive Committees of the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency (KMEA), Kansas Municipal Gas Agency (KMGA), and Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma (MESO). His dedication to Public Power and its communities has earned him distinguished service awards from both KMU and KMEA.

Leslie joined KPP Energy in November of 2023 as Administrative Manager and was promoted to Director of Member Services in November of 2024. She served as the City Clerk for City of Haven for fourteen years. Leslie graduated Cum Laude from Fort Hays State University in 2004 with a Bachelor’s degree in Justice Studies and a minor in Business Administration.  She is also a graduate of Wichita State University’s Clerks Academy and holds Municipal Clerk Certification from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks.

Ivan became a member of KPP Energy staff in 2012. He is currently responsible for accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll transactions. Ivan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration, both from Wichita State University.

Jessica joined KPP in January of 2025 as Office Administrator. In her role, she is responsible for supporting the executive team, overseeing daily office operations, and ensuring everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. In addition to her administrative expertise, Jessica brings valuable event planning experience to our team, contributing to the coordination of company events, meetings, and special projects. Her organizational skills, attention to detail, and collaborative spirit make her an integral part of KPP’s continued success.

J.T. Klaus, an attorney with Triplett Woolf Garretson, LLC, serves as General Counsel for KPP Energy. Hehas been assisting Kansas local government in the issuance of municipal debt obligations for both infrastructure improvement and economic development since 1990. Mr. Klaus has extensive experience serving as Bond Counsel in connection with the issuance of governmental debt obligations, including general obligation bonds and temporary notes, municipal revenue bonds, as well as such “hybrid” and “conduit” type financings as tax increment bonds, lease financings (certificates of participation) and industrial revenue bonds. Mr. Klaus regularly advises local government on the various tax incentives and financing tools available to communities that desire to strengthen local industry and support economic development. He has previously presented and served as a discussion group leader at the annual training seminar for Kansas municipal officers held at the Marcus Center of Continuing Education at Wichita State University; he has presented and advised on numerous methods of economic development to the City Clerks and Municipal Finance Officers Association annual seminar and meeting in Wichita, Kansas; he has addressed and advised members of the Kansas Association of School Boards on the proper role of Bond Counsel at its school construction seminar in Salina, Kansas and he is a former instructor of Business Law at Newman University. Mr. Klaus also serves as City Attorney for the cities of Andover, Hesston, and Mulvane, Kansas.