Public Utility Board

The five-member board oversees the operations of Tacoma’s electric and water utilities and industrial freight-switching railroad. The Tacoma City Council appoints the board members, and they serve five-year terms, unpaid.

Please note: The Public Utility Board is currently reviewing and updating the Guiding Principles. Check back for updates.

Members of the Public Utility Board

John O’Loughlin, Chair
Term: 2021-2025

A lifelong resident of Tacoma, environmental chemist and engineer John O’Loughlin has more than 30 years of experience working in the wastewater, surface water and solid waste utilities in Tacoma, and retired in 2019 as the assistant director of the City’s Environmental Services Department. O’Loughlin also serves on the TAPCO Credit Union Supervisory Committee. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Washington, a professional engineering license from the state of Washington, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington, Tacoma.

William Bridges, Vice-Chair 
Term: 2022-2027

William Bridges is the staff coordinator and senior counsel for the Washington State Senate’s Law & Justice Committee. He has previously worked for CenturyLink, the Pierce County Council, and the Bonneville Power Administration. Bridges attended the University of Washington and Gonzaga Law School, and is a licensed attorney in Washington.

Elly Claus-McGahan, Secretary
Term: 2023-2028

Elly Claus-McGahan has been teaching and coaching K-12 math students in Tacoma for more than 20 years. While pursuing her career in mathematics education, she volunteered time to tutor, coach math teams, host math competitions and lead the WA state middle school math Olympiad competition. She more recently turned her attention to climate change action and affordable housing, volunteering with the Sustainable Tacoma Commission, Tideflats Advisory Group, Citizens’ Climate Lobby – Tacoma, co-founding Climate Pierce County and building houses with Habitat for Humanity. She has a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin and a professional development certificate from George Washington University in Development and Financing of Renewable Projects.

Anita Gallagher
Term: 2023-2026

Anita Gallagher is the Government Relations Director for Pierce County. Prior to her current role, she operated her own government relations firm. Her other professional experience includes government relations roles for Lime, the City of Tacoma, and Tacoma Public Utilities. Gallagher holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Colorado State University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, both from Washington State University.

She is the Past President of the Board of Directors for Downtown: On the Go and serves on the University of Washington-Tacoma School of Urban Studies Advisory Board. Gallagher is also an American Leadership Forum Class XXX fellow.

Devin Hampton

Devin Hampton is the CEO of UtilityAPI and co-founder of Empowering Diverse Climate Talent (EDICT), a coalition advancing workforce diversity in clean energy. Previously, he served in the Obama Administration at the Department of Energy and as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, leading global energy and infrastructure investments. A University of Washington graduate, Devin also serves on the boards of The Clean Energy Leadership Institute and Clean Energy for America and is a member of the Trilateral Commission. 

You can reach board members by writing to the Public Utility Board, Tacoma Public Utilities, P.O. Box 11007, Tacoma, WA 98411, or by emailing utilityboard@cityoftacoma.org.