Meet Public Utility Board Chair Claus-McGahan. Appointed to the Board in 2022 and elected chair in July 2026, she brings decades of experience in mathematics, sustainability and community leadership. She is committed to advancing TPU’s strategic plan, supporting affordability and sustainability, and strengthening connections with the communities we serve.
She earned a doctorate in mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin and a professional development certificate in development and financing of renewable projects from George Washington University.
Before joining the Board, Claus-McGahan spent more than 30 years teaching mathematics and leading professional development. After retiring, she turned her passion for numbers and data toward climate action, sustainability, and affordable housing. She volunteered with the Sustainable Tacoma Commission, Tideflats Advisory Group, the Tacoma chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, co-founded Climate Pierce County, motivated the creation of the Alliance for Sustainable Climate Action – a forum for Pierce County mayors and councilmembers, and helped build homes with Habitat for Humanity.
As Board chair, Claus-McGahan is focused on advancing TPU’s strategic plan, strengthening sustainability efforts, protecting environmental resources, and ensuring responsible stewardship of the utility’s assets. She also hopes to strengthen relationships between TPU, local businesses, and the communities we serve.
Q&A with Chair Elly Claus-McGahan
Q: What motivated you to apply for the board?
“My motivation is stewardship,” Claus-McGahan said. “I want to help ensure future generations inherit a clean, healthy, and beautiful place to live, and TPU provides three essential services that make that possible.”
She said TPU’s work directly connects environmental responsibility with community well-being, and she wanted to help shape that future.
What is one thing about serving on the Board that you think would surprise people?
Serving on the Board includes opportunities to learn firsthand about TPU’s operations. Board members visit fisheries and habitat restoration sites, observe real-time power trading, and even can operate a locomotive.
“Those experiences were fun and full of surprises,” she said. “They helped me better understand the complexity behind the Board’s decisions and why they matter.”
What do you think customers would be proud to know about TPU’s long-term vision?
Claus-McGahan said TPU plans years into the future to ensure it can continue delivering reliable, affordable utility services. Long-range planning considers changing climate conditions, aging infrastructure, increased electrification, housing growth, and regional economic development.
Each utility division develops long-term plans, evaluates emerging technologies such as pumped storage, advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), and electric locomotives, and invests in conservation and efficiencies.
She also highlighted TPU’s commitment to workforce development, educational programs, and grants supporting projects for local non-profits and businesses.
“TPU is focused on supporting the communities it serves now and into the future,” she said. “Its success and their success can’t be separated. They support each other.”
Why would you encourage someone to be on the board?
Chair Claus-McGahan believes serving on the Public Utility Board is a privilege and an opportunity to make a lasting impact.
“Working alongside dedicated staff and fellow Board members is eye-opening and rewarding,” she said,” You help shape long-term decisions that keep power and water affordable, support local businesses, keep cargo moving through the Port, and advance electrification efforts.”