Meet Mitch Van Wegen, Meter Deployment Superintendent

You could say that Mitch Van Wegen has been building toward his role in the Connect Up program for years. In a previous career, he worked as a production and warehouse manager. He joined the PUD a decade ago, working directly with customers in Customer Service before moving on to Meter Apprenticeship and topping out as a Meter Journeyman.

“My role is – in a nutshell – to support and guide the Connect Up meter deployment team toward the safe replacement of 350,000 electric meters,” said Mitch, who grew up in Marysville. “Our lead Meter Deployment Techs began August 3, and I can’t wait to see them hit the ground running.”

Along with receiving guidance from Mitch, lead technicians will train for about two months with PUD Meter Readers, Customer Service Field Reps and Metermen to ensure they experience a variety of situations in the field and can safety perform meter exchanges.

“There is a lot of planning and even more people power to build a department from the ground up,” said Mitch of the Connect Up program’s deployment team. “Help came from Human Resources, IBEW, Facilities, Transportation, Information Technology, Contract and Purchasing, Metering, Customer Service Field, Meter Reading and many more. I can’t thank these teams enough for all they have contributed to make this a success.”

Mitch works out of the PUD’s Connect Up Warehouse near its Operations Center. Though fairly quiet now, the warehouse promises to be a beehive of activity as meter deployment ramps up later this year.

“As the Warehouse team receives more meters, this place should slowly start to come alive over the next few months,” said Mitch.