About Us

Established as a community-owned utility in 1893, the underlying purpose of Holland Board of Public Works is to enrich the lives of customers in West Michigan's greater Holland area by providing reliable and economical electric, water and wastewater treatment services while maintaining environmental responsibility.

Located on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan, HBPW is located in one of Michigan's fastest growing industrial and residential areas providing service for 75,000 members of the community.

• HBPW, a local not-for-profit utility, exists to help advance the agility and self-determination of the Holland community.

• HBPW provides utility services that improve the quality of life by helping people meet their fundamental needs efficiently, safely and responsibly.

• HBPW strives to be exemplary stewards of the resources entrusted to them.

Tim Hemingway, HBPW Board Vice President

Tim Hemingway is a long-time resident of the Holland area, but has also lived in Brazil, California, and Texas. Tim worked for SAF Holland for 31 years in various roles including General Manager of Texas Operations, Vice President International, President of Holland USA, and President of Global Aftermarket Business for SAF Holland. Tim serves on the board of the Holland Community Aquatic Center. He also served on the Board of Directors for TMD Friction, Luxembourg and volunteers with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holland.

Carolyn Maalouf, HBPW Board Member

A Holland resident since 1991, Carolyn has enjoyed living and raising her family in West Michigan. She joined Herman Miller, Inc. immediately upon earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University. Carolyn has served many roles and product initiatives during her 35 years at Herman Miller, where she continues to work as a senior researcher in Product R&D.

Dave Couch, Ex Offcio Member, Representing the Townships

A Holland area resident for over 30 years, Dave has extensive knowledge of the US electrical grid and a vast amount of experience installing large fiber optic networks across 200 sites in 10 states. His work background includes General Foods, Hewlett Packard, and most recently 30+ years with Spartan/SpartanNash Corp. as a Senior VP and Chief Information Officer (retired in 2019). Dave served nine years on the Board of the Holland Symphony Orchestra and is an active member of HASP (Hope Academy for Senior Professionals). He holds a B.S. in Business Administration and an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Arizona.

Dave Koster, General Manager

Membership

- Lakeshore Advantage Board of Directors
 
- Chair of Michigan Public Power Agency (MPPA)

Dave leads Holland Board of Public Works by living the organization’s core values and with a dedication to the community of Holland. He started as an engineering intern, honing his experience through various positions within the company that prepared him for his role as General Manager. Dave has a passion for public engagement. He strives to understand the needs and wants of the people of Holland when making decisions that have a major impact. His leadership in community engagement is seen in the P21 Decision that resulted in Holland Energy Park, Waterfront Holland, and the current Holland Community Broadband exploration.

Ted Siler, Utility Services Director

Membership

- MMEA – President – Michigan Municipal Electric Association Board of Directors

Utility Services is focused on all the customer-facing activities of the HBPW. They strive to provide exceptional customer service and reliable electric, water, waste water and broadband utilities. They continually evaluate the assets providing service, and plan for upgrades and renewal to continue to deliver affordable and reliable utility services to our customers.

Ted enjoys the variety that comes with working with four different utilities. There is never a shortage of challenges and the uniqueness of each utility keeps each of his days interesting. The knowledge that they are able to make a difference in the community is another great benefit of working at HBPW.

Becky Lehman, Business Services Director

Membership

- LCoP – Steering Committee Member for the Ottawa County DEI Office Learning Communities of Practice Cohort

Becky feels fortunate working at Holland BPW where she has had many opportunities to use her passion for serving others and engaging with people. HBPW’s focus on customers and the community really shines through in everything they do. She enjoys working with the team and building a culture where they can learn, grow and serve together.

Joel Davenport, Operations Director

Membership

- MWEA – Past President of the Michigan Water Environment Association Board of Directors and member of Government Affairs and Contaminants of Concern committees

- MPPA – Member of Michigan Public Power Agency Board Risk Management Committee

As someone driven by community service, continuous improvement, and sustainability, Joel has always been drawn to public utilities. Working at Holland BPW has allowed him to channel those passions into service for the Holland community. It also has allowed him to be surrounded by an outstanding staff of utility professionals that are similarly passionate about the Holland community and the services that they provide.

Charles Warren, Finance Director

Membership

- AICPA
- MICPA
- CGMA
- Holland Rotary Club
- MML – Energy & Environment Committee

HBPW is the second municipal utility that Charles has worked for. The utility business is complex and rapidly evolving, providing an intellectually challenging work environment, which he enjoys. His primary driver for being in the municipal side of the utility business is the public service aspect. Every dollar that comes into HBPW is spent for the customers’ benefit, and HBPW’s actions affect the quality of their neighbors’ daily lives. That is the lens Charles looks through every day when evaluating the business decisions he makes as an HBPW employee.