About Us

Holland's Community-owned Utility Provider

Electricity
Water
Wastewater
Fiber Internet

Holland BPW takes care of the essentials, so you can flourish at home and in your business. As Holland’s community- owned utility since 1893, our top priorities are right here. Serving our neighbors, family and friends, there is no stronger driver of our standards of excellence. Our reliable, efficient utility infrastructure and services empower our community for advancement and self-determination.

LOCAL. RELIABLE. EFFICIENT. ESSENTIAL.

We are a local not-for-profit utility that builds and maintains infrastructure and reliable utility services. We strive to be exemplary stewards of the resources entrusted to us.

We aim to be an employer of choice, bringing 180 skilled and professional jobs to our community.

Holland is located on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan and is located in one of Michigan's fastest-growing industrial and residential areas.

We serve over:

31,000 electric customers
18,000 water customers
13,000 wastewater customers
800 broadband customers

Our Core Values

Accountability

Continuous Improvement

Customer Focus

Employee Fulfillment

Empowerment

Integrity

Open Communications

Professional Development

Safety

Our Mission

Holland BPW provides essential, economical and innovative utility services for the Holland community, including electricity, water wastewater and broadband. Holland BPW operates socially and environmentally responsible utility enterprises that are able to expand and sustain a highly functional, reliable and efficient local infrastructure.

Holland BPW operates with a Commitment to Customers and the Community

Holland BPW is a progressive and innovative utility with more than 180 employees of diverse backgrounds working together to provide the Holland area with reliable and low-cost utility services, while developing and implementing methods to preserve the environment. The Holland BPW staff provides a team building atmosphere within the organization and community, utilizing the richness of its diverse employees. Holland BPW continues to move forward, growing in services while maintaining the high expectations that its valued customers have come to expect. As a proud and active member of the Holland community, Holland BPW is committed to providing the services of an ever growing and changing population.

Our Board of Directors

male executive wearing a black suit coat, white shirt and red tie

PJ Thompson, Holland BPW Board President

PJ Thompson was raised in Holland, Michigan and educated in the Holland Public Schools. After earning a BA in Economics at Albion College and MBA from the University of Notre Dame, PJ started his career as a CPA with Price Waterhouse based in Charlotte, NC. His specialization was manufacturing systems for global clients enabling PJ to travel, work and live in multiple countries. In 1997, he moved back to the Holland area to join Trans-Matic Mfg. Co., which was founded in 1968 and is wholly owned by the Thompson Family. PJ became President of Trans-Matic in 2002 and serves in this capacity currently. Over the past two decades, Trans-Matic has expanded its operations to China and to Mexico under his leadership. PJ and his wife Kristen reside in Holland’s Historical District.

Carolyn Maalouf, Holland BPW Board Vice President

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.

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Paul Lilly, Holland BPW Board Member

A Holland resident since 1987, Paul operated a cleaning and facility services business in Holland for 18 years, retiring in 2018 after selling the business. Paul worked with Herman Miller in their Facility Management Institute, Production, and Customer Service operations for 21 years. As part of the original Holland Sustainability Committee, he helped develop the Community Energy Plan and the Sustainability Framework. Paul has been active in the Macatawa Watershed Project serving on the education and technical teams. He holds a BS and MS in Resource Development from Michigan State University with focus on Water Resource Management and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

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Beth Snyder, Holland BPW Board Member

A graduate of Hope College and Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business, Beth worked in public and government affairs for ExxonMobil in Washington D.C. and Dallas, TX prior to returning to Holland, MI in 2017. Beth leads a Lilly Endowment-funded program focused on faith and vocation at Hope College. In addition to BPW, Beth enjoys serving the community as a board member of Western Theological Seminary, Evergreen Commons, Camp Geneva, and Upward Bound. She lives in the Washington School neighborhood.

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Brian Lynn, Holland BPW Board Member

A lifelong Holland resident, Brian graduated from Holland High School and Hope College. He served on Holland City Council from 2015 – 2019 and represented City Council as the liaison to the HBPW Board during his tenure. That experience helped Brian discover a passion for the HBPW and the critical role it plays in the success of the greater Holland community, its foundational role in longer-term strategic planning, and economic development – enabling Holland to continue as a thriving home to residents and businesses for the next generation. He is the Director of Branded Sales at Hudsonville Ice Cream, where he has worked since 2017.

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David Couch, Holland BPW Board Ex-Officio Township Representative

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 SVP 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.

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Mayor Nathan Bocks, Holland BPW Board City Council Representative

Nathan was elected as Mayor for the City of Holland in November 2019. He attended Hope College and graduated from Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee. He’s owned his law practice, Central Park Law, PLLC since 1992. Over the last 20 years, he has served on 15 different community boards and commissions, including Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity, City of Holland Board of Appeals, Holland Hospital Medical Ethics Committee, Hospice of Holland Board, and the Holland in Bloom Steering Committee. Most recently, Nathan has been involved in the revitalization and rebirth of Holland Civic Center Place including the the Steering Committee, and served as Chair of the Civic Center Place Board.

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Keith Van Beek, City of Holland City Manager

Keith Van Beek has been the City Manager for the City of Holland since 2018. Through the efforts of over 200 employees, he provides leadership and direction for this community of 34,000+ residents. Keith previously served as Deputy Ottawa County Administrator for nine years and Kentwood City Administrator for 12 years. He holds a degree in Political Science and Criminal Justice from Calvin College and a Master of Public Administration from Grand Valley State University. Among his professional associations and community organizations are Michigan Municipal Executives, Community Spoke, and United Way.

Our Executive Staff

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Dave Koster, Holland BPW General Manager

Membership

Lakeshore Advantage – Board of Directors

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.

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Ted Siler, Holland BPW 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.

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Becky Lehman, Holland BPW Business Services Director

Membership

MWEA – Michigan Water Environment Association – DEIB Committee Member

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.

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Joel Davenport, Holland BPW 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.

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Chuck Warren, Holland BPW 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.