CVEA Announces New Chief Operating Officer - Barry Jackman

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Glennallen, AK – September 16, 2025

Glennallen, AK (September 16, 2025) – Following a strategic hiring process, Copper Valley Electric Association (CVEA) Chief Executive Officer Jaime Matthews is pleased to announce that Barry Jackman has joined the CVEA team as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO). He will succeed Wayne McKinzey, who will retire on January 6, 2026, after 11 years of dedicated service to the Cooperative.

Jackman brings 18 years of professional Alaska cooperative utility experience in engineering, dispatch operations, and system management—skills that support CVEA’s mission to deliver safe, reliable, cost-effective electric service to its members. He has a proven track record of technical and operational leadership in control center operations, outage response, and strategic coordination.

He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and has completed extensive technical training. His background includes several positions throughout an 18-year tenure at Homer Electric Association, including: Engineering Technician II, Dispatcher/Operations, System Operations Supervisor, and Superintendent of Distribution Dispatch Services.

Throughout his career, Jackman has overseen switching operations across transmission, distribution, and generation networks, managed capital projects and technical upgrades, and served as liaison between engineering, operations, and executive leadership. As Superintendent, he was responsible for training and scheduling, coordinating with field crews, ensuring safe and reliable operations, fostering collaboration between departments, leading system improvements, and serving as the subject-matter expert in operational safety and system reliability. This experience directly translates to overseeing CVEA’s operations, supporting team growth and development, coordinating system improvements, and prioritizing outage response efforts.

Jackman, a lifelong Alaskan born on the Kenai Peninsula, served four years in the United States Army before earning his degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he met his wife, Rebecca. The couple has been married for 25 years and are raising three sons—Tyler (17), Carter (15), and Blake (11). In his free time, Jackman enjoys fishing, golfing, and traveling with his family.

“We are excited to welcome Barry to the CVEA leadership team,” said CEO Matthews. “His deep operational knowledge, commitment to safety, and experience leading utility teams will be invaluable as we continue to modernize our systems, enhance reliability, and serve our members with excellence.”

Mr. Jackman will step into a role held by Wayne McKinzey, who has guided CVEA’s operations with professionalism and dedication for over a decade, ensuring reliable power delivery and advancing system improvements across the Cooperative. To ensure a smooth transition, Mr. McKinzey will remain in the role until his retirement in January 2026, working closely with Mr. Jackman.

According to Matthews, “We are incredibly grateful to Wayne for his years of outstanding service. His leadership has been vital in strengthening our operations and preparing the Cooperative to meet the challenges of the future.”

Please join us in welcoming Barry Jackman to this critical leadership role and in thanking Wayne McKinzey for his dedicated service as he prepares to move on to his next chapter.

For more information: Jaime Matthews, CEO, jmatthews@cvea.org