New leader hired for South Tahoe Public Utility District

Submitted by paula on Mon, 11/05/2018 - 8:16pm

A 26-year veteran at the South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) has been hired as the next general manager. John Thiel, P.E., will be taking over for Richard Solbrig who will be retiring in January after almost 15 years at the helm.

The STPUD Board of Directors voted to hire Thiel during a closed session meeting last week.

Thiel is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer with extensive experience with the planning, design, permitting, financing and construction of over 100 projects. In his previous role as Engineering Manager, Thiel was responsible for a 10 year, $93-million capital improvement program. He is known for his engineering design, cost-effectiveness, and creating a culture of collaboration both within the District

and with regional partner agencies.

Thiel expressed his strong desire to be a visible and proactive General Manager.

“I am looking forward to working with the Board, our staff, and the community, to build a better and brighter future for not just the District, but also the community of South Lake Tahoe” said Thiel.

“The Board believes that John will be a continuation of the tradition of long term employees who have transitioned to general manager as a result of their engineering expertise, the way they treat others, their attention to finances, their understanding and concern for our customers’ opinions, and their ability to create a collaborative and pleasant place to work,” said Duane Wallace, a member of the STPUD Board of Directors.

Thiel holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Iowa State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Nevada, where he received high academic honors from SAE. Originally from Morton, Illinois, often referred to as the pumpkin capital of the world, Thiel worked as a consulting engineer in St. Louis and Pasadena prior to starting at the District in 1992.
A 26-year resident of South Lake Tahoe, John enjoys 80s music, CrossFit (usually), skiing and boating with his son Andrew, age 23, and trail running with his big dog, Leroy.