The Eugene Water & Electric Board has hired the current leader of the Bonneville Power Administration as its new general manager.

The EWEB board voted to hire John Hairston on Tuesday after a monthslong search. He will replace Frank Lawson, who announced plans to retire last year. During Tuesday’s meeting, Lawson praised Hairston, saying he had known him for years.

“He is a very high integrity, well qualified candidate,” Lawson said. “I think EWEB and the board will be very happy with that decision and I think it’s an honor to have someone at that level, with that degree of integrity be interested in this position.”

Hairston works at BPA’s headquarters in Portland and has been with the agency since 1991. He’s been its leader since 2021. EWEB is still negotiating a salary package, and plans to extend a formal offer in the next few weeks.

Rebecca Hansen-White is a reporter with KLCC. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.

It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/02/06/john-hairston-eweb-new-manager/