Colleen Wright named BPA Human Resources Director

Colleen Wright has been named BPA's Human Resources Service Center Director. Wright, who is currently the Talent Operations Division director for the Department of Energy, is returning to BPA where she served as the acting deputy director of HR and held other HR leadership and specialist roles from 2011 to 2022. She will begin her new position Feb. 22.

Wright brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the role, including 14 years of progressive experience with DOE, specializing in executive leadership and mission-critical HR transformation.

“I'm pleased to welcome Colleen to this leadership role," said Jeff Williams, DOE's acting Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer. “I'm confident Colleen can leverage her experience and expertise to lead an effective and high-performing HR organization."

As the head of BPA's Human Resources Service Center, she will receive functional direction and oversight from DOE's deputy chief human capital officer. She will also report to BPA Chief Administrative Officer Robin Furer.

“I'm thrilled to welcome Colleen back to Bonneville as the head of HR," says Furrer. “Colleen is exceptionally skilled in many areas of the job, including advancing technology to assess candidates for positions, as well as integrating programs that ensure merit-based hiring, retention and promotion. I'm excited about the expertise she brings to this role and BPA's senior leadership team."

Wright is returning to BPA at a time of significant growth. The agency is implementing an approved staffing plan with the goal of hiring an additional 950 employees in fiscal year 2026. This includes nearly 400 positions in Transmission Services, in part to help implement BPA's large-scale grid reinforcement and expansion plans.

As HR Director, Wright will manage all workforce strategy and implementation at BPA, including aligning the agency's human resources policies, practices and programs with organization mission, strategic goals and performance outcomes. In particular, BPA will rely on Wright's leadership to drive strategic talent acquisition for critical transmission services expansion.

She is recognized for driving operational efficiency with technology, leading implementation and pioneering AI tools for federal hiring. Her focus on finding compliant, innovative paths to mission success earned her a Secretary's Honor Team Award in 2024. 

“Leading large-scale recruitment efforts requires more than just filling seats; it requires a strategic alignment of technical competency with the agency's long-term infrastructure goals,' said Wright. 'My priority is to build expedited, high-quality hiring pathways that allow us to meet these aggressive targets without compromising on the merit and competence that BPA is known for."

Wright grew up on a farm in southern rural Oregon near Coos Bay and graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Science in business administration, management and decision sciences. An active member of the Northwest community, Wright enjoys hiking around Portland, local shops and restaurants, gardening and spending quality time with her family.