Gary Stauffer, a former chairman of the board for the American Public Power Association, passed away in July 2024, after a short battle with cancer.
Stauffer was born in Germantown, PA, and received a business degree from Ohio State University in 1968.
He began his career in business with Kaiser Aluminum in Spokane in 1968 and returned to Spokane to retire in 2015.
He served in executive positions in the energy field with Avista (Spokane), Volta Aluminum Company (Ghana West Africa), and NMPP Energy.
Stauffer served as Executive Director of NMPP Energy for more than 20 years.
“Gary was a strong advocate for public power,” said Sue Kelly, who served as President and CEO of APPA when Stauffer was APPA Board Chair. “He truly believed in joint action, both through joint action agencies and associations like APPA. He was a great mentor for me when I became APPA’s CEO, giving generously of his time and support. Gary was smart, always gracious, and often quite humorous. He will be greatly missed."
Stauffer served as APPA Board Chair from June 2013 to June 2014.
He is survived by his wife, Joni; daughter, Carrie (Brian) Chee; son, John Bradley (Nadene) Stauffer; grandchildren, John Blane Stauffer, Duke Lee Stauffer, Catherine Chee, Madeleine Chee and Owen Chee; and his brother, Douglas (Darlene) Stauffer.
