Metropolitan Utilities District of Omaha - District 5
6-year term, $13,440 salaryThe Metropolitan Utilities District of Omaha is a public utility that is customer-owned. The district provides public gas and drinking water to Omaha and the surrounding area. The Board of Directors sets rates & ensures water meets or exceeds all state and federal standards for drinking water.
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Tanya Cook
(NON)
How will you ensure transparency, avoid conflicts of interest, and engage the public in meaningful ways?
How do you think MUD should deal with aging infrastructure?
How can MUD control costs for low-income residents?
Education
Bachelor of Science Business Administration from Georgetown University and Master of Arts in Training & Development from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Current Public Office, dates
Board Director, Metropolitan Utilities District-Subdistrict 5 from September 2019 - Present
Past Public Office, dates held
Nebraska State Senator from 2009-2017
Military experience
N/A
Volunteer experience
Current: Board Member -Nebraska Cultural Endowment, Volunteer-Liberty School Library. Previous: Board Member -Film Streams, United Way of the Midlands. Executive Committee-National Black Caucus of State Legislators
As a public servant, it is my duty to engage with the public and to do so in a transparent and ethical manner. I respond to questions via email, call customer-owners and occasionally meet in person. All MUD Board meetings are live-streamed and recorded.
MUD has dedicated programs designed to upgrade and replace aging gas and water infrastructure.
GIR (Gas Infrastructure Replacement) focuses on replacing cast iron gas mains with modern materials. WIR (Water Infrastructure Replacement) uses risk modeling to prioritize the replacement of water mains. From 2008 to 2024, M.U.D. replaced 478 miles of cast iron gas mains and approximately 168 miles of high-risk water mains.
As a board director, I continually ask questions about the status of these programs and their alignment with the budget and financing.
Affordability is my top priority. MUD carefully plans workflow and manages resources in order to control operating costs and avoid pricing spikes for its customer-owners. For example, MUD owns and operates a liquefied natural gas plant and propane storage caverns. These assets allow M.U.D. to manage peak energy demand and reduce reliance on costly spot market purchases.
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