Jack Anderson passing...

12/6/21

It is with great regret that we post this delayed announcement that Jack Anderson, Chair of Plug-In NCW, unexpectedly passed away August 30th.

Jack became a member of Plug-In NCW about 2013 and contributed greatly to the organization until his untimely death. Jack served as the Chair of the group for the last several years.

Jack was a very generous, kind, and energetic person, as well as an innovative problem solver.

He was always quick to offer information and test drives of their Tesla Model S, as many EV owners do. But when he offered to let Anne and I borrow their Model S to drive to a family memorial service in the Seattle area, I was speechless, for a few seconds before I said “yes!” I don’t think I’ve ever driven a car more carefully!

Jack and Charlene also drove us to Seattle so we could test drive a used Model S that we were considering buying from Tesla. And they drove us back a couple weeks later to take delivery.

Jack’s innovative problem solving was key to the success of Plug-In NCW. Jack pioneered the solicitation and use of EV owner donations to fund the purchase of EV charging equipment. There are now 22 Plug-In NCW charging stations at host locations throughout north central WA.

When Plug-In NCW received a USDA grant to install 5 charging stations, we were excited until we learned that the grant would only reimburse us for our costs. If we had funds already, we wouldn’t have needed the grant! Jack generously offered a bridge loan, using personal funds, to allow us to proceed.

When Chelan County PUD wanted to install 5 charging stations at their facilities, but is prohibited by State law from “donating” electricity to EV users, Jack came up with the “Pledge for Power” program that used donations solicited by Plug-In NCW to pay the minor electric bill for these chargers. The cost of the electricity used is less than the cost of any fee collection system.

Jack worked tirelessly through any problem that came up. A key location to “electrify” US Hwy 2 across WA state was to have a charger at Davenport. But no business or organization could afford the installation. After two years of efforts, the City, the utility, the Economic Development office, and the local Lions Club all came together to make the charging station at the Lincoln County Museum in Davenport a reality. Jack then coordinated a media event, called The Charge Across WA, to drive a small battery EV from Everett to Spokane, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the charging network.

At the time of his death, Jack was actively working on an EV Technician training program for regional high schools and community colleges, to train the next generation of automotive technicians.

The Plug-In NCW committee will strive to continue Jack's passion and innovative problem solving to further the adoption of electric vehicles.

Very big shoes to fill.

Randy and Anne Brooks