News Release
The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU) held an installation ceremony for three recently elected board members on Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at BPU’s Administration Building.
Two incumbent members, David Alvey (At Large – Position #2) and Mary Gonzales (At-Large, Position #1), as well as new Board Member Thomas Groneman (2nd District) took the oath of office at a ceremony prior to this week’s Board meeting. The oaths of office were administered, and each member had the opportunity to make brief comments following their swearing in.
About the recently elected members:
David Alvey, At Large – Position #2
David is the fifth generation of his family to live in Wyandotte County. He is the Assistant Principal for Faculty Formation and Professional Development at Rockhurst High School. Mr. Alvey is the current Board of Public Utilities (BPU) president and has previously served as the BPU vice president and secretary.
He is a member of the American Public Power Association (APPA) and currently serves on the APPA Policy Maker’s Council.
Mr. Alvey also served on the Planning and Zoning Commission of the Unified Government. David and his wife Ann Marie are the parents of five children: Juliana, Christiana, Joseph, Mariana and Analisa.
Mary Gonzales, At Large – Position #1
Ms. Gonzales retired from teaching school in 2006 after a 33-year career. For many of those years she was an eighth-grade language arts teacher at Piper Middle School.
Ms. Gonzales is the current Board of Public Utilities (BPU) vice president. She served as president from 2005 to 2007. She also served previously as vice president and secretary of the BPU Board.
Besides her BPU Board and other community activities, she serves on the Board of Directors of El Centro and City Vision Ministries. She also is a member of the American Public Power Association and the American Water Works Association. A graduate of Leadership 2000, she was also District 5 Coordinator in the successful effort to consolidate the Wyandotte County/city governments.
Mary is married to John Mendez and has three sons and two step-daughters.
Thomas Groneman, Second District
Thomas Groneman is a lifelong Wyandotte County resident and a graduate of Wyandotte HS in 1965. He currently works as the alcohol compliance officer for Delaware North Corporation at Sporting Kansas City and part-time in the Kansas Register of Deeds Office.
In 2003, Groneman was appointed as director of Alcoholic Beverage Control for the State of Kansas. In 1975, he was appointed Register of Deeds and was subsequently elected to seven consecutive four year terms. He entered the U.S. Navy and was trained as a Vietnamese linguist.
He was stationed for 15 months at the Naval Communications Station, Philippines where he was assigned to temporary active duty with the Commander of Carrier Division 5/Task Force 77 aboard the USS Enterprise, USS Kitty Hawk and USS Constellation. Groneman finished his tour at the National Security Agency, Ft. Meade, Md.
He is a graduate of Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kan. with a Bachelor's degree in business/economics. Groneman has been married to his wife Kay for 43 years. They have two children, Brooke and Jared and four grandchildren
