Board of Alumni

Bob Rowe

Class of 1977
Helena, MT

An Oregon native, Bob Rowe, double majored in history and political science at Lewis & Clark and graduated in ’77.  He continued his education at University of Oregon, where he completed the Kennedy School Senior Executives’ Program in 1980. He is married to Melanie Reynolds and has two children and resides in Helena, Montana. “I love living in Montana.  It’s called Big Sky Country for a reason!  Its geographic diversity and majesty speak for themselves.  Montana’s history is equally diverse.” The family’s backyard backs up to Gates of the Mountains, a spot where Lewis and Clark sought refuge on their journey west.

Bob Rowe has been president and chief executive officer of NorthWestern Corporation since August, 2008. He is very proud of the people that surround him at the company. “Our people are skilled, hardworking, and dedicated to serving our customers.  We provide essential services in a wonderful part of the country. Our work makes a difference in the communities where we live.”  NorthWestern Energy is one of the largest providers of electricity and natural gas in the Upper Midwest and Northwest, serving approximately 656,000 customers in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska.

He served as chairman and commissioner of the Montana Public Service Commission from 1993-2004, and also served as president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). He has testified frequently before Congress, and he first visited Washington D.C. with Professor Dan Balmer, where he got his first introduction to public policy. He has also served on national advisory boards (including the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service). He has worked with or served on boards at a variety of university-based institutes, including the Columbia University Institute for Tele-information. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the University of Florida Public Utility Research Center.