San Diego Community Power Chief Executive Officer Karin Burns, who has been on paid administrative leave since June, will become the Executive Advisor for the organization, according to a news release issued Friday.
The release said Burns “concluded her tenure” Thursday. The new role will last until Jan. 15.
It’s unclear what, exactly, an Executive Advisor does. The position did not exist previously in the agency’s organization chart. The deal appears to pave the way for the agency to hire a new leader.
The news release said Burns will “support a smooth leadership transition and ensure continuity for the organization, its employees and the communities it serves.”
Burns will continue to be paid her salary, which is $505,000 per year, according to Senior Director of Public Affairs Jen Lebron.
“After more than four years of significant growth and transformation at San Diego Community Power, the organization and I have agreed that this is the appropriate time to transition leadership,” said Burns. “I am proud of what our team built together, and I am grateful to the employees, community partners, public officials, and industry colleagues who contributed to that progress. I look forward to supporting the agency during this transition period.”
Since Burns went on leave June 18 the agency has been led by acting CEO Jack Clark. An announcement on the search for a new CEO will be coming soon, Lebron said.
Burns was hired in April 2022 to lead the organization. During her tenure, San Diego Community Power expanded to serve 1 million customers and became the nation’s second-largest community choice aggregator.