Steve Harmon, former Pioneer Electric Cooperative vice president and general manager, has been hired as the director of Opelika Power Services.

The hire was approved at Tuesday night’s Opelika City Council meeting.

Harmon, who agreed to a three-year contract, will begin working for the city Aug. 1. He resigned from his position with Pioneer Electric in December after overseeing the company’s operations for five years. Since that time, he has worked predominantly for his consulting business, H2 Business Solutions LLC.

Harmon said it’s a “tremendous opportunity” to be able to lead Opelika Power Services.

“One of the things that I like about Opelika is it’s so proactive and progressive,” he told the Opelika-Auburn News. “There are many cities and municipalities that don’t have the support of the citizens nor their council to be progressive. So, therefore, they’re reactive rather than proactive.

“Nancy and I have enjoyed living in Greenville for the past six years and being a part of the community. I thank everyone in the community and at Pioneer Electric that made our success possible. We will miss being a part of this community but we will be close enough to continue our valued friendships,” Harmon added.