Michael Small Remembrance
As remembered by Bobby Campo:
Mike was able to put up with us, and lead us to a consensus. Mike taught me a new appreciation for attorneys.
In the 80’s, we began putting together the WSPP agreement. We were a bunch of operators that were used to making decisions. We had to bring in the attorneys to help out, but we were of the mindset that the attorneys should be “seen but not heard”. A FERC attorney was needed to handle the filing of the agreement. An attorney from PG&E recommended Mike and said he’d do a good job, and we certainly weren’t disappointed. He did such a good job that we kept him around all these years, even without an agreement (until just a few years ago).
As remembered by Jeff Atkinson:
I met mike in San Diego in an elevator and took the chance to engage him. I had always thought that he was about as “cuddly as a cactus.” We spent a lot of time talking and arguing over years, and through that, I came to realize that Mike was truly unique. He had no interest in the superfluous, and was especially unique in his honesty. The more I got to know him, the better I liked him. Even when Mike argued, he really knew what he was talking about, and he did it with such honesty, it was refreshing. He treated everyone the same. It was just business, nothing personal, no matter who you were.
He was very competitive, and a great lover of tennis, where he was recognized for this intellect on the court. He was fiercely proud of his sons and never had any trouble talking about them. He was passionate about his family. He was passionate about his work, he loved the law, and he really knew the [WSPP] contract and the FERC. He was true to his art, and you never had to guess where you stood.
He was very clinical about his illness – “this is the strategy, these are the drugs I’m taking, etc”. What you saw is what you got and that’s what I loved about Mike. I miss our talks, I miss his voice, his droll humor, I miss trying to get a rise out of him and failing. I’m truly better and my life is richer for knowing him. He will always be a foundational part of the WSPP organization.
As remembered by Arnie Podgorsky:
Mike was a partner in my law firm and was head of the WSPP since the mid-1990s. Most of you probably didn’t know this, but Mike had wrestled with his illness for quite some time. As long as he could get up in the morning and work productively, life was worth living and he would persevere on. He had this amazing stoicism that continued even up until the last two weeks of his life. He passed away in February from complications of multiple myeloma. He gave us all a model of how to do this with honor and dignity.
Mike was involved in the MISO, the conversion of the Southwest Power Pool into an RTO, and the WSPP formation, expansion and its success. He was a Nuclear Engineer as an undergraduate and brought his engineering style to his practice of law in the energy industry. He really “understood the grid” and its physics, and was able to bring a lot of insight to his job and committees.
The “prickly” side you saw in his law practice was only one side of him. Underneath was a delightful softness. He enjoyed biking wherever he went, and always seemed to know the best places for ice cream or coffee. He got great joy from his family – he was a very loving father and husband and enjoyed talking about his life and childhood in New York.
At the end of the day, we engage in business in a superficial way as needed, but life is about our friends, family and relationships with each other. Mike was, to many of us, a good friend, colleague, and even a respected adversary. Relationships matter. He was a delightful guy and it was an honor to practice law with him. He did wonderful things for the WSPP organization. We wish his family well and he’s in our thoughts. We will miss him.