He was recently promoted to handle the Kansas and Colorado natural gas operations for Black Hills Energy.

But other than just his duties leading a company’s operations in the middle of the United States, Black Hills Vice President Ivan Vancas says he has a global view on his work in the energy sector — sitting right here in his Lawrence office.

Vancas said that while American companies once led the world in energy technology, other countries have developed more efficient energy policies.

“They are much more forward-thinking than the U.S. has been in setting energy policy. We have learned that,” said Vancas, who worked in Australia and Europe early in his career.

He sees a real opportunity to bring his global experience to help his company move forward both in Lawrence and the region.

“I love the community. I’ve been amazed at how diverse it is and how vibrant the downtown is,” he said.

Vancas, as a 5-year-old boy, immigrated to Kansas City, Kan., in 1971 with his parents and brother from what is now Croatia in the former Yugoslavia.

“It was basically the United States of America is a beacon of hope. My mother and father wanted to move to this country because here you could be anything you wanted to be,” Vancas said. “And your success was only limited by how hard you wanted to work to accomplish your goals.”

His parents chose to leave Eastern Europe because they didn’t see the same opportunities there for being able to raise a family. They moved into the ethnic community of Kansas City, Kan.

“Both my brother and I went to college. My mom and dad got good jobs,” Vancas said.

He was able to attend Kansas State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He started work for Missouri Public Service, which was a predecessor to Aquila, the utility company that formerly owned natural gas operations in Kansas and Colorado until Black Hills bought it last summer.

Vancas, who most recently was in charge of Aquila’s electric operations in Kansas City, Mo., now is a Wildcat graduate who works in the city that’s home to the Kansas University Jayhawks. Even though there’s no question about his allegiances, he’s happy to see KU succeed in athletics and other areas.

“The KU fans have been very gracious and very nice,” he said.

His duties so far have included traveling around his company’s territory in Kansas and Colorado and meeting employees and community leaders.

“I was taught once by a wise management person that you get your arms around people during the day and the numbers at night,” said Vancas, who oversees 223 employees in the two states.

It’s also an interesting time to work in the energy sector. People seem to have more and more questions for him every day about the use and cost of natural gas as a fuel.

He has fielded questions this year, especially because his company forecasts winter heating bills could be 10 percent to 15 percent higher than a year ago, which has drawn more attention from charitable and community groups who serve low-income families. Even though oil and natural gas prices have plummeted recently, as a provider Black Hills purchased most of its supply last spring when prices were higher.

Part of what he talks about to community groups, customers and shareholders is a long-term solution — the country’s need for a more comprehensive energy policy.