When facing a senior management transition in its Electric Department, officials for the Town of Ashland, New Hampshire, searched for support from an experienced public power industry professional. They turned to a recently retired general manager working under a six-month interim contract arranged by MFP-Connect™, a leader in recruitment for the electric, natural gas, and water industries.

Retired Industry Professional Supports Public Power Management Transition in Ashland, NH

MFP-Connect™ is the workforce solutions partner of Hometown Connections, Inc., the non-profit utility services organization specializing in the unique challenges facing community-owned utilities.

Energy Workforce Solutions

An entity of Mycoff Fry Partners LLC with an extensive database of over 25,000 executives, MFP-Connect is helping to address the public power industry “brain drain”. Rising retirement rates, often non-competitive salary levels, and hiring freezes are delaying the appointment of utility directors, department heads, and project managers with the skills and experience needed. MFP-Connect finds retired executives to fill in while permanent replacements are being sought. Public power clients use this service to:

• Fill vacant positions during a recruitment process
• Function in short-term, but critical, roles
• Lead special projects
• Mentor and train existing employees by transferring years of specialized knowledge and experience

The Town of Ashland reached out to its wholesale power supplier, the Vermont Public Power Supply Authority, for a personnel resource. VPPSA is one of six joint action agencies that have invested in Hometown Connections, Inc. to speed the delivery to public power of advanced metering, cybersecurity, load growth consulting, and other state-of-the-art services. VPPSA General Manager Ken Nolan contacted Hometown Connections, which then connected Ashland officials with Carl Mycoff of MFP-Connect.

“Carl Mycoff introduced us to Richard Joyce, who is retired from 24 years of service to the Wellesley Municipal Light Plant in Massachusetts,” said Charles Smith, Ashland’s Town Manager. “Along with being impressed by Dick’s prior experience, his close proximity to our area has been quite helpful. Dick is readily available when needed.”

Smith noted, “Dick has brought extensive managerial and financial experience as well as industry knowledge to our electric department.  These traits have helped us reshape our department into one that now has a vision in restoring our reserves and improving our capital infrastructure. Dick has also been quite helpful with our customers, quick to respond to their inquiries.”

Public officials in the Town of Ashland are thankful to have found a consultant of Dick Joyce’s caliber.  “He helps explain our industry in a professional manner that’s understandable to everyone,” Charles Smith said. “Overall, Dick has helped ‘right our ship’ for smooth sailing ahead.”

For More Information

Charles Smith, MPA
Town Manager
Town of Ashland, NH
townadmin@ashland.nh.gov
603-968-4432