Mark McCain is Hometown Connections’ new Executive Consultant/Strategic Planning.
McCain last served as VP of Member Services and Public Relations for Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA). In his 35 years at FMPA, McCain provided communications counsel on challenging issues and events, while building strong relationships with utility industry leaders and elected officials. For his years of outstanding contributions to public power, McCain was awarded the American Public Power Association’s James D. Donovan Individual Achievement Award in June 2022 at the association’s annual conference. Read More about Mark McCain Will Lead Strategic Planning Effort »
For about 8 hours on December 11, 2021, wind gusts of up to 70 MPH knocked out power for nearly 70,000 FirstEnergy customers in Northern Ohio. But not for the Village of Woodville. When the Village lost its power supply feed from FirstEnergy, electric department employees fired up their 
Hometown Connections, Inc. (HCI) announced the appointment of Charise Swanson to Chief Operating Officer from her role as Vice President of Client Services. In her new role, Ms. Swanson will work closely with Marc Gerken, Interim President and CEO, as HCI focuses on helping community-owned utilities improve their business operations and risk management. In addition, HCI welcomed Ms. Charlie Cardin as Executive Consultant. Ms. Cardin will concentrate on helping utilities with strategic planning, technology assessments, systems integration, performance optimization, and project management.
Susan Ryba, Hometown’s long-time executive marketing team member, has announced her retirement. Susan’s last day as Executive Marketing Consultant will be March 31, 2022.
With much focus on rates and reliability, changes in the industry, customer demands, and juggling responsibilities, we often find ourselves working reactively. You may be overlooking the value of better managing the “business” of your utility. Inefficient and ineffective foundational business practices can make your utility vulnerable to significant operational, financial, strategic, and reputational risks. 
It seems everyone is trying to figure out what the future holds for our evolving energy industry. The good news is some elements have become clear. Beneficial electrification, expanding the use of EVs, integrating renewables into the supply portfolio, adjusting rates, and accounting for carbon are just a few. Much of what the industry must tackle now requires customer engagement and true partnering to achieve success.
A critical challenge in the energy transition process is modulation. How do we power our homes and businesses when the wind stops blowing and the sun isn’t shining?
The