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Understand Your Leadership at Work

Hometown Connections workshop teaches employees to apply their individual strengths, passions, and work styles to benefit the organization, by Patty Cruz

Leadership training can sound like a nebulous concept. To have a lasting and fruitful impact, it should involve much more than how to motivate and supervise the work of others. Today’s best leadership training addresses every individual regardless of their job title or the number of direct reports. Hometown Connections offers a unique, proven and easy-to-complete process that identifies each person’s strengths, interests, motivators, needs, and most productive work style. This leadership training process also identifies stress behaviors when needs are not met. The assessment results empower employees to build upon their strengths and discover areas they would like to develop. Read More about Understand Your Leadership at Work »

MPUA Offers Cybersecurity Monitoring Services to Members

This article presents excerpts from a brochure describing MPUA’s cybersecurity program for members. Download the full brochure here. MPUA is a not-for-profit service organization representing municipally-owned utilities in Missouri, Arkansas, and Kansas.

The utility industry has become increasingly aware of cybersecurity threats. In response, MPUA/MJMEUC launched a Cybersecurity Initiative to offer monitoring services that protect our utilities and show regulators, legislators, and the financial world that the group is doing its due diligence about these risks. Read More about MPUA Offers Cybersecurity Monitoring Services to Members »

Carey Kicks Off AMI Project

Village of Carey Ohio’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) projectThe Village of Carey Ohio’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project kicked off on Jan. 15, with American Municipal Power Inc. (AMP) and Hometown Connections Inc. (HCI) personnel visiting the village offices to cover the scope and timeline of the project. As reported by AMP’s Jared Price, Vice President of IT and Chief Technology Officer, the project will install a new RF Mesh system and replace 1,926 electric meters and 1,438 water meters throughout the village. Installation should begin near mid-year and be completed by the end of 2019. Read More about Carey Kicks Off AMI Project »

Apply for RP3 Status — It’s Easier than You Think

From May 1 through September 30, 2019, public power utilities may apply online for designation by the American Public Power Association’s Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) program. As a career public power professional involved in the program since its founding in 2005, I can attest to the value of the RP3 designation and reassure potential applicants about the process. With a little outside support, your utility is more likely to succeed than you may expect, and the staff time to complete the application is less than you might think. RP3 designation represents a distinguished achievement in public power. Being recognized by the RP3 program demonstrates a utility’s commitment to excellence to customers, community leaders, governing board members, suppliers, and service providers. Read More about Apply for RP3 Status — It’s Easier than You Think »

Al Weber Brings Public Power Smart Grid Sales Expertise to Staff of Hometown Connections

al-weber

A highly recognized smart grid sales executive with demonstrated leadership success in the utilities market, Al Weber has joined the staff of Hometown Connections as Vice President, Business Development. He has a long and acclaimed track record of managing complex system and software partnerships, product development, market development, account closings, contract negotiations, and project delivery. Read More about Al Weber Brings Public Power Smart Grid Sales Expertise to Staff of Hometown Connections »

Twenty Years and Counting

Wires Alone advertisement

Hometown Connections Prepares for Next Phase of Service to Public Power, By Tim Blodgett, President & CEO, Hometown Connections, Inc.

Celebrating 20 years of service to public power, Hometown Connections has in place a new ownership structure providing the resources to expand into managed technology solutions and other new services. Hometown Connections is poised to help public power utilities tackle their most pressing technology, workforce, and management challenges far into the future. Back in 1998, the American Public Power Association created a subsidiary—Hometown Connections International LLC—to negotiate with industry vendors as a group and prepare community-owned utilities for retail customer competition. The retail market did not evolve as expected, but Hometown Connections continued to work with leading industry vendors to create pricing and programs designed to improve the performance of public power utilities. Along the way, Hometown developed an expanding set of utility management strategic planning and organizational consulting services delivered by staff members and industry partners. Read More about Twenty Years and Counting »

Joint Action Agencies Invest in Hometown Connections to Serve Public Power Utilities Nationwide

Hometown Connections logoLAKEWOOD, CO—June 1, 2018 – To bring greater value to public power utilities across the United States, the Alabama Municipal Electric Authority, American Municipal Power, Inc., Missouri Public Utility Alliance, Northern California Power Agency, and the Vermont Public Power Supply Authority today invested in Hometown Connections, Inc. This investment included purchasing the majority of Hometown Connections International assets from the American Public Power Association (Association). The Alabama Municipal Electric Authority was a minority investor in Hometown Connections International and will transfer its membership share into Hometown Connections, Inc. Read More about Joint Action Agencies Invest in Hometown Connections to Serve Public Power Utilities Nationwide »

Navigate the Challenges Ahead with Strategic Planning Support from Hometown Connections

Technology costs, workforce shortages, new regulations, power supply changes, budget pressures, cyber threats…The path forward is easier when you bring in Hometown Connection for Strategic Planning Support.

We understand your struggle to balance the demands of daily operations with the need to set long-term goals and priorities. You are likely facing: Read More about Navigate the Challenges Ahead with Strategic Planning Support from Hometown Connections »

Reduce AMI Deployment Costs, Complexity, Ongoing Financial Risk

Select Managed Service Strategy by Hometown Connections. Advanced metering offers critical improvements to utility operations and customer service. Yet due to costs and complexity, deploying AMI remains out of reach for too many public power systems. If you fear AMI is not an option, Hometown Connections has the answer. The Hometown Connections approach to AMI for public power is a “Meter to Data Center” managed service program which reduces management complexity, increases operation efficiency, and lowers long-term cost and risk. Read More about Reduce AMI Deployment Costs, Complexity, Ongoing Financial Risk »

Navajo Tribal Utility Authority Focuses on Customer Service As Strategic Pillar

Navajo Tribal Utility AuthorityFor Walter W. “Wally “Haase, becoming the general manager ten years ago of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority meant tackling issues little known to him and to the rest of public power. With a vast and imposing physical landscape inhabited largely by impoverished citizens, the Navajo Nation needed greatly expanded and more reliable utility services. With help from the staff of Hometown Connections, Haase, the NTUA Management Board, and employees at NTUA are organizing their effort to improve the community around a program to improve the utility customer experience. Read More about Navajo Tribal Utility Authority Focuses on Customer Service As Strategic Pillar »

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