A visionary leader of public power technology management, Branndon Kelley of American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) has joined the Board of Directors of Hometown Connections, Inc. AMP is one of six joint action agencies that co-own Hometown Connections. Mr. Kelley is AMP’s Senior Vice President of Technology & Chief Information Officer and AMP’s representative on the Hometown Board.
Hometown Connections
How Can We Help?
We know this a stressful and critical time for all Public Utilities and their customers. This pandemic hits home for every one of us, and we are dedicated to working together to help public utility communities recover and move forward.
While we have all been focused on managing during COVID-19 developments, assessing future business scenarios is essential. When will normal operations return? What are the implications of this uncertainty to customers, staff, operations and future projects/initiatives?
Strategic Plans Unite Utility Staff and Leadership Through Shared Roadmap for Change
Formed in 1889, ALP Utilities in Alexandria, Minnesota is among the oldest electric utilities in the nation and well known today for delivering excellent electric, water, and business communications services. Yet, the organization faces many of the same infrastructure, financial, customer engagement, energy resources, and workforce issues as utilities across the U.S. As a new general manager determined to unify his board and staff on the future direction of ALP Utilities, Ted Cash launched in 2019 a five-year strategic planning process. He and his public power peers at Provo Power and the Kentucky Municipal Energy Agency chose as their strategic plan facilitator Hometown Connections, Inc., the non-profit utility services organization specializing in the unique challenges facing community-owned utilities.
Charise Swanson Brings Expertise in Utility Leadership & Strategy to Hometown Connections
A highly-recognized specialist in utility change management, Charise M. Swanson has joined the staff of Hometown Connections, Inc., as Vice President of Client Services.
Hometown Connections Soliciting AMI Managed Solution Proposals
Hometown Connections, Inc. has released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the acquisition of an additional advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solution and/or meter data management system (MDMS) to add to our suite of products and services and provide expanded options to public power utilities. Hometown envisions that a community-owned utility or joint action agency may choose either our existing turnkey managed AMI solution or a new managed solution resulting from this RFP.
Read More about Hometown Connections Soliciting AMI Managed Solution Proposals »
Great Lakes Utilities of Wisconsin Invests in Hometown Connections, Inc.
To bring greater value to public power utilities in Wisconsin and across the United States, Great Lakes Utilities (GLU) has become the sixth joint action agency to invest in Hometown Connections, Inc.—a national, non-profit utility services organization providing industry-leading solutions to community-owned utilities. Read More about Great Lakes Utilities of Wisconsin Invests in Hometown Connections, Inc. »
Congratulations to the Hometown Connections Annual Award Winners
On August 26 at the 2019 Annual Meeting in Breckenridge, Colorado, Hometown Connections, Inc. announced twelve award winners in recognition of their outstanding efforts and results in support of the public power community. Read More about Congratulations to the Hometown Connections Annual Award Winners »
How Do We Do This?
The Hometown Connections model to utility modernization addresses:
- leadership
- alignment with the governing body towards a strategic direction
- requirements for the utility to be a high-performing organization
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 »