Mark your calendars to meet the newest PSC Commissioner: MEUW members are encouraged to join a virtual meet and greet on Thursday, June 1, at 1:00 p.m. to hear from Commissioner Summer Strand, who was appointed by Gov. Tony Evers and joined the three-person Public Service Commission earlier this year. During this 30-minute virtual session, Commissioner Strand will introduce herself, talk about her record of public service, and her perspectives on the PSC’s role and the electric industry overall.
Please submit questions in advance via email to the MEUW Office. Click here and then download an appointment to add the session to your calendar.
Strengthen your Utility Accounting & Finance skills June 7: The next class in MEUW’s Fundamentals of Utility Management training series focusing on utility accounting and finance is planned for Wednesday, June 7, at the Lodge at Mauston. This workshop is designed for municipal workers of all skill levels and backgrounds, and is a holdover from the legacy Management Training Program. Full details and registration information is available here.
MEUW Executive Committee re-elected: At the May 12 MEUW Annual Business Meeting in Green Bay, the Board of Directors approved a recommendation to re-elect the 2022-2023 Executive Committee members for another year. Rick Wicklund, Utility Manager of Sun Prairie Utilities, continues as Chair of MEUW’s Board of Directors. Nick Kumm, General Manager of Marshfield Utilities, remains Chair-Elect and Dean Bergstrom, General Manager of Cumberland Municipal Utility, is Vice Chair. George Morrissey of Cuba City continues as Immediate Past Chair, and Tim Herlitzka of Waunakee remains Secretary-Treasurer.
The recommendation included a plan to assemble a Working Group to review the association’s governance model and propose alternatives that help to preserve institutional knowledge and improve the continuity of association strategy and operations.
Newcomers join MEUW Board: MEUW members in odd-numbered districts recently voted to fill seats on the MEUW Board of Directors.
Ron Janzen, Director of Public Works for Westby, was elected as Director for District 5, and Shawn Kuester, Electric Superintendent for Elroy, was elected as District 5 Alternate Director. Nick Gahlman, Electric Superintendent for Juneau, was elected as Director for District 7, and Erin Salmon, Director of Public Works for Pardeeville, was elected as District 7 Alternate Director. Ed Hoff, Electric Superintendent for Brodhead, won election for Alternate Director in District 9. Other incumbents in Districts 1, 3, and 9 were re-elected to new two-year terms.
In addition, the Board approved the appointment by Board Chair Rick Wicklund of Steve Brooks, General Manager of Waupun, and Jem Brown, General Manager of Wisconsin Rapids, to two-year terms at At-Large Board members.
Michelle Kaltenberg (Columbus) was recognized at the meeting, as she did not seek re-election and is now leaving service on MEUW’s Board.
All of these actions were approved by the Board of Directors at the May 12 meeting. For a complete list of MEUW’s 2023-24 Board of Directors, click here.
Consider joining MEUW’s S&E Committee: We are currently looking to fill a vacancy on MEUW’s Safety and Education Committee. If you are interested in joining the committee or have questions regarding the role, please contact MEUW’s Director of Safety Services and Operations Mike Czuprynko or any of the current committee members. Those individuals who may be interested are asked to submit a brief email that explains their background and the reason(s) they would like to be considered for a seat on the committee. The deadline is 5 p.m. on June 15.
Learn about Leading with Consistency: As part of MEUW’s professional development programming, we’re offering a one-day leadership development course that focuses on why consistency is essential to being an effective utility leader. The course will be held Wednesday, Aug. 2, at the Lodge at Mauston. Participants will take away practical ideas they can apply to become a consistent leader and learn how consistency can help to inspire people to work toward a common goal. Click here for more information and registration information.
In case you missed it: The results of the Wage & Benefits Survey for 2023 were distributed to participating utilities on May 3. Each year, MEUW collects and shares data about the wages and benefits available at MEUW member utilities. A total of 68 utilities responded to this year’s survey, representing 85% of the MEUW membership.
MEUW Weekly schedule changes during summer: We will not distribute an e-newsletter every week during the summer. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, MEUW Weekly will be sent only once per month (on the third Tuesdays of June, July, and August). Meanwhile, MEUW’s monthly newsletter, Live Lines, will continue to be published on the first Tuesday of every month through the summer. As always, we welcome your feedback about the news you receive from MEUW. Please use the Comment section below to “leave a reply” and share your thoughts.