93rd Annual Conference in Green Bay this week: More than 100 people are registered to attend the MEUW Annual Conference taking place in Green Bay on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The event kicks off with an Open House at the host utility, Kaukauna Utilities. There will be a Welcome Reception at TitleTown Tech Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Wisconsin Utility Supply Association (WUSA). Conference check-in will be available beginning at 7 a.m. on Thursday, May 11. The program begins at 8:15 a.m. and includes presentations from a variety of speakers. During a lunchtime ceremony, MEUW will present individual honors and the 2022 Safety Achievement Awards. The MEUW Annual Meeting will be held Friday morning beginning at 8:30 a.m. (the meeting will be available on Teams for those interested; the agenda and login details are here.) Questions about the Annual Conference should be directed to MEUW Manager of Communications and Events Sharon Wolf at (608) 575-3614.
The May edition of Live Lines was distributed last week. In case you missed it, you can find it online here.
2023 Wage & Benefits Survey complete: Each year, MEUW collects and shares data about the wages and benefits available at MEUW member utilities. The results of the 2023 Wage & Benefits Survey were distributed on May 3. Only the utilities that provided information for the survey received a copy of the results, which were sent to the email address of the person who submitted the data. A total of 68 utilities responded to this year’s survey. This total — representing 85% of the MEUW membership — compares to 64 in 2022 and 67 in 2021.
Recognizing the sensitivity of these data and out of respect for those that participate, MEUW does not provide the results directly to others. This practice makes it easier for us to control how the data is used and by whom. Anyone who contacts MEUW to request the results will be instructed to talk with the individual who completed the survey.
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.
The session will include Q-&-A time. Participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance via email to the MEUW Office. Click here and then download an appointment to add the session to your calendar.
Don’t miss your chance to to 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.
Share your news: We’d like to share your utility’s news with other MEUW members. Please take time to let us know about new hires, promotions, retirements, honors, and awards. Simply send an email to news@meuw.org. We will review and include it in our member communications.
Registration is open for Leading with Consistency course: 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.
MEUW Weekly will be on different schedule this 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.