What is it like working in public power? What inspired you to work in this sector?
I have only been in this space for two years, so it’s still early on, but from what I have experienced so far, it is engaging and challenging, but rewarding.
I came to the public sector through a circuitous route. I am a city manager by training and trade. When I moved from Missouri to Ohio to take on a new village manager role, this dual role of municipal electric department oversight and AMP Board member came as a pleasant surprise and posed a significant challenge to me.
Although these roles are different, the reasons that drove me into public administration are the same that I have found driving me in the public power sector. The desire “to make things work better” for everyone, to create efficiencies and uphold justice in the application of policy applies to both roles. This has been a natural extension.
Who in public power has inspired you? Is there another leader/mentor who inspires you? What type of leader do you aspire to be?
I have benefited from the advice provided by [former Wellington Village Manager] Steve Dupee and Robert Patrick [former Director of Public Service for Wadsworth and former AMP Board member and Chair], who showed me the ropes of public power, and answered many questions.
Regarding leadership development, I want to be a leader who lives as a role model first. From there, I want to inspire my team to focus on the “why” of what we do, not merely the “what’s next.” If they catch and share the vision, then our team-setting becomes cohesive.
How do you approach your own professional development and career progression, and what sources do you lean on for that?
I am part of the International City Management Association’s Credentialed Manager Program and currently maintain my Credentialed Manager status.
As part of the program, I commit annually to furthering my education in various areas, and then report to the governing body on my progress.
This past year, I have been working on developing a greater understanding in budgetary practices, and how I can use these tools to better guide my team to accomplish our goals.
What accomplishments in your role in public power give you the most satisfaction or make you proud of your work?
The village passed its first electric rate increase in 13 years in the fall of 2023. When we put this new rate structure in place, it rightsized the revenue requirements, by first defining our specific cost of service needs. The elected officials and the public spent time understanding the service need first, and then reviewed the necessary rate structure to support that secondly.
From there, we were able to approve the rate, then update our pay scale, making us more competitive in the marketplace.
Since then, we have attracted good talent into our workforce, retained important employees, and have a sustainable path forward for succession planning.
What advice would you give to someone who is just starting their career in public power or who is looking to progress in their career?
Keep your eyes open, learn as much as you can, and be slow to judge and criticize. Listen more than you talk and be humble and grateful for the opportunities that you are given.
When things go wrong, and you are mistreated, as will be the case given a long enough timeline, keep the big picture in mind; then be gracious, and don’t overreact.
Buoyantly start every day anew, as if the failures of yesterday were a distant memory. Over the long run, that’s how you make progress and develop.