COLUMBUS, OH: Kyle Francis is the 2022 recipient of the AMP Seven Hats Award.
The award was presented to Kyle Francis during the 2022 AMP Annual Conference, which took place Sept. 26-28 in Columbus.
Francis serves as the assistant village administrator for the Village of Versailles, a small community located in western Ohio, near the Indiana border. He has served the Village of Versailles for seven years. He also serves as superintendent for Village of Versailles Utilities.
“Kyle Francis represents the type of public power leader that this prestigious award recognizes — a strong work ethic, dedication to community and public power and passionate leadership,” said Jeff Brediger, director of utilities for the City of Orrville and chair of the AMP Board of Trustees. “I am honored to present the award to Kyle on behalf of the AMP Board of Trustees and thank him for his service to public power.”
When Francis, who has a background in civil engineering, was named assistant village administrator, he maintained his responsibilities as utility superintendent for the system that serves about 1,900 customers. In his current role, he continues to oversee short-term and long-term planning for the village electric, water and street department. Early in his tenure with the village, Francis prioritized a project to update the village’s electric infrastructure. The project included a system-wide conversion from 4 kV to 12 kV and replacement of aging transformers, poles and system components, and has lowered system losses by 1 to 2 percent, improved reliability and greatly reduced system maintenance costs.
“Kyle is an amazing asset to the Versailles community. When I think of the Seven Hats award, the first person I think of is Kyle,” said Versailles Mayor Jeff Subler. “His work ethic is a great example of a person and employee very deserving of this award.”
In his nomination, Subler noted that Francis, a longtime Versailles resident, is well known in the community and provides excellent community relations. Francis frequently writes articles to be published in the village newspaper, newsletter and social media to keep the public informed about current projects and planned system upgrades. He also tracks project progress and keeps the mayor, council and village administrator informed.
According to Subler, Francis is highly regarded by his staff because he leads by example and continuously looks out for the best interests of the village and its employees.
The AMP Seven Hats Award — modeled after the American Public Power Association’s national Seven Hats Award — was initiated in 1984 to recognize utility managers who serve smaller communities of less than 2,500 meters, and whose management duties extend well beyond the scope of a manager in a larger system. Award winners show skill in seven areas: planning and design, administration, public relations, field supervision, accounting, personnel or employee direction, and community leadership.