Agenda

Investigate the practical steps utility leaders and finance professionals can take to stay ahead of the evolving financial and regulatory landscape for public utilities. Delve into the upcoming changes to governmental accounting standards, including walking through practical examples of how these changes could affect financial reporting and decision making. Then explore common attributes of fraud and how organizations are preventing and addressing it, including why strong internal controls and proper segregation of duties remain essential. Discuss single audit and regulatory considerations and how control weaknesses can create broader compliance risks. Conclude with a forward looking discussion on funding capital projects, including the role of financial forecasts, key budget to actual controls, and how capital decisions affect rates and your long term financial planning.

Topics: 

• GASB changes on the horizon and what they mean for your financial reports
• Fraud prevention and internal controls for resource-constrained organizations
• What utility finance pros should know about regulatory changes and compliance
• Financial planning and sustainable options for funding capital projects

Build core literacy in the concepts surrounding risk and critical infrastructure and learn about the frameworks and assessment tools that can help your utility prioritize and manage risks surrounding your assets. Begin with an introduction to the fundamental components of risk — threats, vulnerabilities, consequences, and likelihood — and then explore how structured frameworks can support clearer decision-making across your organization’s leadership. Designed for professionals who need a grounded, shared understanding of strategic risk and the emerging challenges utilities face in managing it. Walk through how to conduct qualitative and quantitative approaches to risk analysis, including developing risk registers and interpreting risk analyses with confidence.

Topics:

• Elements of risk and risk management 
• Developing effective, structured risk scenarios
• Using frameworks to understand and prioritize risk
• Approaches for assessing and analyzing risk
• Challenges for utilities in risk management

Rapid, concentrated demand growth from data centers, advanced manufacturing, and other super sized electric loads have the potential to bring major economic development opportunities, but come paired with complex challenges around service needs, infrastructure investment, procurement, and more. How public power providers structure rates and policies determines both whether your community attracts this growth and to what extent existing customers see effects. Explore what high load factor customers need from the grid and how utilities can translate those needs into thoughtful, defensible rate structures, line extension policies, and contracts. Discuss strategies for balancing opportunity and risk, and considerations for contracts such as firm vs. non firm service, cost recovery mechanisms, and market structures. Examine what other utilities are doing to design competitive offerings that support modern load growth and sustain affordability.

Topics: 

• Industries driving load growth and their energy requirements
• Considerations for economic development
• Rate design strategies for large loads – and the effect on other customers
• Trends in utility policies and rate structures
• Developing contracts that support the community and the large customer

Imagine planning a trip without choosing a destination, mapping an itinerary, or knowing who you’ll travel with. Many of us approach our careers this way — hoping things will work out without ever taking the wheel. This is your invitation to stop wandering and start steering — not just for yourself, but for the teams you lead and influence. Learn how to begin to take ownership of your career and professional development, while also learning how to cultivate accountability, foster a growth mindset, and empower others on your team. First, reflect on your values, uncover your strengths, and learn tools to help you create a personalized roadmap for growth. Then explore how to effectively encourage your team to adopt a growth mindset, take accountability, and create a team development action plan. Whether you're just starting out or looking to reignite your path, stop waiting for someone else to lead and start practicing how to guide your own journey toward a fulfilling career and culture of results.

Topics: 

• Leading yourself: build clarity, confidence, and direction in your leadership brand
• Identifying stealth development opportunities and accelerating career momentum
• How to foster a culture of accountability and results within your team
• Developing a growth mindset and empowering others through coaching, feedback, and recognition
• How to create a team development action plan aligned with your leadership values and organizational goals

Join the CyManII Cyber Range at UT San Antonio (UTSA) for a unique opportunity to practice cyber response in a safe, highly realistic environment. This immersive, hands-on exercise places participants in a simulated, corporate-grade network environment where cyber incidents unfold in real time. Participants will detect, investigate, and mitigate cyberattacks using industry-standard cybersecurity tools. The exercise is designed to mirror the complexity, pressure, and decision-making challenges organizations face during real-world cyber incidents—providing practical experience that strengthens both technical skills and organizational readiness.

Brought to you by the CyManII Cyber Range at UT San Antonio this experiential learning opportunity allows participants to test their response capabilities, work through realistic attack scenarios, and build confidence in responding to a cyberattack before facing one on the job.

About CyManII: CyManII (Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute) is a U.S. Department of Energy-funded Manufacturing USA Institute focused on advancing cybersecurity and innovation across American manufacturing. Through research, workforce development, collaboration, and hands-on training, CyManII works to strengthen the cybersecurity and resilience of the nation’s manufacturing sector.

Kick off the conference with this opportunity to network and build lasting relationships in this relaxed setting. Enjoy music, food, and drinks while connecting with friends and colleagues. Be sure to get your Riverwalk Map stamped!

Visit with peers and chat with conference sponsors at this informal breakfast.  

Meet with other first-time attendees, get tips on making the most of your conference experience, and forge lasting connections that will fuel your success throughout the event.

Welcome

CEO Address

Recognition of Conference Planning Officers

Disruptive Tech: The Unrecognizable New World of Tech and Culture

AI, blockchain, self-driving cars, wearable tech, Internet of Things, delivery drones, the quantified self, augmented reality, Alexa/Siri/Google Home: the tech of our world is changing faster and faster. What are the ramifications of the massive services-for-privacy trade that young people, especially, seem willing to make? How can we trust the companies who harvest our data–and then, turn out to have betrayed our confidence? In this funny, fast-paced snapshot of the new world, Pogue will bring you up to date–and help you consider what we’ll gain, what we’ll lose, and what beliefs will shift into something we’ve never seen before.

Over the last decade, there has been a push to establish OT asset visibility. But what if this focus is leading us the wrong way? What exactly are we trying to accomplish and why?

This session will touch on how OT network visibility is necessary but not on its own sufficient for meaningful risk reduction. The session will also include an interactive “choose your own adventure” style scenario where the audience collectively walks through an electric incident response to illustrate key themes.
 

Get a peek into how public power utilities are already using artificial intelligence and how they expect it to augment operations in the near future. Hear where AI has been most helpful in their organizations, what risks remain in its use, and learn about open source AI tools utilities could leverage for cybersecurity.

Join networking breaks in the Sponsor Showcase between sessions to reset and recharge. This is an opportunity to visit with sponsors who are developing cutting-edge tools and technologies to help tackle challenges the communities in public power face.

Examine important lessons from a cyber incident response and the value of cyber mutual assistance for public power utilities. Get a peek behind the curtain at the response and recovery associated with a ransomware event with actionable insights and resources that can help improve your utility's incident response planning. Learn about the ESCC’s Cyber Mutual Assistance program and how your utility can join this network of utility cyber professionals.

Cloud platforms outpace traditional Active Directory in both scale and complexity. Walk through how Easton Utilities developed a solution to address the resulting visibility and control challenges and improve employee provisioning, which evolved into a governance solution that improves account management, reduces costs, and provides cross-system visibility without deploying a large enterprise Identity and Access Management platform. Review what Easton learned along the way about system architecture, data integration, and governance workflow — and what that could mean for your utility’s identity oversight.

San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter on the River Walk Hotel, 101 Bowie Street

Enjoy cocktails with colleagues, discuss sessions from the day, and sessions you plan to attend on Tuesday before exploring the nearby restaurants and shops along the historic San Antonio Riverwalk.

Power up with coffee and connections at this informal breakfast. 

Ignite empowering connections as you join a vibrant gathering of women in public power.

Chair's Address

CEO Perspectives: Navigating the Defining Challenges Facing Public Power

Public power utilities face growing challenges—from load growth and resource adequacy to workforce pressures, customer expectations, and policy uncertainty. In this candid CEO to CEO discussion with Mike Peters, public power leaders share the top issues shaping the industry and the strategies they’re using to strengthen reliability, affordability, and long-term success

Join networking breaks in the Sponsor Showcase between sessions to reset and recharge. This is an opportunity to visit with sponsors who are developing cutting-edge tools and technologies to help tackle challenges the communities in public power face.

A wide range of state and federal government and industry partners play a role in sharing information to help electric utilities prepare for and respond to cyber threats. Panelists will discuss when and how utilities should engage these partners during a cyber event, as well as practical ways to establish trusted relationships and communication channels before an incident occurs, when time and clarity matter most.

Hear perspectives from both a small public power utility and an industry cyber practitioner on field-tested steps that can meaningfully improve your organization’s security posture and resilience. Utilities of all sizes can get ideas and practical guidance for boosting your security, even without large security teams, dedicated OT staff, or enterprise-level budgets to back you up.

Join networking breaks in the Sponsor Showcase between sessions to reset and recharge. This is an opportunity to visit with sponsors who are developing cutting-edge tools and technologies to help tackle challenges the communities in public power face.

One of the biggest challenges facing public power utilities is moving from overwhelming cybersecurity findings to clear, measurable, leadership-ready decisions. Learn how to translate technical results into priorities for taking action, discuss how to establish effective governance structures, and review steps to adopt a measurable assurance model that positions your organization to proactively tackle cybersecurity challenges.  

Reception

Network with peers, enjoy food and drinks, and wind down after an educational and invigorating day of sessions. Bring your Riverwalk Map to explore and be entered into a drawing for a chance to win exciting prizes!

Officer Photos

Planning Committee Officers and Advisors are invited to get their photos taken.

Visit with peers and chat with conference sponsors at this informal breakfast.

Welcome

Networking in a Hyperconnected World: The New Rules of Engagement

Unlock the full potential of connections made at the Business & Financial Conference and Cybersecurity & Technology Summit - and beyond. In this dynamic keynote, Mindy reveals innovative, real-world strategies for navigating modern networking. From mastering the art of engagement with individuals and groups to using LinkedIn with intention and clarity, gain practical tools to build authentic, lasting relationships. Leave with actionable insights, renewed confidence, and a clear roadmap for transforming digital interactions into meaningful professional connections that fuel growth and long-term success.