Jolene Thompson, president and CEO of American Municipal Power, Inc. in Columbus, Ohio, was installed as chair of the American Public Power Association Board of Directors during APPA’s Public Power Connect: Virtual Summit & Business Meeting on June 9.
Colin Hansen, executive director of Kansas Municipal Utilities in McPherson, Kansas, is chair-elect for 2020-2021. Anthony Cannon, general manager and CEO of Greenville Utilities Commission in Greenville, North Carolina, is vice chair. Decosta Jenkins, president and CEO of Nashville Electric Service in Nashville, Tennessee, is immediate past chair. Layne Burningham, chief operating officer and general manager of Utah Municipal Power Agency in Spanish Fork, Utah, is treasurer.
“I want to extend my congratulations to Jolene Thompson as the next chair of the Association and offer her my support as well,” Jenkins said.
“Jolene will be an outstanding chair of the Association and will offer valuable insight as we continue our commitment to our customers and communities,” he said.
“This is an unprecedented time in history and public power has not been spared the effects of this new, difficult reality,” Thompson said. “However, APPA and its members are resilient and the collective public power community will continue to work hard to meet the needs of our customers today and in the future.”
Thompson said that a “critical way that public power can lead is in the area of diversity.” As APPA President and CEO Joy Ditto “remarked in her presentation, we must be committed to improving diversity and inclusion at every level. We are truly stronger when we have more diverse people, backgrounds and ideas.” Ditto made her remarks on the first day of the virtual summit.
Thompson chose five members of the board to serve with the officers on the APPA Executive Committee.
They are:
- Timothy Burke, president and CEO of Omaha Public Power District in Omaha, Nebraska;
- Nicholas Lawler, general manager of Littleton Electric Light and Water Departments in Littleton, Massachusetts;
- David Osburn, general manager of Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority in Edmond, Oklahoma;
- Kimberly Schlichting, chief operating officer and senior vice president of power supply of Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation, Inc. in Smyrna, Delaware; and
- Stephen Wright, general manager of Chelan County PUD in Wenatchee, Washington.
Newly elected to the APPA board this year are:
- Chuck Bryant, general manager of Carthage Water & Electric Plant in Carthage, Missouri;
- Bret Carroll, CEO of Conway Corporation in Conway, Arkansas;
- Edward Gerak, executive director of Arizona Power Authority in Phoenix, Arizona;
- Edward Krieger, power system director of Piqua Power System in Piqua, Ohio;
- David Leathers, general manager of Jamestown Board of Public Utilities in Jamestown, New York;
- Gary Miller, general manager of Bryan Texas Utilities in Bryan, Texas;
- Lynne Tejeda, general manager and CEO of Keys Energy Services in Key West, Florida; and
- David Walters, general manager of Grand Haven Board of Light & Power in Grand Haven, Michigan.
Two board members were re-elected to new three-year terms: Joel Ledbetter, general manager of Easley Combined Utilities in Easley, South Carolina; and Stephen Wright, general manager of Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan County in Wenatchee, Washington.
