APPA Business & Financial Conference 2021 | American Public Power Association (APPA) | 19 September 2021 | Hilton Denver City Center, 1701 California St, Denver, CO 80202, US

The Business & Financial Conference is the annual meeting for public power professionals in the areas of business and finance, offering 60+ sessions bringing you the latest in:
• Accounting & Finance
• Customer Accounting & Services
• Human Resources & Training
• Information Technology
• Pricing & Market Analysis
• Risk Management & Insurance

Who Should Attend?

Conference attendees get the latest information from experts in their fields, learn about the national issues and industry-wide activities and trends that are affecting their communities and utilities, and share experiences and strategies for dealing with key issues and challenges at more than 50 breakout sessions and roundtables. Bringing together more than 450 public power professionals, the conference is ideal for both industry veterans and those new to the electric utility industry who are interested in professional development and networking.

Conference sessions are designed for utility employees at both the professional and management levels, in the fields of accounting and finance; customer accounting and services; human resources and training; information technology; and pricing and market analysis. Attendees typically include specialists, coordinators, analysts, managers, directors and vice presidents in their area of specialty. The conference is also recommended for utility employees with interests and responsibilities in conference topics and with cross-departmental responsibilities, as well as rising stars and future leaders those who would benefit from learning more about these strategic areas and making connections with the national public power community.

2021 Speakers

Bethany Ryers
CPA, MAS, Firm Director, Baker Tilly, Madison, Wisconsin

Joy Ditto
President & CEO, American Public Power Association

Chris Lindner
Partner, BKD, Lincoln, Nebraska

Mark Beauchamp
President, Utility Financial Solutions, Holland, Michigan; and May Lin, Economic Analyst, Regional Economic Models, Inc., Amherst, Massachusetts

Bryan Ehrlich
Sales Director, US Midwest & Intermountain Region, Utilismart Corporation; and Michael Ivey, P.E., General Manager, Crisp County Power Commission, Cordele, Georgia

Deborah Beams
Supervising Project Manager, Governmental Accounting Standards Board, Norwalk, Connecticut b

Mike Bailey
Director of Finance, PUD #1 of Jefferson County, Port Townsend, Washington

Julie Desimone
Partner

Aaron Tyler
Senior Manager, Moss Adams, Portland, Oregon

Jon Swartzentruber
Managing Partner, Paradyne Consulting Works, LLC, St. Paul, Minnesota

Tim Blodgett
President & CEO, Hometown Connections, Inc., Lakewood, Colorado

Kaitlin Upchurch
Senior Vice President & Cyber Practice Leader, Marsh USA, Dallas, Texas

Doug Westlund
Senior Vice President, AESI, Milton, Ontario

Derek R. J. Whipple
Senior Vice President, Alliant Insurance Services, Inc., San Francisco, California

Doug Lyles, Executive Director of Business & Customer Operations, Bryan Texas Utilities

David Mehlhaff
Chief Communications Officer, Kansas City Board of Public Utilities, Kansas

Tamieka Russell
Chief Customer Services Officer, PES Energize, Pulaski, Tennessee

Cherish Loog
Municipal Utilities Product Manager, PowerPlan, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia

Dawn Lund
Vice President, Utility Financial Solutions, LLC, Leland, Michigan

Tim Kuppler
Culture Solutions Director, Insight Global, Plymouth, Michigan

Jim Boyle
Division Manager, Technology and Security, Braintree Electric Light Department, Massachusetts

Mark Forreider
Senior Manager, National SLED Solutions Engineering, Okta, Superior, Colorado

Sarah Baldys
Senior Vice President, FINPRO Energy & Power, Marsh, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Cynthia Fee
First Vice President, Casualty Broking Lead-Energy & Power, Alliant Insurance Services, Houston, Texas

Palma Lough
Member Relations & Training Manager, Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority, Edmond, Oklahoma

Michael Vigeant
CEO, GreatBlue Research Inc.

Bethany Ryers
CPA, Director, Energy & Utilities, Baker Tilly

John Godfrey
Senior Government Relations Director, APPA, Arlington, Virginia

Emily Swenson Brock
Director, Federal Liaison Center, Government Finance Officers Association, Washington, D.C.

Yvette Carter
Chief Inclusion Officer, Gainesville Regional Utilities, Florida; and Sara Taylor, Founder & President, deepSEE Consulting, St. Paul, Minnesota

Virginia "Ginger" L. Wright
Energy Cyber Portfolio Manager, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls

Mindy Brenay
CFO, Orlando Utilities Commission, Florida

Michael Enger
Energy Markets Manager, Austin Energy, Texas

Lisa Hough
Manager, Insurance & Claims, Omaha Public Power District, Nebraska

Barry Moline
Executive Director, California Municipal Utilities Association

Michael Bell
Principal, Bell Burnett, and Associates

Nils Frenkel
Vice President of Sales, Apogee Interactive, San Antonio, Texas

Jennifer Rogers Smith
Director of Member Services, Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority, Edmond, Oklahoma

Steve Bogue
Shareholder, McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, PC LLO, Omaha, Nebraska

Andy Anderson
Director, Information Technology, Greenville Utilities Commission, North Carolina

Fred Christie
CIO, Easton Utilities, Maryland; Phil Hansen, Chief Information Officer, WPPI Energy, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

Kelly Laurie
Director, Information Technology, City Utilities of Springfield, Missouri

Michael Hagerty
Principal, The Brattle Group, San Francisco, California

Paul Zummo
Director, Policy Research and Analysis, APPA, Arlington, Virginia

Tom Spencer
Senior Director, Enterprise and Operational Risk Management, New York Power Authority, White Plains

Tasha Kreikemeier
Lead, Business Solutions, Taletha Kryzsko, ERP Functional Analyst I

Heather Schlautman, Manager, Customer Care, Lincoln Electric System, Nebraska; and Cindy Shipley, Manager of Customer Services, City Utilities of Springfield, Missouri

Olga Darlington
CPA, Partner, and Julie Desimone, CPA, National Practice Leader, Power & Utilities, Moss Adams

Dennis Pidherny
Managing Director, Public Finance, Fitch Ratings, New York

Doug Snider
Associate Director Municipal & Cooperative Utilities, S&P Global Ratings, New York

Dan LaRock
Principal & Shareholder, HUB Great Plains / SilverStone Group, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Kelly Parrish
Fiscal Operations Manager, Lakeland Electric, Florida; and John Vansant, CFO, Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority

George Keefe
Senior Vice President, Underwriting, AEGIS, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Michael Kolodner
U.S. Power and Renewables Industry Practice Leader, Marsh JLT Specialty, Houston, Texas

Arthur Burns
Senior Director, Sensus, a Xylem Brand, Morrisville, North Carolina

Jason McPherson
City Administrator, City of Marlow, Oklahoma

Stephen Faber
Managing Director, PFM Asset Management, Ewing, New Jersey; and Surya Pisapati, CFA, Director, PFM Asset Management, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Samantha Levine
Senior Vice President, CAC Specialty, Denver, Colorado

Brad Gall
Senior Data Architect, The Energy Authority, Jacksonville, Florida

Darren Kanthal
Certified Leadership & Career Coach, The Kanthal Group, Denver, Colorado

Matt Barton
Senior Partner, WCG Consulting, Eugene, Oregon; and Kevin Clancey, Managing Partner, SpryPoint, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Jared Combs
Business Intelligence Analyst, CDE Lightband, Clarksville, Tennessee

Bret Labadie
Vice President of Capital Markets, Pivot Energy, Denver, Colorado

Yvette K. Connor
Principal, Grant Thornton LLP, Risk Advisory, National ERM Practice Leader

2021 Sponsors

ADVOCATE:
• Hometown
• Sprypoint
• Innovative Systems
• J.P. Morgan
• Alliant
• Marsh
• BKD
• Whispir
• Tea Energy Authority

SUPPORTING:
• NewGenStrategies & Solutions
• B of A Securities
• Wells Fargo
• Fith Ratings

SIGNATURE:
• Poweplan

NETWORKING:
• Bakertilly
• Mossadams

CHAMPION:
• UFS