APPA Public Power Connect: Virtual Summit & Business Meeting 2021 | American Public Power Association (APPA) | 8 June 2021 | Virtual

What makes the Public Power Connect Virtual Summit special?

Public Power Connect is unlike other events you've participated in. Here's why:
1. Make connections
You won't just be passively staring at a screen all day. We've built in many networking opportunities throughout the event so you can turn on your cameras and talk face-to-face (online) with featured guests and your fellow participants. And topic-oriented discussion rooms make it easy to find other public power leaders and industry experts who want to talk about the issues you care about.

2. Critical issues
Hear from keynote and breakout speakers about the critical trends shaping our industry and get expert advice on evolving threats and challenges. From the pandemic and supply chain concerns, to politics and cybersecurity, to the new technologies that will propel our industry into the future, this is your opportunity to share tips, resources and solutions with others facing the same challenges as you, and get innovative ideas for your community.

3. Attend now... and later
Just like when you attend our National Conference, you'll have the opportunity to choose which breakout sessions you attend, so you can customize your experience to suit your interests. But you don't have to worry about missing out: you'll also be able to access recordings of the breakout sessions you missed after the event.

4. Meetings that matter
Public Power Connect is also your opportunity to participate in the annual Association Business Meeting, where utilities will have an opportunity to cast votes to elect members to the APPA Board of Directors and on policy resolutions that will guide the Association’s advocacy efforts for the coming year.
You'll also have an opportunity to attend some of the same committee and task force meetings you might normally attend at the National Conference, including the Advisory Committee Meeting, Joint Action Agencies Meeting, and the PMA Task Force Meeting.

5. Easy to use
We've designed this virtual event to be as easy as possible for attendees to navigate. Here's how it will work:

We'll send a link to our Public Power Connect online portal to all registrants. To access the page, you'll just need to log in with the same user name and password you use to log in to PublicPower.org.

Once you log in, you'll find an easy-to-navigate menu of all the sessions and events that will be part of the virtual summit. You'll be able to click on any item for more information, and for a link to join the session at the appropriate time.

After a session ends, you'll just close that meeting window, go back to the program menu, and select the next session you want to join.

The actual sessions and networking events will be held via Zoom. We've chosen Zoom in part because it's one of the easiest, most intuitive virtual meeting forums out there. So even if you've never participated in a virtual event before, you'll get the hang of this in no time.

2021 Speakers

SPEAKERS:

Decosta Jenkins
President & CEO, Nashville Electric Service; and Chair, American Public Power Association

Mark Menezes
Under Secretary of Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

Paul Begala
Political Analyst and Commentator, CNN

Desmarie Waterhouse
Vice President, Government Relations & Counsel

John Godfrey
Senior Government Relations Directors, American Public Power Association

Amy Thomas
Senior Government Relations Directors, American Public Power Association

Corry Marshall
Senior Government Relations Directors, American Public Power Association

Sarah Czufin
Government Relations Director, American Public Power Association

Shari Gribbin
Managing Partner, CNK Solutions

Cameron Bard
Senior Advisor, DSD Renewables

Darren Springer
General Manager, Burlington Electric Department, Vermont

Joe Witkowski
Director, Technology Innovation, The Energy Authority

Joshua Crumbaugh
Co-Founder, Chief Hacker and CEO, PeopleSec

Jolene Thompson
President & CEO, American Municipal Power, Inc.; and Chair Elect, American Public Power Association

Peter Singer
Renowned Futurist and Bestselling Author

Jennifer Chang
Vice President – Senior Analyst, Moody’s Investors Service

Jeffrey Panger
Director, S&P Global Ratings

Dennis Pidherny
Managing Director, Public Finance, Fitch Ratings

Dan Beans
Electric Utility Director, Redding Electric Utility, California

Sheryl Jenkins
Manager, Human Resources

Neal Potter
Commercial Energy Analyst, EPB, Chattanooga, Tennessee

Kyle Roadman
Power Manager, Emerald People’s Utility District, Oregon

Sarah Valovcin
Senior Quantitative Analyst, The Energy Authority

Mark Beauchamp
President, Utility Financial Solutions

Michael Zenker
Managing Director, NextEra Energy Resources

Claudio Garcia
Director, Enterprise Transformation Services Consulting Group, Baker Tilly

Eric Keister
Director, Digital Consulting Group, Baker Tilly

Jennifer Bangert
Energy Services Specialist, Lincoln Electric System, Nebraska

Tom Sagstetter
Conversation & Key Accounts Manager, Elk River Municipal Utilities, Minnesota

Michele Fearnley Suddleson
Director, DEED Program, American Public Power Association

Dawn Lund
Vice President, Utility Financial Solutions

Matt Haile
Director of Business Development & Commercial Marketing, Tantalus Systems Corp.

James Rodewald
Superintendent, Engineering/ Metering/ Substations, Crawfordsville Electric Light and Power, Indiana

Jolene Thompson
President & CEO, American Municipal Power, Inc., Columbus, Ohio

PANELISTS:

Troy Adams
General Manager, Manitowoc Public Utilities, Wisconsin

Rob McGarrah
General Manager, City of Tallahassee Electric Utility, Florida

Gil Quiniones
President & CEO, New York Power Authority

Debra Smith
General Manager/CEO, Seattle City Light, Washington

MODERATOR:

Joy Ditto
President & CEO, American Public Power Association

2021 Sponsors

PREMIER:
• UFS
• Tea Energy Authority
• 30 Tantalus
• Next Era Energy
• Burns Mcdonnel

MODERATOR:
• Lexis Nexis
• Duncan & Allen

SUPPORTING:
• Arcos
• NISC
• Power Secure
• National Grid Renewables