Fall 2019 Conference - Setting the Stage for Connected Communities

Speaker Presentations

Creating a Connected Community - Moderator: Odogwu Obi Linton, Maryland Public Service Commission; Panelists: Mayor Gavin Buckley, Annapolis; Mayor Eugene Grant, Seat Pleasant

Enabling Technologies: What Makes a Community Connected? - Moderator: Caitlin Durkovich, Security and Resilience Practice, Toffler Associates; Panelists: John Rizzotti, Key Account Manager, Signify, Philips Lighting North America; Nipesh Patel, Enterprise Client Executive, Itron; Aaron Bielenberg, Associate Partner, McKinsey Associates; Rob Wilhite, Managing Director, Navigant

A Regulator’s Role in Making the Future Today - Moderator: Humayun Tai, Senior Partner, McKinsey Associates; Panelists: Chairman Jason Stanek, Maryland Public Service Commission Chairman Willie Phillips, DC Public Service Commission; Jonathan Chambers, former Chief, Office of Strategic Planning, FCC, currently a partner at Conexon

Beyond the Traditional: Positioning the Company, Employees and Customers Today, for Tomorrow - Moderator: Laura Ruprecht, WSSC; Panelists: Michael A. Huwar, President and COO, Columbia Gas; David M. Velazquez, President & CEO, Pepco Holdings Inc.; Carla Reid, General Manager and CEO – Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission; John O’Brien, Executive Vice President, WGL Holdings, Inc. and Washington Gas

A Legislator’s Role in Making Tomorrow Today - Moderator: Carville Collins, Partner, DLA Piper; Panelists: Delegate Dereck Davis, Maryland General Assembly; Kenyan McDuffie, Council of the District of Columbia.

Next Steps: Forging Partnerships to Build our Connected Communities - John Davies, CEO, Davies Public Affairs

Fall 2018 Conference - Who’s the Boss? The Customer Experience

Speaker Presentations

Recognition and Reflection - Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton, Chair, Senate Finance Committee, Maryland State Senate

Customer Service in Government - Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton, Chair, Senate Finance Committee; Chris Carroll, Chief of Staff, Maryland Department of Information Technology; Karima Holmes, Director, District of Columbia Office of Unified Communications

What Drives Customer Satisfaction? – Commissioner Obi Linton, Maryland Public Service Commission; Michael Davenport, Manager, Large Customer Services, BGE; Priscilla Knight, Senior Communications Specialist, Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative

Leading to a Better Customer Experience – Commissioner Michael Richard, Maryland Public Service Commission; Rodney Oddoye, Chief Customer Officer, Baltimore Gas & Electric; Adrian Chapman, President & CEO, WGL Holdings and Washington Gas; Henderson Brown, General Counsel, DC Water, Hugh Grunden, President & CEO, Easton Utilities

Creating a Culture of Service Excellence – Milton Hunt, Hunt International

Big Data, Big Opportunities – Delegate Dereck Davis, Chair, House Economic Matters Committee; Don Grady, Director, Information Builders; Jason Stephenson, VP, Research & Consulting, Marketing Systems International; Kirk Holmes, President, Holmes and Associates; Vennard Wright, Chief Information Officer, WSSC

Recognition and Reflection – Delegate Sally Jameson, Maryland House of Delegates

Creating a Workable Balance Among the Many Bosses to Achieve Progress and Success – Paul Wiedefeld, General Manager & CEO, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

No Customer Left Behind – Inclusion and Diversity in Communications – Chair Betty Anne Kane, District of Columbia Public Service Commission; Matthew Peters, Director, Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center; Tracie Thomas, Controller, Easton Utilities; Veronica Cool, Managing Partner, Cool & Associates, LLC

Fall 2017 Conference - Protect and Serve - Mandates for the Modern Utility

Speaker Presentations

After the Flood – Lessons Learned from the Ellicott City Flood, Phil Nichols, Assistant CAO, Howard County, Russ Strickland, Maryland Emergency Management Administrator,  Ryan Miller, Office of Emergency Management Manager, Howard County, Art Shapiro, Utilities Bureau Chief, DPW, Howard County

Infrastructure Security, Part 1, Part 2, Dwight Johnson, Director of Security, Maryland Live Casino.

CEO Panel – “Leading with Safety”, George Hawkins, CEO and General Manager, DC Water Authority, Michael Huwar, President, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and Maryland - Presentation, James Sears, President, Maryland Operations, FirstEnergy - Presentation.

Great Expectations – What Our Customers Want, Tim Porter, Managing Director, Accenture.

Changing the Customer Experience, Joann Butler, Innovation Officer, WSSC - Presentation, Elizabeth O’Connor, Director, Customer Strategy & Governance, BGE - Presentation, Charles E. Shafer, Senior VP, Customer Service and New Business, NiSource - Presentation.

Fall 2016 Conference - Change is Here. Are you a Transformer?

Speaker Presentations

Anna Lising, Senior Manager, Regulatory Affairs, Oracle/OPower - Presentation

Rick Counihan, Head of Energy Regulatory and Government Affairs, NEST Labs - Presentation

The Honorable Wendell F. Holland, Esq., Partner, CFSD Group, LLC - Presentation

Michael Borchers, Black & Veatch Management Consulting, LLC - Presentation

Daniel Cleverdon, Technical Adviser, DC Public Service Commission - Presentation

Dr. Ahmad Faruqui, Principal, Brattle Group - Presentation

Terri Hartwell Easter, T.H. Easter Consulting - Presentation

Lori Traweek, Senior VP, Operations and Engineering Management, AGA - Presentation

Chantal Hendrzak, Executive Director, Operations Support, PJM Interconnection, LLC - Presentation

Fall 2015 Conference - Best Practices Make Perfect

Speaker Biographies and Presentations

Neel Gulhar, Senior Director, Product Marketing & Strategy, OPower - Presentation

Renee Whitener, Director of Public Relations, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation - Presentation

Austin J. Slater Jr., President & CEO, Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative - Presentation

Renee A. McNally, SPHR, Human Resources Leader and Coach, HR Solutions - Presentation

Matthew Labovich, Principal, Price Waterhouse Coopers LLP - Presentation

Michael P. McMasters, President & CEO, Chesapeake Utilities Corporation - Presentation

Mark R. Kempic, President, Columbia Gas of Maryland - Presenation

Calvin G. Butler Jr., CEO, Baltimore Gas & Electric - Presentation

Fall 2014 Conference - Exceptional Service with Security

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Speaker Biographies and Presentations

Nadya Bartol, Vice President of Industry Affairs and Cybersecurity Strategist, UTC - Presentation

John Hazen, Senior Director in the Energy Practice, J.D. Power - Presentation

Milton Hunt, President, Hunt International - Presentation

Fall 2013 Conference - Fueling the Economic Engine

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The Bloom Energy Server – Solid Oxide Fuel Cell
by Bloom Energy

Clean Fossil Fuel Is Here
by Timothy Shaw, HY-TEC Bio

Distribution Pipeline Replacement and Expansion Efforts
by the American Gas Association

An Electric Utility Perspective
by Eric Ackerman, Edison Electric Institute

Energy Partnerships
by Nest

Fueling the Economic Engine
by Jerry Johnson, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission

Fueling the Economic Engine
by Mark Kempic, Columbia Gas of Maryland

Going Up for the Rebound
by Anirban Basu, Sage Policy Group

Moody’s Discussion of the Utility Sector
by Scott Solomon, Moody’s

Regulatory Vision Reliability
by Abigail Ross Hopper, Maryland Energy Administration

The Role of Choptank Electric in Expanding Economic Opportunity
By Choptank Electric Cooperative

Water Service and the Challenges Ahead
by Tom Curtis, American Water Works Association

Vision for the Future
by Betty Ann Kane, DC Public Service Commission

Fall 2012 Conference - Living in a Smart World

Conference Agenda

Fall 2011 Conference - The Long & Winding Road: Moving Forward Despite Economic Uncertainty

Altreg and the Challenge of Regulatory Lag: An Industry Perspective
by Eric Ackerman, Edison Electric Institute

Reflections on the Business of Water
by Michael Deane, National Association of Water Companies

Status of Pricing and Rate Restructuring Initiatives
by Cynthia Marple, American Gas Association

2008 Fall Conference Summary - The Green and Gray Revolutions

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Presentations

Julie Cannell - "Financing the Capex Cycle: A Wall Street Perspective"
PowerPoint | PDF

Paul Brigner - "Communications Industry Trends – A Look Ahead"
PowerPoint | PDF

Gary Stockbridge - "Delmarva Power: Our Blueprint for the Future"
PowerPoint | PDF

Mark Halleman - "Aging Water and Wastewater Infrastructure"
PDF

Teresa Daniell - "The Green and Gray Revolutions"
PDF

2007 Fall Conference Summary - The Utility of the Future

The Maryland/District of Columbia Utilities Association hosted its 83rd Annual Fall Conference September 26-28, 2007 at the Hyatt Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Maryland. Over 120 participants representing 27 organizations gathered to glean the latest information and panelists had to share with their audience.

On Day 1 of the Conference, President Laura A. Swisher of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission welcomed participants and presented a foreshadowing of the topics to be covered as she discussed the Conference theme of “The Utility of the Future.” Maryland Public Service Commission Chair Steven Larsen updated attendees on the activities of the Maryland PSC, a topic that always grabs the attention of attendees. Following Chair Larsen, Maryland House Of Delegates Speaker Michael Busch provided conference participants an overview of political happenings in Annapolis as well as his insights into the possibility of a late fall special session and what such a session might include.

Day 1 closed out with a CEO Panel discussion of issues facing utilities. CEO Panelists included Andy Brunhart from the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, Aldi Warnock from Allegheny Energy, Joe Slater, Jr. from Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, Ken DeFontes from Baltimore Gas and Electric, and Tom Graham from Pepco Region. As could be expected, the discussion was lively and informative as these CEOs discussed issues facing the utility industry.

Day 2 of the Conference was kicked off by District of Columbia Public Service Commissioner Richard Morgan who updated attendees on the activities of the District of Columbia PSC, again, a topic of great importance to attendees. The dynamic and informative Anirban Basu, President of the Sage Policy Group gave attendees a “Regional Economy Overview” for the key note address of the Conference.

Day 2 wrapped up with two outstanding panel discussions. The first panel, Infrastructure Needs and Siting Issues” was moderated by Maryland PSC Chair Steven Larsen and was comprised of Bill Gausman from Pepco Holdings, Inc, Jeff Wright from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Jim Haney from Allegheny Energy, and Susan Gray from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

The second panel, “The Utility of the Future” focused in on the theme of the Conference. Maryland House Economic Matters Committee Chair Dereck Davis moderated the panel which was comprised of Chris Creager from Verizon Washington DC, David Owens from the Edison Electric Institute, George Potts from Pepco Holdings Inc, and District of Columbia PSC Commissioner Richard Morgan.

Planning for the 2008 Fall Conference is currently underway.

Fall 2006 Conference Summary - Politics, Policy, & People

The Maryland/DC Utilities Association hosted its 82nd Annual Fall Conference on October 4 to 6, 2006 in Cambridge, Maryland. The conference, which was held at the Hyatt Chesapeake Bay Regency Resort, hosted 122 guests from approximately 20 companies located in the surrounding areas.

President, George Stark, Director of External Affairs for Columbia Gas of Maryland, continued the spring conference theme of “People, Politics,& Policy.” Guest speakers included Delegate Jeannie Haddaway, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, who provided the opening remarks and Barry Rascovar, a communications consultant in the Baltimore area, who provided real insight into the Maryland and D.C. political environment.

Attendees also enjoyed two panelist forums; a discussion on Conservation and Usage Reduction, which was held on Thursday, October 5, and featured guest speakers that included Dale Bryk of the Natural Resource Defense Council, Jim Wagner of Washington Gas, Stan Sagun from NiSource, Inc. and Bill Prindle from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. The panelists gave a very enlightening overview on Decoupling.

On the second day of the conference, a panelist forum on Infrastructure Issues was presented by Holly Ackerman of Allegheny Energy, Michelle Pourciau, Director of the Washington D.C. Department of Transportation, Mark Halleman of the Infrastructure Group and Laura Swisher of Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. The panelists addressed their top three issues facing them and discussed how communication between the parties is critical for success. Patty Greene from Equifax also gave an excellent presentation on Identify Theft.

The highlight of the conference was our special guest, Bill “Coach” Yoast of “Remember the Titans". Coach Yoast gave an inspirational presentation on leadership, motivation, diversity and adversity.

Plans are already underway for the 83rd Annual Spring Conference, which will be held Thursday, April 19, 2007 at Turf Valley Resort located in Ellicott City, Maryland. More details will be provided shortly.

Spring 2006 Conference Summary

(View a photo gallery of the conference.)

The Maryland/DC Utilities Association hosted its 82nd Annual Spring Conference on May 4 in Washington, DC. The conference, which was held at the Kellogg Center at Gallaudet University, hosted 90 guests from approximately twenty companies located in the surrounding areas.

As the incoming President, George Stark, Director of External Affairs for Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and Maryland, focused on the theme “Politics, Policy & People.” Guest speakers included DC Commissioner Richard E. Morgan and Maryland PSC General Counsel Susan Miller, who provided an interesting update on their commission’s activities. Eileen Edmunds, COO of Modern Think, provided the People update, presenting a very informative presentation on what it takes to be a great place to work, the employee’s perspective, and the connection between people and profits.

The Politics update was presented by Keith Haller, President & CEO of Potomac Incorporated, who provided real insight into the Maryland and DC political environment.

To round out the day’s activities, Kathleen Snyder, President of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, and Cynthia Brock-Smith, Sr. Vice President External Affairs for the DC Chamber of Commerce discussed chamber activities and the policies surrounding work force development, healthcare reform and job creation/retention issues.

Plans are already underway for the 82nd Annual Fall Conference, which will be held October 4-6, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Maryland. The focus will again be on “Politics, Policy & People,” and should be a great opportunity to interact with Commission leaders as well as your industry peers.

Fall 2005 Conference Summary - The World has Changed - Have You?

(View a photo gallery of the conference.)

The Maryland - District of Columbia Utilities Association held its 81st Annual Fall The Maryland - District of Columbia Utilities Association held its 81st Annual Fall Conference on October 19-21, 2005 at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Maryland. The theme of the conference was consistent with our Spring Conference “The World Has Changed – Have You? The conference attracted over 120 attendees who were provided with several opportunities to exchange ideas with government officials and industry counterparts regarding policy and operational matters that impact the telecommunication and utilities industry.

The conference was highlighted by our special guest Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele who gave extended remarks on; the evolving telecommunications market and the utilities, the need for more market driven policies and the critical role that utilities have played in sustaining and improving communities. The conference was further highlighted by the seven member CEO panel where executives spoke candidly about the policy and workforce challenges their industries are facing with adapting to the changing market. Additionally, the Association was joined by local and federal government officials who spoke about the role the government and our industries play in fostering economic development and addressing environmental concerns.

Among the other honorable dignitaries that attended and presented at the Fall Conference were: Chairman Kenneth Schisler of the Maryland Public Service Commission; Commissioner Anthony Rachal of the District of Columbia Public Service Commission; Delegate Sally Jameson of the Maryland House of Representatives; District of Columbia At Large Councilmember Kwame Brown; and Stanley Jackson the Deputy Mayor of Economic Development.

Spring 2005 Conference Summary

The Spring 2005 Conference - “The World Has Changed – Don’t Get Left Behind” was held on April 21, at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, MD. Over 125 Association Members, PSC Commissioners and Commission Staff, Corporate Executives, and Past Presidents of the Association attended the event. The conference included regulatory briefings on telecommunication and utility matters by the Honorable Agnes A. Yates, Chairperson of the District of Columbia Public Service Commission and the Honorable Kenneth D. Schisler, Chairman of the Maryland Public Service Commission. Attendees also received legislative updates from the Honorable Warren E. Miller, Member of the House of Delegates from Howard County and Keith Perry, Chief of Staff for Kwame Brown, DC Councilmember At Large. The keynote speaker, Raymond Gifford, President of the Progress & Freedom Foundation and former Colorado Public Service Commissioner provided an informative and provocative prospective on the impact of continuing to impose traditional regulatory restrictions on telecommunication and utility providers.

Spring Conference Agenda

Fall 2004 Conference - Strategic Solutions: New Ideas for a Changing Economy

The Fall 2004 Conference – Strategic Solutions: New Ideas for a Changing Economy was held September 29-October 1, at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort in Cambridge, Maryland. The 80th Annual Conference was one of the largest attended conferences in the Association’s history. Over 120 members and guests attended the 2-day conference.

This year’s Conference included industry breakout sessions, with such prominent speakers as Federal Communications Commissioner Joseph T. Kelliher and Dave Cohen of the US Telecommunications Association. The industry panel discussions included regulatory officials, senior Association member company leaders, and other industry experts. Maryland Delegate Jeannie Haddaway also greeted attendees.

On the final day of the Conference, Association members lead a series of breakout sessions on a host of important industry topics. Panel members included DC Commissioner Richard Morgan and Maryland Commissioner Ronald Guns, and an impressive list of subject matter experts: The panel topics included:

• Meeting Environmental Challenges

• The Politically Savvy Customer

• Public Policy Planning

• Regulatory Challenges

• Operational Advances

• Lessons Learned – Post Isabel

The Spring 2003 Conference – Utility Regulation: The Wall Street Perspective was held on April 22, at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. Members and guests heard remarks from Maryland Delegate Michael Vaughn, and District of Columbia Councilmember Phil Mendelson. Public Service Commission updates were provided by Maryland Chairman, Kenneth Schisler and District of Columbia Chairperson, Agnes Yates. Sam Brothwell of Merrill Lynch delivered the lunch time remarks.