The 2024

FMEA Annual Conference

July 30 - August 1
The Breakers, Palm Beach

By registering for this event, you agree to abide by the below FMEA Code of Conduct.

Code of Conduct Policy | Event & Cancellation Policies

300+

Electric Industry Professionals

20+

Industry Topics

9

Breakout Sessions

6+

Hours of Networking

The Summer Highlight of the Florida Electric Industry

The 2024 FMEA Annual Conference will take place at The Breakers in Palm Beach from July 30 to August 1.

Join us as we bring together Florida's leading elected officials and decision-makers from public power utilities for an enriching three-day event filled with insightful speakers and valuable networking opportunities, all aimed at tackling the pressing challenges of our industry.

The conference will commence with a welcome reception on Tuesday evening and culminate with the Annual Banquet on Thursday night. This summer gathering is a must for industry professionals, serving as the premier platform for collaboration and innovation. We owe the success of this event to the unwavering support of the Florida public power community.

“Over the years I have made many lasting connections at the Annual Conference. Through FMEA we meet our counterparts at other utilities across the state and inevitably another utility has gone through something you are going through. It’s invaluable to be able to bounce ideas off of each other or pick up the phone and call someone to learn how they solved complex problems.”

Lynne Tejeda
Keys Energy Services General Manager and CEO, FMEA Past President,
& American Public Power Association Board of Directors Member

Who attends the FMEA Annual Conference?

CEOs, General Managers and Directors, Utility Leadership and Future Leaders, Mayors, City Council Members and Commissioners, Governing Board Members, City Managers, Municipal Leadership, Legal and Regulatory Counsel, Policymakers, Friends of Florida public power.

FMEA Policymaker Scholarship Program:

The FMEA Policymaker Scholarship Program awards complimentary registration for the FMEA Annual Conference for eligible policymakers. An eligible policymaker is an elected official serving on a city council or commission of a Florida public power community, or an elected or appointed member of a governing body of a Florida public power utility.

Recipients of the FMEA Policymaker Scholarship are awarded complimentary conference registration.
Spouse/Guest registration not included.

Recipients must meet the following criteria:

•Must be a local elected official or elected or appointed governing board member
• One scholarship awarded annually per FMEA utility member
• Recipient must be a first-time conference attendee
• Recipient must be accompanied by a senior-level city or utility official who is fully registered for the Conference

For more information regarding the FMEA Policymaker Scholarship,
please contact Director of Public Affairs & Strategic Communications, Nicole Albers.

Conference Overview

Day 1: Tuesday, July 30

1:00p - 5:00p • Registration Desk Open

5:30p - 6:30p • Welcome Reception (open to all attendees)

Day 2: Wednesday, July 31

7:30a - 5:00p • Registration Desk Open

7:30a - 10:30a • FMPA Meetings

10:30a - 1:00p • FMEA Board of Directors Meeting and Lunch

1:00p - 1:30p • Ice Cream Social

1:30p - 4:30p • Opening General Session

FMEA's Year in Review, Amy Zubaly, Executive Director, Florida Municipal Electric Association
The Future of Florida, TJ Villamil, President of Business Development at FloridaCommerce and President of International Commerce at SelectFlorida, Inc.
Empowering the Future: Effective Workforce Strategies for the Electric Utility Industry, A panel discussion moderated by Lynne Tejeda, General Manager & CEO, Keys Energy Services with panelists Bill Bosch, Vice President of Apprenticeships & Client Solutions, Northwest Lineman College; Chancellor Kevin O’Farrell, Florida Department of Education, Division of Adult and Career Education; and Danette Scudder, Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer, TVPPA
Powering Forward to Meet Challenges Facing Public Power Utilities, Scott Corwin, President & CEO, American Public Power Association

6:00p - 7:30p • Reception Honoring Elected & Appointed Officials (open to all attendees)

Day 3: Thursday, August 1

7:30a - 4:30p • Registration Desk Open

7:30a - 8:10a • Continental Breakfast

8:10a - Noon • Morning General Session

Keeping Pace - Physical Security among the Changing Threat and Resource Mix, Travis Moran, Senior Reliability & Security Advisor, SERC Reliability Corporation (presentation not available for distribution)
TEA Gas Market Update & the Current Geopolitical Situation, Mike Gehring, Director, Portfolio Management & Analytics and Ben Smith, Power Trader, The Energy Authority
Putting the Fun in Dysfunctional: What’s Happening in Washington, Michael Nolan, President, MJN Consulting
Keynote Address: Making the Smart Grid Smarter: AI’s Pivotal Role in Energizing Municipal Utilities, Jack Shaw, Innovation and Technology Strategist

Noon - 1:30p • Luncheon

For the Record: Providing Hope in Challenging Times, Barbara Quiñones, Chair, Board of Directors, Florida Municipal Power Agency and Director of Electric Utilities, City of Homestead, and Jacob Williams, General Manager and CEO, Florida Municipal Power Agency

2:00p - 4:00p • Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Breakout Session One
- Cyberattacks: Cyber Defenses from the MS-ISAC and Current Regulatory Requirements, Megan Incerto, Regional Engagement Director, Center for Internet Security, MS-ISAC and Dan O’Hagan, Deputy General Counsel & Manager of Regulatory Compliance at Florida Municipal Power Agency
- Rate Design – Developing a Path for the Future, Mark Beauchamp, President, Utility Financial Solutions, LLC
Breakout Session Two

- Florida Public Power – Investing in Tomorrow’s Grid, A panel discussion moderated by Ed Liberty, Electric Utility Director, Lake Worth Beach Electric Utility with panelists Efren Chavez, Interim General Manager & CEO, New Smyrna Beach Utilities; Justin Kramer, Director of Emerging Technologies and Analytics, Orlando Utilities Commission; and Sheila Pressley, Chief Customer Experience Officer, JEA
- From Scratch: In-house Grant Planning and Management, Rachel Tennant, Director of Public Affairs & Sustainability, Fort Pierce Utilities Authority
Breakout Session Three

- Power Up Your Financial Policies, Jillian Jurczyk, Manager, Utility Financial Solutions, LLC

- FMPA Policy Makers Liaison Committee Meeting

6:30p - 7:00p • Reception

7:00p - 9:00p • Annual Banquet

**Agenda subject to change.

Thank You to This Year's Sponsors

Conference Hotel

The Breakers Palm Beach
1 S County Rd.
Palm Beach, FL 33480

FMEA Group rate: $235/night

Parking: reduced overnight valet parking at $15; daily valet parking at $10 per day (for outside attendees)

Scam Alert! Please DO NOT make arrangements through any third party.

The hotel block is filled. If a room is unavailable for the dates you're trying to book, please add your name to our waitlist for the FMEA room block should a room become available, in addition to making alternative arrangements for the time being.

Need to cancel your reservation at The Breakers?
Please let Nicole Albers do it for you.

Overflow Hotel

FMEA has worked with a fabulous nearby overflow hotel to secure a small block of rooms for attendees of FMEA’s annual conference.

The Brazilian Court Hotel
301 Australian Ave
Palm Beach, FL 33480

FMEA Group rate: $235/night

Parking: reduced parking of $20 (plus tax) per car, per night

Reservations: individuals should call-in to 561-655-7740, Group Reservations, and reference the Florida Municipal Electric Association Group Block. The hotel registration deadline for the reduced FMEA rate is June 29, 2024, or until the hotel block is filled.

Cancellation policy: Reservation must be canceled at least 14 days prior to arrival to avoid 1-night room rate charge for 1-night reservations and/or 2-night room rate charge for reservations of 2 or more nights.