Florida Municipal Electric Association Elects New Executive Leadership Team

At a meeting held during its annual conference in Naples, the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) today elected a new slate of officers to preside over the organization’s board of directors. Serving as the executive leadership team of the board are President James Braddock, director of support services and internal auditing for the City of Wauchula; President-Elect Paul Jakubczak, director of electric and gas systems for the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority; Vice President Brian Horton, president and general manager, CEO of KUA (Kissimmee Utility Authority); and Secretary-Treasurer Joe Bunch, general manager and CEO of the Utilities Commission City of New Smyrna Beach.

“Community and customers are at the heart of every public power utility, and I’m honored to serve on the board of the association that is dedicated to advancing public power in Florida, finding new and better ways to serve our customers and further strengthening our communities,” said Braddock. “With the worst of a challenging year behind us, we are ready to look forward and get to work on the future of public power in Florida.”

FMEA represents the interests of members that range in size from cities as populous as Jacksonville, Orlando, Lakeland, Tallahassee and Gainesville, to smaller Main Street towns, such as Wauchula, Havana and Bushnell. Together, these community-owned electric utilities proudly serve more than 3 million of Florida’s residential and business utility consumers and employ more than 5,400 Floridians.

“We are so fortunate to these member-officers at the helm of this organization,” said Amy Zubaly, FMEA Executive Director. “Together they bring decades of industry experience, leadership and a true passion for public power that will help us realize our vision for providing our communities with the next generation of clean, affordable and reliable power.”

The association actively represents and advocates for member cities’ interests on a wide variety of state and federal issues, provides education and training for members and serves as a clearinghouse for industry news and information. FMEA hosts five signature events throughout the year: the FMEA Annual Conference, Energy Connections Conference & Trade Show, the Florida Lineman Competition, FMEA Hurricane Forum and the FMEA Legislative Rally.

For more than a century, municipal electric utilities across the nation and in the state of Florida have provided affordable, reliable electric service. Locally owned and operated, these utilities focus on the unique needs and interests of their customers, are nimble in adjusting to the desires of the community and have quick response times, all while investing back into their communities. As forward-thinking entities, public power utilities focus on continuous improvement and innovation, make investments in the energy grid and electrical systems for improved reliability, and are committed to environmental stewardship.