FMEA Announces 2024 Member of the Year and Associate Member of the Year Award Recipients

The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) last night announced the winners of the Member of the Year and Associate Member of the Year awards during its annual conference banquet in Palm Beach. The awards recognize association members for their outstanding contributions to FMEA and Florida’s public power industry.

“To be a part of the public power community is to be part of a strong network of support. The FMEA Member of the Year and Associate Member of the Year exemplify this support system and are integral to the services and programs we are able to provide our members,” said Amy Zubaly, FMEA Executive Director. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients and thank you for all you do for Florida public power.”

The Member of the Year award is given to an individual or group within a FMEA member utility who exemplifies extraordinary service and dedication to FMEA and Florida public power. The 2024 FMEA Member of the Year award was presented to James Alexander, Senior Technical Trainer for OUC (Orlando Utilities Commission). Alexander has been in that role since 2018 and has been with OUC for more than 28 years.

Over the years, Alexander has supported multiple FMEA committees and roundtables and participated in the annual Hurricane Forum and Energy Connections Conference, but is best known for his dedication to the Florida Lineman Competition. He serves as Master Judge for the Florida Lineman Competition and coordinated his utility’s donation of an 18-foot trailer for storing and transporting equipment for one of the most recognizable events, the hurtman rescue.

The FMEA Associate Member of the Year award recognizes an associate member or associate member company who exemplifies extraordinary service and dedication to FMEA and Florida’s public power community. The 2024 Associate Member of the Year was awarded to Liz Columbo, a partner at Nixon Peabody, LLP.

Columbo has served as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, or underwriters’ counsel on financings for public power clients across the country, including FMEA members. She has helped to guide and advise more than $1 billion of transactions for Florida public power and has saved Florida’s public power utilities millions and millions of dollars over the years.

For more information on FMEA and Florida’s public power communities, please visit www.flpublicpower.com.