KUA Board Appoints Brian Horton as President & General Manager, CEO

By unanimous consent, the Kissimmee Utility Authority board of directors today appointed Brian Horton as the utility’s president and general manager/CEO, effective April 1, 2019, pending contract negotiations.

Horton will succeed current president and general manager Jim Welsh, who retires March 31 after 36 years of service as head of Florida’s sixth-largest municipal utility.

The appointment followed a national search that included candidates from Louisiana, Virginia and Tallahassee, as well as four internal candidates.

Horton joined the utility in 2015 as vice president of system compliance and operations. In 2016, he was appointed vice president of engineering and operations where he currently serves.

Horton has over 18 years of engineering, operations and regulatory experience within the electric utility industry. Prior to joining KUA, he was a member of the senior management team for the City of Tallahassee’s electric utility.

Horton is a Certified Public Manager and holds both a Master of Public Administration degree and bachelor’s degree in electric engineering from Florida State University.

Horton resides in Kissimmee with his wife, Caroline, and their two children.