6.1a ERMUSR 01-14-2020154
155
2019
Year in Review
156
Index
Government Relations ..........................................3-5
Engineering and Policy Analysis ..........................5
Safety and Training .................................................6
Meetings and Workshops ......................................7
Communications & Member Relations ..............8
Timeline ....................................................................9-11
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MMUA and the City of Marshall signed a purchase agreement for the MMUA Training Center prop-
erty on Oct. 8, 2019. MMUA began leasing the approximately 18 acre property in 1999 and has
made numerous improvements since then. Playing prominent roles in the Training Center develop-
ment have been, from left to right, Kevin Thompson, Cody Raveling, Executive Director Jack Kegel
and Director of Training and Safety Mike Willetts of MMUA. Thompson and Raveling, of the MMUA
position; Raveling is the current coordinator.
About MMUA
The Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association is -
-
--
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2019 Year in Review - 2
157
Government Relations
MMUA government
relations staffers
Kent Sulem (left)
and Bill Black were
very active in 2019
and are familiar
faces around legis-
-
-
-
-
21
Number of legislators
-
supported, at fundrais-
-
ing events, through
individual donations to
the Municipal Utilities
Action Fund.
representatives
-
-
-
Other 2019 numbers:
MMUAÔs most effective advocates are members with the
facts. At the 2019 Legislative Rally were, from left to right:
Jeff Larson of Marshall, Joe Bagnoli of the McGrann Shea
Theresa Neddermeyer.
2019 Year in Review - 3
158
Federal Government Relations
th
th
49
th
MMUA attendees at the
APPA Legislative Rally.
MMUA priorities
th
2019 Year in Review - 4
159
ItÔs not every day you get a
Minnesotans at the APPA Rally included, from left to right:
chance to talk with a presiden-
tial candidate. Owatonna Mayor
Jean Peterson, all of Blooming Prairie, Kim Cosens of Owa-
Tom Kuntz took advantage of
the opportunity with Sen. Amy
Preston, SMMPAÔs Dave Geschwind and Chris Schoenherr
The House never
Klobuchar at the APPA Rally.
and Tom and Shelby Kuntz of Owatonna.
Engineering and Policy Analysis
-
-
14
Number of Minnesota
-
Public Utilities Commis-
sion meetings attended
-
in 2019 by MMUAÔs
Bob Jagusch.
2019 Year in Review - 5
160
Safety and Training
Safety Management Program
-
ties/cities.
Job Training & Safety Program
Chitt Keophilalay of Adrian, Ryan Miller of Brainerd, James
Monroe of MMUA and Tanner Ellis of Melrose (left to right) at
the 2019 Minnesota Lineworkers Rodeo. Monroe works with
each of these lineworkers through the MMUA Apprentice
Natural Gas Circuit Rider Program
Linework Training Program.
-
Technical Schools and Workshops
On-Site Apprentice Lineworker Training Program
-
-
-
Generation Programs
-
-
Regional Safety Group Program
Jim Brown of Anoka (center) kept a close eye on a task at the
Overhead School.
6 - 2019 Year in Review
161
Mutual Aid Assistance
-
For a Great Cause
Steve Laugen of RPU (center) led a group at the Under-
ground School.
-
Meetings and Workshops
-
-
MMUA staffers Theresa Neddermeyer (left) and Rita Kelly made sure
th
MMUA Annual
the awards were in place and ready to go at the MMUA Annual Summer
Conference.
-
-
-
2019 Year in Review - 7
162
Communications & Member Relations
-
-
And thatÔs not
-all:
-
-
-
Print media:sentatives on a
-
-
nicipal utilities
-
1,559
Resource newsletter-
-nicipal electric
Our most popular Facebook post of
2019: Greg French handing the presi-
dentÔs gavel to Vernell Roberts.
-
Social media:
-
Member Relations:-
-
8 - 2019 Year in Review
163
Timeline
January
The Meter School started MMUAÔs training year, in February.
March
-
-
-
-
Anthony Lenz (left) joined MMUA in January 2019. Lenz is
pictured here with Jeff Becthold of MRES at the Minnesota
Lineworkers Rodeo.
February
-
-
shall.
-
April
-
continued on next page
2019 Year in Review - 9
164
Attendees of the MMUA Generation School gathered for a
group picture at Shakopee Energy Park.
MMUA holds a golf ÓscrambleÔ tournament prior to the start of
the Annual Summer Conference. The winning team in 2019
included, from left to right: Mike Leshovsky of Border States
and Jordan Rykal of EMS Partners.
-
July
May
-
cooperatives.
June
-
Day in and day out, MMUA staff work with members on a
-
tory crystalline silica.Ò
10 - 2019 Year in Review
165
Another cohort
-
from the MMUA
Leadership
Academy gradu-
ated Nov. 21,
at the MMUA
August
Plymouth.
-
-
-
September-
-on to assist line crews.
November
December
October-
ter.
-
-
Rick Martagon, Cody Raveling, James Monroe, Mike Wil-
letts and Jeremy Parker (from left to right) met at the T&O
Conference. Martagon and Parker, with the Minnesota
Department of Labor and Industry, have developed a close
-
working relationship with the MMUA safety staff people.
lighted DecemberÔs Transformer School.
2019 Year in Review - 11
166
MMUA Training Center
Suite 200 1004 Michigan Road161 St. Anthony Ave.
Marshall, MN 56258Suite 800
763-551-1230; St. Paul, MN 55103
1-800-422-0119
167