Written by: Roger Warehime, Manager, Energy Management & External Relations
Our new general manager will report to work on October 3. His name is Mark Fritsch and he will replace current interim General Manager Mike Bruno who will retire on October 31.
Mark brings a wealth of expertise to OP, having more than 30 years of experience in the utility industry and a record of using his skills and leadership to deliver significant cost savings, operational performance, and business growth.
Mark was the president and founder of Current Compass Inc., a business consulting company that specialized in consulting services for utilities, public agencies, renewable energy companies, and other clients.
From 1979 until 2010 he was employed by Xcel Energy where he held several positions, including Director of Regulatory Projects, Director of the Allen S. King 600 mega-watt base load coal fired plant, Director of the Corporate University, Manager of Electric Maintenance and Protection, and superintendent of two power plants which were converted to process refuse derived fuel (RDF).
On behalf of my fellow employees, I say that we look forward to working with Mark, and we wish Mike Bruno the very best while thanking him for his nineteen years of service. You can expect to hear more from Mark in next month’s newsletter.
Also new in October is our website, and we are very pleased with how it turned out. It looks much nicer than our old website, is significantly easier to navigate, and offers you the ability to access your account on-line. In addition to viewing your statement and paying your bill on-line, you will be able to access your consumption history. Please check it out at www.owatonnautilities.com.
Winding down in October will be our refrigerator recycling program, which will end October 31. This program has been extremely successful with more than 200 refrigerators being recycled since we launched the program in April. The program saves energy by making it easy for customers to unplug and recycle a second refrigerator that is really not needed. In other words, it gives you a chance to get rid of the “beer fridge” in your garage or basement. Your second refrigerator will be picked up from your home at no charge, and you will receive a $35 incentive. Please note that if you are purchasing a new Energy Star refrigerator, you should not use this program to recycle the refrigerator you are replacing; instead you should have the dealer pick up your old refrigerator for recycling when they deliver the new one. This program is ONLY for recycling second refrigerators. When you apply for your rebate for the new Energy Star refrigerator, you will receive a $15 recycling bonus if you provide proof of recycling from the dealer. You can learn more about this program and many other at our new website!