Agenda for Participatory U2030 Annual SPARK Meeting 90% Complete

June 23, 2022 – Alpharetta, GA – Today the Utility 2030 Collaborative (U2030) announced that the agenda is nearly complete for the U2030 Annual SPARK Meeting.

When the conditions are just right, sparks (ideas) become flames that change businesses and industries in positive and exciting ways. The meeting provides the right conditions to capture sparks and fan them into flames to improve ever-evolving relationships between utilities and their customers.

Scheduled for August 28-29, 2022, in Los Angeles, SPARK isn’t a traditional conference. It is a hands-on meeting built on a custom model created by See Change Institute. Leveraging participatory leadership, it will allow attendees to:

• Find greater relevance
• Be heard and understood
• Learn new, innovative brainstorming and planning techniques
• Identify solutions faster than ever before
• Participate in conversations about what's coming and whether it matters to your business.
• Leave the meeting with a clear path forward

Featured Sessions

Below you can read about featured sessions. For the entire agenda, please visit https://utility2030.org/page/annual-mtg. Facilitator roles are still available for utility and vendor professionals who have a solid perspective on utility customer-centricity. Meeting attendance is included in U2030 membership packages.

Keynote

Mobilizing Citizens and Communities for a Better Energy and Water Future

• Courtney Henderson, Mayor, Truckee, CA

Featured Sessions

Below you can read about featured sessions. For the entire agenda, please visit https://utility2030.org/page/annual-mtg. Facilitator roles are still available for utility and vendor professionals who have a solid perspective on utility customer-centricity. Meeting attendance is included in U2030 membership packages.  

Keynote

Mobilizing Citizens and Communities for a Better Energy and Water Future

• Courtney Henderson, Mayor, Truckee, CA

Facilitated Discussions

Take a Trip into the Future of Utility Tech

• Vanessa Edmonds, Executive Director, U2030
• Sean Vanslyke, CEO, SEMO Electric Cooperative and GoSEMO Fiber

Sparking Creative Thinking Workshop: Testing New Brainstorming & Planning Methods

• Susan Norris, Board Member, See Change Institute, and Senior Manager, Business Strategy, Energy and Utilities, Salesforce

Sparking Debate Sessions: Innovations Coming to a Utility Near Your Soon (or not)?

• Dave Reim, CEO, Questline

Sparking Future Leaders to Attract Developing & Retaining Employees

• Kay Fuhrman, Executive Search Partner, Leadership Advisor & Corporate Culture Consultant, Heidrick & Struggles

Harvesting Sparks: Key Findings from Workgroup Sessions

• Susan Norris, Board Member, See Change Institute, and Senior Manager, Business Strategy, Energy and Utilities, Salesforce
• Sean Vanslyke, CEO, SEMO Electric Cooperative & GoSEMO Fiber

Sharing Sparks of Innovation Fireside Chat – Using Data to Remove Technical Constraints Preventing Self-service and Continuous Innovation

• Kristina McClenahan, Product Development Manager, Billing and Payment, Puget Sound Energy
• Bashir Bseirani, CEO & CTO, Avertra

Interviews: Women Who SPARK Winners

• Edwin Crow, AAC, an E-Source Company
• Valerie Williams, Liberty Utilities
• Women Who SPARK Award Winners (nominations still be accepted thru June 30th)

Executive Panel: Breaking Down Silos Between Customer & Operations Functions

• Jody Allison, Vice President of Transformation, Algonquin Power& Utilities
• Frank McDermott, COO, SMUD

Executive Panel Discussion: Building a Culture of Innovation at Your Utility

• Christina Schueneman, Director of Customer Solutions, Oracle
• Chris Hillborn, Vice President, Customer Insights and Solutions, Liberty Utilities
• Chimaobi Chijioke, Vice President of Operations, BGE
• Ahmad Ababneh, Vice President, PG&E
• Brandy Bolden, CCO, SMUD

Workgroups

Voice of the Customer (VoC) Workgroup

• Katy Cook, Senior Director of Customer Services, Liberty Utilities
• Valerie Williams, Sr Manager VoC Program, Liberty Utilities
• James Riley, Principal, U2030

Beyond the Meter Energy Products & Services

• Janna Normington, Vice President of Utility Solutions, ibex

Energy Transition, Equity & Equality

• Brandy Bolden, Chief Customer Officer, SMUD,
• Kristina McClenahan, Product Development Manager, Puget Sound Energy
• Craig Tropea, Vice President, Customized Energy Solutions

Water Affordability

• Maria DeChellis, Senior Director, Oracle Energy & Water

Register now to SPARK your future

About U2030

With the mission to enable utility leaders to successfully meet the evolving expectations of energy and water customers, we are a membership-based organization that helps utility professionals stay ahead of the knowledge curve and resonate with customers in new and compelling ways.

Built on a participatory governance model, we believe the most profound engagement and outputs come from including members in the planning and decision-making process. By having a voice in planning, you can leverage U2030 as an extension of your internal project team.

Email us at info@utility2030.org with questions or to request a utility or vendor membership prospectus.