Meet the finalists for Fort Collins Utilities director at a virtual forum Wednesday
The city of Fort Collins is holding a virtual forum Wednesday night where the public can get to know the five finalists to be the next executive director of Fort Collins Utilities.
The forum will take place on Zoom from 6-7:30 p.m. Finalists will field questions from a city moderator, and viewers will be able to share their feedback with the hiring committee through a survey at the end of the event.
The Zoom link for the forum is posted on the Fort Collins Utilities website. Spanish interpretation will be provided. There's no need to RSVP.
The Utilities director position has been filled in an interim capacity since May 2020. The city posted the job opening last fall and conducted its first review of applicants in November. In the candidate brochure for the position, city leaders said they were looking for someone with at least 10 years of experience in senior leadership in a utility setting who values transformation and has a track record of developing and implementing energy and water efficiency, conservation and sustainability programs and policies.
The salary range for the position is $240,000 to $250,000.
The five finalists come from the private and public sectors, as far as Vermont and as close as Longmont. Here's some information about each one:
Eleanor Allen
Current position: CEO of Water for People since 2015. Water for People is a Denver-based nonprofit that works to increase access to water and sanitation services in developing countries.
Previous experience: Chief of staff at engineering company CH2M Hill, global director of water at Arcadis, worked as a project engineer and project manager focusing on water resources.
Education: Bachelor's in civil engineering and environmental studies, Tufts University; master's in civil and environmental engineering, University of California at Berkeley.
David A. Hornbacher
Current position: Executive director of Longmont Power and Communications since August 2019. Longmont, like Fort Collins, is an owner-community of Platte River Power Authority.
Previous experience: Aspen utilities director for nine years.
Education: Bachelor's in agronomy, Colorado State University; additional studies in math, physics and engineering, University of Colorado, Denver.
Scott Kulwicki
Current position: Senior director of strategic projects and valuation for Florida Power & Light Co., a private utility and subsidiary of NextEra Energy, according to his LinkedIn profile. His profile describes his current role includes work with thermal and renewable power generation.
Previous experience: Kulwicki has been working for NextEra and Florida Power & Light for 20 years. Before that, he served in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear machinist.
Education: Bachelor's in mechanical engineering, Florida Atlantic University.
Kendall Minor
Most recent position: Director and vice president of construction for Cherry Street Energy, a Georgia-based renewable energy company.
Previous experience: Utilities portfolio leader for Georgia Power Co. for more than a decade.
Education: Bachelor's in civil engineering and master's in civil engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Tiana Smith
Current position: Senior director of strategy and chief of staff at Vermont Gas Systems since 2020.
Previous experience: Director of talent and culture and energy services manager at Vermont Gas Systems. Various roles at Fort Collins Utilities between 2005 and 2017, including energy services program coordinator, key accounts manager and revenue manager.
Education: Bachelor's in English with a concentration in creative writing, project management professional certificate, Colorado State University.
Jacy Marmaduke covers government accountability for the Coloradoan. Follow her on Twitter @jacymarmaduke. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Meet Fort Collins Utilities director finalists at virtual forum
