Submitted by City of Bowling Green
The Director of Public Utilities for the City of Bowling Green, Brian O’Connell, has been named the 2016 Robert E. Roundtree Rising Star Award recipient by the American Public Power Association. Mayor Richard Edwards stated, “Bowling Green is fortunate to have such a talented, thoughtful, and dedicated person leading our Utilities Department and working closely with the City’s independent Board of Public Utilities. Brian deserves this recognition and this award reinforces what we have known about him for a long time.”
O’Connell has served as the Director of Public Utilities since 2011. He began his career with the City in 2004 in the Engineering Division. He has a passion for public power issues at the federal, state and local level, and regularly attends the APPA National Conference and Legislative Rally. He represents Bowling Green as well as 14 other municipal electric systems on the American Municipal Power Board of Trustees. Under Mr. O’Connell’s leadership, Bowling Green is on track to achieve a balanced portfolio that is responsible, sustainable, and derived by nearly 37 percent from renewable sources such as wind, hydro, and soon to be solar. Bowling Green’s rates remain competitive with the local investor-owned utility, and the system has a strong credit rating from AMP.
O’Connell received the Roundtree Rising Star award at the Association’s national conference in Phoenix, AZ.
