At today’s Owensboro Utility Commission meeting, General Manager Kevin Frizzell advised the Commission that he intends to retire effective August 1, 2022.
Frizzell told the Commission he was making the announcement now so to provide ample time for the selection of a new General Manager and to ensure a smooth transition.
Frizzell, who will have 32 years of service upon his retirement has served as General Manager for the past four years.
“We have achieved several significant milestones in the past four years including shutting down the power plant and transforming how we supply power to our community, growing a robust telecommunications network with the fiber-to-the-home expansion, eliminating a risk to our ability to supply drinking water with the major expansion of the Cavin Plant, and not to mention learning how to work through the COVID pandemic,” he said. “These accomplishments were possible because of the leadership of our Commission and the leadership team, and most of all the dedication and hard work of all OMU employees. This organization is fortunate to have a team that works so well to serve our community and I am honored to have played a part in leading them.”
Utility Commission Chairman JT Fulkerson said that OMU is ready to begin the search and selection process and expects to identify qualified candidates from outside and within OMU
Fulkerson added, “We appreciate Kevin’s service to the utility and the community. He has done a wonderful job as we’ve navigated through several complex and challenging issues. We hope to complete the General Manager search several months prior to his retirement to allow for a smooth transition.”
Vice Chair Tony Cecil said, “When Kevin was offered the position of General Manager he agreed to stay for two years. He graciously has given us four years. He has done an incredible job leading this organization through some of the most challenging issues we have ever faced. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for his outstanding leadership and the condition in which he is leaving this organization. Although we are sad to see him go, we wish him the very best in his upcoming retirement years!”
Frizzell added, “OMU is a top notch organization and a great place to work. I am blessed to have served the utility and the community over my career. I’m glad it’s not quite over and there’s seven months left with a lot of work to do between now and August first.”
Frizzell was named interim General Manager on February 12, 2018 and General Manager on December 20, 2018. Frizzell, formerly OMU’s Director of Production, joined Owensboro Municipal Utilities in 1990 at the company’s coal-fired generating plant, the Elmer Smith Station, as the Technical Services Manager.
Kevin was named Director of Power Production in 2008, charged with the management of OMU’s largest asset, the Elmer Smith Station. In 2013, OMU combined power production and water treatment into one production department and operation of OMU’s two drinking water plants came under Kevin’s area of responsibility.
Frizzell, a licensed Professional Engineer in Kentucky, is an Ohio County native and a graduate of the University of Kentucky, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in chemical engineering in 1985.