After 25 years of service, Sonya Dixon is retiring from Owensboro Municipal Utilities, where she has served as the Public Relations and Communications Manager since 2000. She made the announcement during Thursday’s board meeting.
Dixon’s path to OMU began in journalism, first working as a reporter and later news editor at the Hancock County Clarion. She then moved into communications roles at the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, Big Rivers Electric Corporation, and Kenergy before landing at OMU.
“If you look at those things, they all kind of led me to this path,” Dixon said. “I had media experience, public engagement experience, and utility-specific experience. It all just lined up.”
Over two and a half decades, Dixon saw and helped communicate major transformations in technology, infrastructure, and the way OMU interacts with the public.
“When I started, there was no social media,” Dixon said. “If there was a power outage, I had a media card and I’d have to call every station individually to give updates. Now we send texts and post online instantly.”
From infrastructure upgrades to technological advancements, Dixon had a front-row seat to the utility’s evolution.
“We’ve taken down a water plant and a power plant, expanded the Cavin Water Treatment Plant, and rolled out citywide broadband internet,” she said. “Everything we do has become more technical and innovative, and I love that. I’m a self-professed public utility nerd.”
Dixon was also instrumental in communicating OMU’s efforts to serve vulnerable populations. One of her proudest accomplishments is the Community Cares program, which offers assistance to customers facing financial hardship.
“I have a special place in my heart for people who are struggling,” she said. “It’s always been important to me that we provide clear, helpful information to empower our customers.”
Her decision to retire came with mixed emotions but a strong sense of timing.
“It was a difficult decision, but I knew it was time,” Dixon said. “I want to spend more time with my family, travel, write, garden, do some creative things I haven’t had time for.”
While she’s excited for the next chapter, Dixon said what she’ll miss most are the people she’s worked with.
“My closest friends are here,” she said. “We’ve been through everything together — ice storms, outages, personal challenges. It’s more than a workplace. It’s a family.”
Dixon also credited her first OMU supervisor, Sue Napper, for shaping her view of the job and what it meant to serve the community.
“She showed me what it meant to be part of something bigger, to be of service, and to always do the right thing,” Dixon said.
One of Dixon’s greatest joys was simplifying technical utility concepts and translating them into clear, accessible information for the public.
“I’ve always enjoyed being the calm in the storm,” she said. “When there’s a power outage, a water main break, or an internet disruption, I want people to know: we’re on it, and here’s what we’re doing.”
With OMU celebrating 125 years of service, Dixon said she feels proud to have been a part of that history.
“I’ve been here 25 of those years,” she said. “And I’ve learned something new almost every day. I’ve been surrounded by incredible people who care deeply about this community. I’m just honored to have been a part of it.”
