Owensboro Municipal Utilities General Manager Kevin Frizzell on Thursday announced he will be retiring on Aug. 1, 2022, after 32 years of service.
Frizzell said with his early announcement, he will remain until the replacement is found and will help with the transition for the utility department.
During Frizzell’s time as general manager, he helped the OMU staff transform how they supplied power following the shutdown of a plant, grow their telecommunications network, and eliminate the risk of supplying drinking water with the Cavin Plant.
“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,” Frizzell said.
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 inside OMU.
Dr. Tom Maddox suggested that Frizzell assist the commission in the choice of the successor.
“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,” Fulkerson said. “We hope to complete the general manager search several months prior to his retirement to allow for a smooth transition.”
Before Frizzell announced his retirement date, the commission also began a partnership with GDS Associates for their Integrated Resource Plan.
This plan, which happens roughly every other year, will focus OMU’s attention on the needs of the community and the projections for their business in the near future.
In the past, these plans have helped map out the decisions such as the closure of the Elmer Smith Station.
“Thankfully we accepted this new IRP process because I think that’s going to be proactive and something so needed at this point is anticipating the future,” Maddox said.
