Florida Public Power Leaders and Utility Recognized with 2025 National Awards

Awards acknowledge their contributions to the electric utility industry and their communities

Two Florida public power leaders and one Florida public power utility were recognized with national awards for their contributions and service to their communities and customers. The American Public Power Association (APPA) recognized Ed Liberty (City of Lake Worth Beach Electric Utility Director), Jacob Williams (General Manager and CEO of the Florida Municipal Power Agency), and the Kissimmee Utility Authority in Kissimmee.

Ed Liberty received the Mark Crisson Leadership and Managerial Excellence Award, which recognizes managers who raise their organizations to new levels of excellence, lead by example, and inspire their employees and staff to improve processes, services, and operations. With more than 40 years in the energy industry, Liberty has served as the City of Lake Worth Beach Electric Utility Director since 2017.

During his tenure at the City of Lake Worth Beach, Liberty has restructured the utility’s finances resulting in costsavings and an improved credit rating. He also restructured departments to empower employees as subject matter experts in their respective areas of focus. Each established department   reports directly to him, strengthening his involvement in every area of the utility.

Liberty currently serves as the president-elect of FMEA and previously served as the association’s vice president and secretary-treasurer. He also represents Lake Worth Beach on FMPA’s Board of Directors and on the Board of Directors for the Florida Gas Utility.

“Ed has transformed the City of Lake Worth Beach utility during his tenure. His efforts reduced emissions as desired by the city council and reduced costs, which residents feel through significantly lower rates. The successful completion of the utility’s new interconnection demonstrates his understanding of the need for significant reliability and generation improvements while keeping rates competitive,” said Jacob Williams, FMPA General Manager and CEO. “Ed is dedicated to his local community, engaging and informing stakeholders, successfully changing their view about lowering costs, reducing emissions, and improving reliability simultaneously.”

Jacob Williams received the Harold Kramer-John Preston Personal Service Award, which recognizes member utility employees who have made significant contributions toward APPA’s goals and enhanced its prestige. He has nearly 40 years of experience in the electric utility industry and has served as the General Manager and CEO of the Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) since 2016.

Williams serves as the chair of the board of directors for both the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council (FRCC) and recently completed his tenure as chairman of the Florida Electric Power Coordinating Group (FCG). He partners with the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) and APPA through his participation in legislative rallies and as a featured speaker at events for both organizations. Additionally, he serves on APPA’s CEO Climate Change and Generation Policy Committee (APPA CEO CCGPT), actively engages with the Joint Action Agency Group, is a delegate to APPA’s Legislative & Regulatory Committee, and regularly attends the APPA National Conference and Legislative Rally.

“Jacob is dedicated to serving public power and the needs of Florida's public power communities and customers. During Jacob's tenure, FMPA has meaningfully reduced emissions, while keeping focus on affordable energy, which is a necessity for many Floridians. Jacob has brought this same focus to his roles at FRCC and other organizations that serve public power, including in his service to APPA,” said Jody Finklea, FMPA General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer. “In Florida, he’s earned respect among the Agency’s Board of Directors, Florida business leaders and industry peers through his dedication to public power and his drive to bring affordable, reliable energy to all customers of the Agency’s members.”

The Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) received the prestigious E.F. Scattergood System Achievement Award, which recognizes public power utilities with outstanding achievements. KUA’s efforts have made a difference in their community, improved service to their customers, and enhanced the profile of public power.

From their annual elementary school calendar art contest to scholarships for graduating high school students to “KUA Kids PowerZone” activities at local events, KUA engages with Kissimmee’s youngest residents all year long. Their longstanding Good Neighbor Fund Program has now surpassed 15,000 customers, more than half of whom are rounding up their bills, to help KUA customers experiencing financial difficulty with paying their utility bills in emergency situations. In a typical year, the utility provides more than $100,000 in assistance to customers in need.

The utility recently launched two impactful new services. Their Surge Protection Program now safeguards more than 177 customers, and their Home EV Charger Program continues to drive their sustainability efforts forward, supplementing their vast network of commercial EV chargers, now at 95 chargers. In a typical year, the KUA Green Team processes more than 300 energy conservation rebates and completes more than 700 free home energy audits.

Last year, KUA received multiple APPA and FMEA awards, and its leadership is active in state and national industry associations. The KUA Rodeo team received recognition at the annual Florida Lineman Competition. In addition, the Orlando Sentinel has named KUA a Top Workplace for the past two years.  

“KUA is a standout utility, contributing to the enhancement of public power not only within Florida but throughout the entire nation. They are committed to keeping rates low, ensuring high reliability, and providing exceptional customer service – all which further the economic growth and vitality of the community they serve,” said Amy Zubaly, FMEA Executive Director. “Their infrastructure investments and storm hardening efforts have resulted in fewer outages and rapid recovery after hurricanes, and they are quick to provide mutual aid support to other areas in need. KUA’s focus on reliability and customer service makes them a trusted and essential partner for the Kissimmee community.”

The Florida public power award recipients were nominated jointly by FMEA and FMPA and selected as the winning entries by APPA. They were among 24 individual winners and 9 utility winners this year. APPA is the national trade association representing more than 2,000 public power utilities nationwide.