Tim Bryant was named the CEO and general manager of Fayetteville’s PWC (Public Works Commission) in August. A native of Goldsboro, he brought 25 years of utility experience to the position, coming from serving various leadership positions at Florida Power and Light Company. Bryant had been at FPL, the largest electric utility in the nation, since 2008.
A graduate of N.C. State, Bryant was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army National Guard, where he served over 12 years in Kansas and North Carolina. He’s also been an active civic leader, serving on the boards or in leadership capacities for a number of national, regional and local nonprofits and organizations. He and his wife Kianta Prince-Bryant have two adult children.
Bryant spoke with CityView’s Bill Horner III about his acclimation to his new position and about PWC’s operation.
***
You’re four months into the job. How are you settling in?
I’m settling in fine! North Carolina is home for me and it’s great to be in Fayetteville.
And what’s it been like coming back home to North Carolina after working in Florida the last 15 years?
Home is home! The people here have been very welcoming and engaging. Additionally, I have several friends and family members in the general area.
When you were first approached about this position at PWC, you did not consider it for various reasons. What eventually made you think it’d be a good fit — both for you and for PWC?
Having initially dismissed the notion of leaving South Florida, I subsequently had the opportunity to meet the PWC Commissioners. In this discussion, I learned more about the PWC’s operating history, as well as the future vision of the entire Fayetteville/Cumberland County Region. The vision for PWC truly aligned with my background in building communities across Florida. Further, the opportunity to help achieve this vision in my home state was really compelling.
You’re still the new guy in many ways, but you’re joining a seasoned senior team there at PWC. How valuable have they been to you? And what have you gained in your career and experiences that’s been most valuable to them?
The PWC team has proven to be invaluable. Their institutional knowledge, relationships with other municipal authorities, along with community engagement has been second to none!
My initial focus has been succession planning and deploying a “process/process-improvement” culture. I firmly believe in investing in our people and providing them the best tools to perform is essential to PWC on-going success.
Your utility career has mostly focused on electricity, which PWC provides. What’s your learning curve been like on the water and sewer pieces?
Understanding the challenges of delivering clean, cost effective water and sewer services has been great. There are some unique technical details related to building, operating, and maintaining water and sewer infrastructure. Nonetheless, the key component in both the electric and water and sewer utility industries is surrounding myself with knowledgeable people that are open to challenging the status quo in doing our jobs.
PWC is unique in many regards. For starters, you have a captive customer base, in your position, you’re not reporting to investors as a for-profit entity. What about its operational structure has presented you with the greatest challenges and opportunities?
At PWC, our “investors” are our friends, neighbors, and business owners. We know many of our “investors” personally, as such, so we have a much more personal sense of responsibility to deliver our very best every day. Our “investors” do not wait for quarterly or annual meetings to share their feedback!
Share three things about PWC’s operation you’re really pleased and satisfied with, and three things you’re stressing about…
I’m genuinely pleased with:
I do not tend to stress about too much, however my focus areas are:
You probably get questioned frequently, given a previous acquisition play, about the possibility of PWC being sold. Walk us through what’s changed for PWC that makes that possibility slim…
Typically, companies that are actually or perceived to be poorly performing are acquisition targets. My intent is to enhance PWC performance such that the acquisition would be extremely cost-prohibitive.
You’ve spoken about making “tweaks” to PWC’s operation. What’s your strategy for introducing changes to your team, and to your customers?
We have already begun some minor internal organizational changes, along with re-aligning organizational performance goals. These initial efforts and those to follow will help develop future leaders, improve service delivery, and lower costs.
To learn more about PWC's project, annexation and more, go here.
