Business Notebook: PWC recognized with Award of Excellence among public power agencies

Fayetteville Public Works Commission is one of 15 public power communities in the state to receive a 2022 Public Power Award of Excellence.

ElectriCities of North Carolina presented the awards at its annual conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, according to a PWC news release.

“I am proud to have joined an organization that has such a tremendous history of excellence and especially proud of our employees’ unwavering dedication and the pride they take to providing safe, reliable, and affordable power to our community,” said Tim Bryant, PWC CEO and general manager. “Being powered by a municipally owned electric system is a tremendous benefit to Fayetteville and to our customers. It enables us to deliver more reliable service than other providers, as well as local jobs and unmatched customer service.”

PWC received public power awards in five categories that align with ElectriCities of NC’s strategic priorities:

• Provide superior power: Highlights utilities that deliver reliable, affordable and substantial electric power. PWC was recognized for its implementation of demand response programs; time-of-use electric rates; renewable energy with its community solar program and utilization of battery storage; and outstanding reliability, the news release said. PWC has been recognized by the American Public Power Association six times with its highest reliability designation.
• Future focused: Recognizes utilities for having a long-term strategic plan and data-driven approach to improving the competitiveness of the utility. PWC’s strategic plan includes key performance indicators, and its customer satisfaction initiatives and surveys include benchmarking PWC against other high-performing utilities.
• Strengthen public power: Celebrates utilities that build public and political support. Each year, PWC hosts outreach to educate customers about public power such as PWC Day and the PWC Expo. For over 20 years, PWC has used customer feedback and insight through its Community Advisory Group.
• Customer-centered innovation: Celebrates utilities that innovate and invest to better serve customers and communities. In 2022, PWC introduced the Energy Resource Center and email video bill explanations that provide customers additional information and understanding of their utility use. 
• People: Recognizes utilities that leverage employees as their greatest assets. PWC has formal succession planning, internship programs, and PWC University (organizational development and training), as well as offers educational assistance programs and partners with community organizations such as Fayetteville Technical Community College to develop the future workforce.

Nearly 1.3 million people in more than 70 cities and towns across North Carolina get their electricity from public power providers.

FTCC earns No. 5 ranking on national list of Military-Spouse Friendly Schools 

Fayetteville Technical Community College has been named a Military-Spouse Friendly School for the 2023-24 academic year, according to a news release from the college.

The designation was awarded by Viqtory, an independent media organization that connects the military community to civilian employment and educational and entrepreneurial opportunities, the release said.

The organization ranked FTCC fifth in the nation in the large community college category.

Scot McCosh, director of FTCC’s Military and Veterans Programs, said the college is “humbled to be recognized” for its efforts serving the military-connected community.

The Military and Veterans Programs department recently underwent a rebrand to include prominent use of the acronym MVP, which McCosh said reflects the department’s belief in the value of military-connected students, including service members’ spouses and children.

“If you ask any military member or veteran, they’ll let you know that their family members have borne the greatest burden of their military service,” McCosh said in the release. “That is why we strive to provide these MVP spouses and children with the highest quality of service assisting them in achieving their education, whether they join us face to face here on campus or online anywhere in the world.

“It’s our way of saying thank you and impacting the local and global workforce by connecting the gifts, grit and grace of military spouses to our programs and industry partners.”

Fayetteville Tech earned the Top 10 Military Friendly School designation from Viqtory in March. FTCC has been in the Top 10 of that category since the creation of the designation and has been named the No. 1 Military Friendly large community college in the nation twice in the past five years.

FTCC’s Military and Veterans Programs are headquartered at the All American Veterans Center on the college’s Fayetteville campus. 

For more information about FTCC Military and Veterans Programs, visit the FTCC Military and Veterans programs web page.

County’s chief building official elected to statewide association office

Cumberland County Chief Building Official Mike Naylor has been elected director of Area 6 of the N.C. Building Inspector’s Association, according to a county news release.

Naylor was nominated and elected by his peers. The Building Inspector’s Association is divided into geographic districts. Area 6 encompasses southeastern North Carolina including Cumberland, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Duplin, Hoke, Jones, Lenior, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Robeson and Sampson counties.

As Area 6 director, Naylor will be the lead representative in the region for:

• Promoting understanding, application and enforcement of state building laws and regulations.
• Assisting in the development of building regulations and standards.
• Increasing the level of professionalism and efficiency of local building inspectors.
• Assisting in creating a better public understanding of building regulations to public health, safety and welfare.
• Promoting the development of uniform administrative ordinances, inspections methods and enforcement procedures.

Naylor has worked for Cumberland County for 19 years and has a double master’s degree in pastoral counseling and theology. He is certified as an NC Level III electrical inspector, Level III plumbing inspector; Level II mechanical inspector; Level I building inspector; and Level II fire inspector.

He is also a graduate of the Cumberland County Leadership Academy, the release said.

“As director, I am excited for this opportunity for Mike and his career,” said Planning and Inspections Director Rawls Howard. “I am equally excited at the voice it will lend to regional and statewide building industry development where Cumberland County is taking a leadership role.”

For more information about the N.C. Building Inspector’s Association, go to ncbia.org.

Cumberland County Planning and Inspections is located in the historic courthouse at 130 Gillespie St. in downtown Fayetteville. For more information, go to its website.

DOT offering road construction training

A STAFF REPORT

The N.C. Department of Transportation is continuing its efforts to train small businesses interested in construction jobs with the agency through its 2023 Technical Training Series.

The training sessions are a pilot program that offers courses on projects such as work zone traffic control and utility installation to small businesses. The series, which started in the spring, has offerings through the summer and fall, according to a DOT news release.  

Each course will cover topics such as DOT specifications and standard drawings; equipment requirements; bidding and estimating; project management; and invoicing and payment. Participants will receive a certificate after finishing a course, the release said.

Classes will be taught in Raleigh, Charlotte, Asheville​​ and Greenville and will be taught in-person by DOT engineers, prime contractors and other transportation industry professionals.​

The training is part of DOT’s workforce development efforts aimed at increasing the number of firms that can contract with the agency to build and maintain the state’s transportation network, the news release said.

The program is free and limited to 25 firms per class. Training sessions, which are held on Thursdays, are limited to two individuals per firm, but other staff members may be put on a waiting list for a future session.

The next training will focus on guardrail installation. It will be 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 31 at Pitt Community College’s Greenville Center, 3107 S. Memorial Drive, Greenville.  

In September, sessions are planned as follows:

• 7: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Wake Technical Community College, 3434 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary, NC 27518.
• 14: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Central Piedmont Community College, 1201 Elizabeth Ave., Charlotte NC 28204.
• 21: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, 1465 Sand Hill Road, Candler, NC 28715.
• 28: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Pitt Community College, 3107 S. Memorial Drive, Greenville, NC 27834.

To learn more about the training, view the full schedule and register, visit the DOT webpage.

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