COLUMBUS, OH: American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) is pleased to announce that Kyle Francis, assistant village administrator for the Village of Versailles, is a 2023 recipient of the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Larry Hobart Seven Hats Award. Francis was presented with the award on June 20 during the APPA National Conference in Seattle.
The Larry Hobart Seven Hats Award recognizes utility managers who serve communities of less than 2,500 meters and whose management duties extend well beyond the scope of a manager in a larger system. Francis has served the Village of Versailles, a small community located in western Ohio, for more than seven years.
“Kyle Francis exemplifies what this prestigious honor represents — a public servant with a strong work ethic who is dedicated to his community and to public power,” said Jolene Thompson, AMP President and CEO. “Kyle is very deserving of this honor, and we are pleased to see him receive this national recognition.”
Since becoming assistant village administrator, Francis has maintained his responsibilities as utility superintendent for the village electric system, which serves about 1,900 customers. He oversees planning for the village electric, water and street department. In this role, he prioritized a project to update the village’s electric infrastructure, which included a system-wide conversion from 4 kilovolt (kV) to 12 kV and replacement of aging transformers, poles and system components. Completion of this project has lowered the village’s system losses by 1 to 2 percent, improved reliability and greatly reduced system maintenance costs.
“Kyle is an amazing asset to the Versailles community. When I think of the Seven Hats award, the first person I think of is Kyle,” said Versailles Mayor Jeff Subler. “His work ethic is a great example of a person and employee very deserving of this award.”
Francis is a long-time resident of Versailles and keeps good relations with the community by staying involved. He works hard to keep the city government and citizens informed about Village of Versailles Utilities activities, writing articles to be published in the village newspaper and newsletter and on the village’s social media outlets to keep everyone informed about current and future projects.
According to Subler, Francis is highly regarded by his staff because he leads by example and continuously looks out for the best interests of the village and its employees.
Francis was also named the AMP Seven Hats Award winner during the 2022 AMP Annual Conference in Columbus. The AMP Seven Hats Award was modeled after the APPA’s award and was initiated in 1984.
The APPA is the service organization for the nation’s more than 2,000 community-owned electric utilities that serve more than 49 million Americans.
View the official APPA news release here.