Lakeland Electric General Manager Joel Ivy is leaving for Texas
The man who has led Lakeland Electric for nearly a decade is leaving.
Joel Ivy, general manager of the city’s utility since 2012, will leave next year to become director of Lubbock Power & Light in Texas, Lakeland announced Tuesday. Lubbock’s City Council voted Tuesday afternoon to approve Ivy’s hiring, Lakeland spokesman Kevin Cook said.
Ivy is not scheduled to begin the new position until early May, Lakeland said in a news release. He will succeed David McCalla, who is retiring as director of Lubbock Power & Light.
“The decision to leave Lakeland Electric is very hard and is significantly based on being closer to my family, kids, and grandchildren, who all live in Texas,” Ivy said in a news release. “Why else would I leave the best job I’ve ever had? I believe Lakeland Electric is in a positive position to achieve great things.”
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Lakeland Electric is Florida’s third-largest municipal electric utility and ranks the 24th in the country, according to the city. The utility serves about 129,000 customers.
Ivy, a Texas native, has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. He began his career as a lineman in Texas, according to his biography on the Lakeland Electric website, and previously served as vice president of New Mexico Operations for Public Service Company of New Mexico, a private utility.
Ivy’s salary with Lakeland Electric is $245,000. He oversees the utility’s daily activities, including electric generation planning and operations, transmission and distribution planning and operations, customer service and finances.
Lubbock, located in Western Texas, has a population of about 250,000. Its utility is considering entering the retail electricity market, the news release said.
During his time leading Lakeland Electric, Ivy oversaw the closing of the city’s last remaining coal-fired power plant in April. City Manager Shawn Sherrouse said the action was needed to improve efficiency and reduce pollution, though the move resulted in the utility’s first layoffs in more than 100 years.
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Lakeland Electric has increased its use of solar power during Ivy’s tenure.
“Joel Ivy has taken Lakeland Electric to the next level and has positioned our municipal electric utility for a stronger and more sustainable future,” Sherrouse said in the news release. “Because of his leadership, Joel is leaving Lakeland Electric more cost-effective, efficient, reliable, and resilient. While I am saddened to accept his resignation, I do understand his desire to move closer to his Texas family.”
As leader of Lakeland Electric, Ivy pushed to strengthen the utility’s financial position and improve its credit ratings, the release said.
“I vowed to leave the utility better than I found it, and I know this is the case,” Ivy said in the news release. “I will truly miss my co-workers, friends, and the Lakeland community.”
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Florida: Lakeland Electric manager Ivy leaving for job in Texas
