Easton Utilities named Paula Taylor as the Manager of Customer Services, a new position for the organization. With over 23 years of experience in customer service and collections for the utilities sector, she will oversee the Customer Service, Billing and Collection employees. “I look forward to this exciting challenge and am committed to ensuring our customers continue to receive the best, most efficient customer service from all employees based on our core values of integrity, commitment and excellence,” states Taylor.

Paula joined Easton Utilities in 2014 as the Credit and Collections Specialist and was promoted to Supervisor of Billing and Collections in 2017. Her responsibilities included providing accurate billing information and collection procedures while remaining in compliance with the Maryland Public Service Commission’s rules and regulations. Prior to joining Easton Utilities, Paula was the Collection & Energy Assistance Administrator for Choptank Electric.

“Paula’s dedication to serving our customers combined with her leadership skills and compassion, highlighted her as a perfect candidate for this role,” says Tracie Thomas, Vice President of Customer Services for Easton Utilities.

Paula is actively involved with work in her local church.  She also enjoys helping others find a passion in the work they do each day through coaching and inspiration. Paula is a native of Talbot County and currently resides in East New Market with her husband of 26 years.

Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area. Visit eastonutilities.com for more information.

Easton Utilities welcomes five interns to participate in the summer-long paid internship program, which is a formal, comprehensive experience consisting of tours, learning workshops, projects, and presentations. “Our goal is to offer a robust, hands-on learning experience in a professional setting for numerous fields of study,” says Vicki Petro, Vice President of Human Resources for Easton Utilities.

The most recent group of interns includes:

• Sammy Carter, majoring in both Business Administration and International Studies at Rhodes College.
• Parker Friedli, majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in both Engineering Management and Digital Fabrication at Vanderbilt University.
• Myia Jeter, majoring in Business Administration with a minor in Marketing at Marymount University.
• Nate Moore, majoring in Computer Science on the software engineer track at Towson University.
• Colin Ward, majoring in Computer Science with a minor in both Mathematics and Entrepreneurship at Wake Forest University. (Not pictured)

While simultaneously participating in the thorough orientation to Easton Utilities to learn about the services, infrastructure, and demands of each department, the interns are fully submerged in their respective departments for a true hands-on experience. In the first few weeks, each intern will work alongside their supervisor on a specific project designed to benefit both the company and the intern’s overall experience. At the conclusion of the program, each intern will present their specific project.

The internship program, led by HR Generalist Julie Andrew, has helped many students secure full-time positions with both Easton Utilities and elsewhere upon graduating. “Giving the interns the experience needed to build their resumes is invaluable and has led to numerous local job placements, including several at Easton Utilities,” says Andrew.

Anyone entering their junior or senior year of college looking for a rewarding experience can learn more about the internship program and apply at eastonutilities.com.

Easton Utilities has earned the highest Reliable Public Power Provider (RP₃) designation from the American Public Power Association for providing reliable and safe electric service.

The RP3 designation, which lasts for three years, recognizes public power utilities that demonstrate proficiency in four key disciplines: reliability, safety, workforce development, and system improvement. Criteria include sound business practices and a utility-wide commitment to safe and reliable delivery of electricity. Easton Utilities joins 271 public power utilities nationwide that hold the RP3 designation. The Diamond Level designation is awarded to those who met 98 – 100% of the criteria and is valid for three years.

“Receiving an RP3 designation is a great honor signifying a utility has demonstrated commitment to industry best practices,” says Troy Adams, Chair of APPA’s RP3 Review Panel and General Manager at Manitowoc Public Utilities, Wisconsin. “And ultimately, the culture developed from this pursuit of excellence and continued improvement through the RP3 program results in measurable value delivered to the local community.”

“We couldn’t be prouder to be honored with this designation which is the culmination of hard work from so many dedicated employees who really care about powering our community,” said John E. Hines, Electric Department Manager for Easton Utilities. “But this designation is not a final destination – we are committed to continuing to look for ways to improve our operations and service to our customers.”

Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area. Visit www.eastonutilities.com for more information.

The American Public Power Association has offered the RP3 designation for 18 years now. APPA is the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 49 million people in 2,000 towns and cities nationwide. APPA advocates and advises on electricity policy, technology, trends, training, and operations. Learn more at www.publicpower.org/.

C. Lee Gordon was sworn in by Mayor Robert C. Willey as a new commissioner of the Easton Utilities Commission on April 13. “Lee’s legal expertise combined with her knowledge of the community we serve will be a valuable asset to our strong commission,” says Hugh E. Grunden, President and CEO of Easton Utilities.

Lee is a Partner at Parker Counts law firm and focuses her practice on the areas of estate planning, estate administration and guardianships. She also assists clients with real estate and business transitions. Lee obtained her undergraduate degree in Politics from Washington & Lee University’s Williams School of Commerce and graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law with honors. She has been named to What’s Up Eastern Shore’s list of Leading Lawyers for 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2021.

“I am honored to serve Easton Utilities in this capacity as we focus on maintaining critical infrastructure, meeting renewable energy goals, and ensuring affordability for our customers,” says Gordon.

Collectively, the commissioners are charged with governance responsibilities for the organization. Gordon replaces Rodanthe Hanrahan who served as a commissioner for just under eight years. “We thank Rodanthe for her unwavering support and strategic guidance over the years,” adds Grunden.

Gordon currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Talbot Hospice Foundation, Inc., is a member of the Talbot County Advisory Board for Mid-Shore Community Foundation, and is Secretary for Eastern Shore Title Company, Inc. She has also served as the President of the Board for Christ Church Day School, Treasurer for the Baker-King Fund, and on the Board of Trustees for The Country School. Gordon is originally from Baltimore, Maryland and has lived in Easton for 16 years.

Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area. Please visit www.eastonutilities.com or call 410-822-6110 to learn more.

Easton Utilities is the recipient of a $3.1 million grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to extend broadband to specific underserved locations in Talbot County. The additional funding allows the utility company to provide service to 711 locations currently unserved in Talbot County and will be incorporated into the current Connect Talbot project.

The total Connect Talbot project will provide access to service to more than 4,400 locations at an estimated cost of $45 million. To date, Easton Velocity, a division of Easton Utilities, has constructed more than 180 miles of fiber and provides access to approximately 1,200 locations throughout the county. An interactive map with all locations identified and estimated timelines can be found online at EastonVelocity.com/ConnectTalbot.

“We are making service available to approximately 20 to 40 homes on a weekly basis and are actually signing up 10 to 20 new customers every week,” says Ted L. Book, Vice President of Easton Velocity. “I give all the credit to the Velocity team, as well as the contractors who are performing at a steady pace. We are performing underground construction which is more reliable but is considerably more difficult to install.”

Easton Velocity offers a range of speeds at varying price points to ensure affordability and customized options. The company is also participating in various federal and state programs designed to help households afford the broadband service they need for work, school, healthcare, and more. There are eligibility requirements and those who qualify can receive up to $54 per month savings. More info on these programs can be found at eastonvelocity.com/internet-discount-programs.

From the onset of the rural broadband initiative, Easton Utilities has been successful in securing funding from a variety of sources including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), State of Maryland, Talbot County Council, as well as direct investments from Easton Utilities.

“We remain committed to providing affordable access to broadband service to all residents of Talbot County who are currently unserved,” says Hugh E. Grunden, President and CEO of Easton Utilities.

While the project originally anticipated a customer contribution, last year the Talbot County Council provided funding to alleviate this requirement.

“We thank Governor Moore and his team for helping us continue our mission to bring internet service to the residents of Talbot County who need it,” says Chuck Callahan, Talbot County Council President. “This funding will help us execute the Connect Talbot project, which continues to expand.”

Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area. Easton Velocity, a service of Easton Utilities, is committed to keeping our community connected and current with a variety of service offerings designed to meet the needs of both residential and commercial customers. Please visit www.EastonVelocity.com/ConnectTalbot or call 410-690-4605 to learn more.

April is National Safe Digging Month and Easton Utilities reminds contractors and homeowners to call 811, which begins the process of marking underground utility lines. “This free resource is a proactive measure which helps eliminate the risk of striking an underground utility line,” stated Andrew Ober, Safety Specialist for Easton Utilities. To prevent injuries, property damage and outages, residents must call 811 approximately 48 – 72 hours prior to work beginning.

The is a free service that notifies affected utilities of a person’s intent to dig. Within a few days, Easton Utilities will mark the locations of the utility-owned lines with paint or flags. The depth of utility lines can vary for a number of reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces. Utility lines need to be properly marked because even when digging only a few inches, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists. Call before you dig. It’s the law.

To learn more about Easton Utilities, call the Customer Service Center at 410-822-6110 or visit www.eastonutilities.com.

Easton Utilities is offering paid internship opportunities to college students entering their junior or senior year. The program consists of tours, learning workshops, projects, job shadowing, and presentations. “Our goal is to offer a robust, hands-on learning experience in a professional setting for numerous fields of study,” states Vicki Petro, Vice President of Human Resources for Easton Utilities.

The internship program is a formal, comprehensive experience led by Julie Andrew, HR Generalist. At the onset, the participants attend a series of tours to learn about the services, infrastructure, and demands of each department. The interns select a specific project or topic and are required to give a presentation to the management team at the culmination of the program. “It is important to give these interns an authentic experience with a realistic understanding of what will be expected from them in the real world,” says Hugh E. Grunden, President and CEO of Easton Utilities.

With the limited number of internship options available in this region, this program truly benefits the entire community. Giving the interns the experience needed to build their resumes is invaluable and has led to several local job placements, including a couple at Easton Utilities. Andrew herself participated in the internship program in 2018 and 2019, and is currently a full-time employee, along with several others. “Internships provide such a great opportunity for students to gain professional development which will lead to future career success,” adds Petro.

Anyone entering their junior or senior year of college looking for a rewarding experience can learn more about the internship program and apply at eastonutilities.com.