Daxton Maze has been elected Chairman of the Hartselle Utilities Board, replacing outgoing Chairman Mike Gunter, who served as Board Chair for six years.
Maze joined the Hartselle Utilities Board in July 2011, six months after he graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in Civil Engineering. Maze was already a familiar face in Hartselle as a baseball standout and top graduate from Hartselle High School in 2006.
Maze will be the youngest Board Chair that Hartselle Utilities has had. While the board’s perspective and initiatives remain the same, Maze noted that Hartselle is experiencing an influx of younger people and families who work in the Tennessee Valley and choose to live in Hartselle because of the great school system. “The younger generation has a different viewpoint and also different needs from their utility provider, and I hope to bring insight into that,” he says.
“Over the past two years, the board has developed a good working relationship with the Hartselle Utilities staff and the community, and I expect that to continue. I’m looking for this to be an easy transition,” Maze says. “Our goal is to provide exceptional, affordable, and reliable utilities to our customers, and our expectation is to continue to provide the great customer service that Hartselle Utilities has been providing for many years.”
Mike Gunter is now Vice-Chairman of the board, and Jimmy Moore continues as Secretary/Treasurer. Terry Phillips and Ed Monroe are the remaining board members.
In addition to changes in the Board, two key staff members at Hartselle Utilities have retired, and several staff members have been promoted or changed position within the utility. “Almost twenty percent of our workforce has a new face or job,” says General Manager Bob Sittason, “which is something you generally don’t see all at once at Hartselle Utilities. We have been able to fill most of the open positions from within.”
Over the summer, Gas System Operator Tony Vest and Water Foreman David Locke, both with over 25 years of service to Hartselle Utilities, retired. Kyle Laney, former Installer, was promoted to Gas System Operator; David Taylor, Utility Inspector/Safety Coordinator, was promoted to Water Foreman. Jeremy Dorrance, former Meter Reader, replaced Taylor as the new Utility Inspector/Safety Coordinator.
Brian Kelsoe transferred to the position of Warehouseman, and Glenda Turrentine was hired as a new Meter Reader. In addition, Jason Summerford was promoted from Lift Station Crewman to Apprentice Lineman, and Michael Halbrooks was promoted from Installer to Wastewater Equipment Operator.