Awards and Recognition

The 2024 Lifetime Honorary Membership Award recipient was Doug Carnival.

Doug Carnival, formerly of Carnival of McGrann Shea Carnival Straughn & Lamb was named an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Association. This prestigious award symbolizes a long professional life dedicated not only to the advancement of municipal utilities locally, but also to the betterment of the industry on a statewide basis. 

Doug provided nearly 40 years of service to MMUA and its members through his work as a contract lobbyist for the Association. Doug became a familiar and trusted face to legislators as he monitored bills and advocated for public power at the legislature. His commentaries at MMUA’s conferences and work with MMUA’s members have helped keep the Association in front of emerging issues and addressing areas of concern. Doug has been a critical member of the MMUA Government Relations Team and will be much missed.

The 2024 Community Service Award recipient was Lee Steinbrecher.

Lee Steinbrecher, Princeton, was named MMUA's Community Service Award winner for 2024. This award is given to an individual who has performed long and well in support of a municipal utility at the local level.
When Princeton Public Utilities was threatened with abolishment by referendum a few years ago, Lee leapt into action. He started a grassroots campaign called “Save Princeton Public Utilities.” He printed yard signs, answered questions, and helped clear up questions and concerns. Thanks to his work and the work of others, the utility was saved, and Princeton Public Utilities continues to provide inexpensive, local power to Princeton. Lee passed away on August 21, 2024.

The 2024 Public Service Award recipient was Tom Kuntz.

Tom Kuntz, Owatonna, received the 2024 Public Service Award. This award is given to a local, state, or federal elected or appointed official who has been a strong supporter of MMUA and its members.

Tom has demonstrated public service for over 50 years to his community and public power. Tom worked for Owatonna Public Utilities from 1971 to 2003, rising through the ranks from meter reader to General Manager of OPU until his retirement in 2003. From 2004 to present, Tom has served as Mayor of Owatonna, while continuing to be a tireless advocate for public power. He has attended the APPA Legislative Conference annually since 1998 and has served on the APPA Public Policymakers Council. Tom has been a strong advocate for his city in innumerable ways, making his city and hometown utility stronger.

The 2024 Rising Star Award recipients were Caleb Scheel and Kelley Willemssen.

Caleb Scheel, Meter Service Worker and AMI Specialist at Owatonna Public Utilities. Caleb first joined Owatonna Public Utilities in June of 2020. Since that time, his curiosity has led him to greatly expand his knowledge of metering and AMI through education and training. He has helped improve the accuracy of metering at Owatonna Public Utilities and has become an AMI expert. He has already received an associate’s degree in Electric Power Technology, and in December of 2024, he will receive his bachelor’s degree in Energy Management from Bismarck State College.

Kelley Willemssen, Director of Finance and Administration at Shakopee Public Utilities. Kelley joined Shakopee Public Utilities in 2016 as Customer Service Coordinator. Her strengths in budgeting, audits, and financial reporting made her a natural fit to take over as Director of Finance and Administration after a retirement in 2020. Kelley’s care for the financial health of SPU has been reflected in her implementation of a new finance and billing platform and three clean audits since taking over the role. Kelley is also in the process of earning a master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in data analytics.

The 2023 System Innovation Award recipient was Kasson Public Utilities.

This award is given periodically to a utility that has demonstrated leadership and innovation in customer service, energy efficiency or renewables, technology, or other areas.  Starting in 2020, Kasson Public Utilities and the City of Kasson have made major investments in technology at the utility. Kasson has done complete GIS mapping of the entire utility, as well as the installation of AMI metering infrastructure. Simple questions about how the utility operates have led to a more complete picture of the city’s electric and water systems, as well as other benefits like better incident response and customer service.

The 2024 Distinguished Service Award recipient was Keven Maxa.

Keven Maxa, Engineering Supervisor at Austin Municipal Utilities received the Distinguished Service Award. This honor is given to individuals who perform outstanding service in support of MMUA and its goals.

Keven has been an important voice for municipal utilities as the single municipal utility stakeholder in meetings of the Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety. In these meetings, he has helped advocate for rules that make utility operations safe while limiting detrimental changes. In 2024, Keven helped fend off excavation law changes that would have been negative for many utilities in the state. His expertise and wisdom have been a boon to utilities across the state.