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What do you want to be when you grow up?
By Mike Hyland
Executive Director, NEPPA
That's the never-ending question from parents, counselors, and in my case – a judge. It was spring 1981 and I found myself standing in front of a district judge who was asking me that exact question: "Mr. Hyland, what do you want to be when you grow up?" Yikes! What a question! I was 16 years old and pleading guilty to underage drinking and disorderly conduct. Besides that obvious flaw, I actually did think I knew what I wanted to be when I "grew up". I was in the honors program at school and was working my way through lacrosse, hoping to play at one of the military academies, yet here I was – guilty as charged. Not a year goes by where I don’t reflect on that mishap, since it was then that I had to put up or shut up. It was then that I truly decided what I wanted to be and started taking the steps necessary to attain that goal.
When NEPPA was formed in 1965, many knew that it was the right thing to do at the time. That being said, the dream of working together to make things happen, does come with the burden of having a vision and making that vision come true. At the end of the day – someone must do the work, build the base, design a work plan, hire the employees, etc. Well, in 1969, just four years into our journey, the membership was faced with just that question: What do we want to be when we grow up and do we have the hutzpah to make it happen?
One idea bounced around by the Board of NEPPA was to have a presence in Washington, DC. In fact, the President of the Board directed Board member James Baker to contact George Spiegel. They were looking to determine if Mr. Spiegel would accept the title of NEPPA General Council in order for NEPPA to use Mr. Spiegel’s Watergate address in Washington, DC. to “give more status to NEPPA.”
During the same meeting there was “a general discussion on areas in which service might be performed for the systems of NEPPA. It was generally felt that we were not ready for joint purchasing, but that the Safety Program should be looked into more thoroughly. Other possibilities included meter and relay testing, rubber glove testing, power sales assistance and radio noise abatement and educational services.” On a side note – evidently the association already had a "Data Processing Committee", which held deliberations directly with IBM in 1969 concerning the United Data Processing Center being set up in Harrisburg, PA for consumer-owned electric systems.
So, NEPPA must have simply hired a Safety Instructor, developed the curriculum and began the safety program by 1970 – right? Hmmm…optimistic, but ... no. Things take time, and in the case of NEPPA, we needed the right leader to make things happen. In 1980 NEPPA hired its first official Executive Director, a gentleman by the name of Chapman Stockford. Based on the records I have uncovered, Mr. Stockford was tasked with running an association, not just a one man show aimed at recruiting new members, facilitating board meetings, and fighting in DC for federal dollars to fund the Dickey-Lincoln School Hydro project in upstate Maine.
One of the first moves by Mr. Chapman was to hire a couple of part-time safety instructors. Until then, for most utilities, the concept of training lineworkers fell onto the shoulders of the more experienced foreman at a utility. Think of it as 100% on the job training, filled with a lot of "this is the way we do it here" sessions. Effective? Yes. Efficient and progressive? No. Obviously the association felt it was time for a change, so Mr. Chapman hired two part-time instructors (Mr. Robert Elder and Mr. William Millea) to facilitate the Apprentice Lineman’s Training classes. By 1984, a NEPPA "Power Lines" newsletter indicates that Mr. Elder had two "line schools” operating. He had 11 students in the Groton, MA school and 11 students in the Pascoag, RI school. 22 total students, all in the 3rd year of a four-year program. Mr. Millea had 17 first year students at the Wellesley, MA school, but the Power Lines article also indicated that Mr. Millea had graduated 12 students the year prior. At that time, students met for one full day a month for four straight years.
In 1984, a subset of eight NEPPA members hired a consultant to perform a study on the training needs of their employees. In the study, Ms. Maya Ollson indicated that NEPPA should consider hiring a full-time human resources employee and expand its offerings. Thus, in December of 1984, NEPPA hired Mr. Ed Maurer to oversee a new Human Resources Department aimed at expanding services for improved education and training. With that, it seems, the lingering "what do you want to be when you grow up?" question was beginning to be answered.
So, let’s fast forward to today. NEPPA is now 60 years young and has been involved in safety and training for at least the last 45 years. Although we currently only have one full-time safety trainer (yes, we are working on that), we have a dozen part-time trainers with over 200 students enrolled in our NEPPA Apprentice Program using the Northwest Lineman’s College curriculum. But it doesn’t stop there. In 2025 alone we are on target to perform over 650 utility visits for safety training, hold the URD course three times, as well as Substation 1 and 2, Metering 1 and 2, Hoisting 1B-1C and 2A-2C and our Advanced Lineworker Program. In addition, we will perform multiple Lineworker evaluations, have a hands-on Chainsaw Safety course scheduled in July and we even tried our first “Industry Day” in March with PowerTech, which we will try again in October with SEL.
But education and learning doesn’t end in the field. We hosted the first DOE Regional Climate Resiliency Workshop in the US, and continue to offer classes in Communications, Leadership, Electricity 101 & Customer De-escalation and Strategic Rate Design. We are holding roundtables for IT, General Foreman and General Managers/Leaders. Add on the monthly virtual Tactical Tuesdays webinars and we are still just scratching the surface!
So, I’ll ask again: What do we want to be when we grow up? Let’s set that course and work to achieve it. Regardless of how you may have ended up in front of that judge ... you better be ready to answer the big question.
Onward to another 60 years!
Cheers,
-Mike
| | Congratulations to our Scholarship Winners! | | |
This year NEPPA's Member Value Committee chose to award a total of seven $500 Scholarships between the three categories of High School, College and Trade School. We are excited to congratulate the following students and thank our members for their donations, which make this possible.
The NEPPA Student Scholarship Program provides scholarships to Northeast Public Power Association residents/relatives pursuing higher education. Funded in large part by the NEPPA Member Value Committee, the Student Scholarship is available to students pursuing a career in a public power related field. Click here to learn more.
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Chloe Zhong
Attending Braintree HS Accepted at Brown University
Resident of Braintree ELD
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Sampson Lake
Attending Missisquoi Valley Union HS
Accepted at Vermont State
Resident of Village of Swanton Electric Dept
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Jason Delli Carpini
Attending Norwood HS
Accepted at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Resident of Norwood MLD
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Collin Harrington
Attending Assabet Valley Regional Vocational Tech HS
Marlborough, MA
Accepted at University of Hartford
Resident of National Grid (Affiliate Member)
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High School Scholarship Winners
$500 scholarship for graduating high school seniors enrolling in college or a trade school program upon high school graduation.
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Alissa LaFrance
Attending Stonehill College
Relative of Taunton MLP
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Lauren Galvin
Attending UMASS Amherst
Resident of Norwood MLP
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College/University Scholarship Winners
$500 scholarship for students currently enrolled in college or university.
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Camden Strong
Attending People's Academy High School
Accepted at North American Lineman Training Center
Resident of Morrisville Water & Light
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'Michael Rampanelli' Trade School Scholarship Winner
$500 scholarship for students currently enrolled or enrolling in a vocational or technical program.
| | | | Upcoming Training & Events | | Registration Now Open - Early Bird Rates! | | |
2025 Annual Conference
August 17-20, 2025
Hotel Champlain, Curio by Hilton
60 Battery St., Burlington, VT
Join your professional colleagues for 4 days of educational sessions, roundtables, networking, sponsor exhibits, and more!
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Mutual Aid Disaster Exercise
June 25, 2025
8:00 am - 3:00 pm
NEPPA Training Center
Littleton, MA
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Tactical Tuesday
July 8, 2025
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Held Virtually
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GM/Leadership
Roundtable
July 23, 2025
8:30 am - 1:00 pm
NEPPA Training Center
Littleton, MA
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Tactical Tuesday
July 24, 2025
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
NEPPA Training Center
Littleton, MA
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Advanced Lineworker Program
3 Days/4 Weeks
August 12-14 August 26-28
September 9-11 September 23-25
NEPPA Training Center
Littleton, MA
| | Budget and Appropriations: House Passes Budget Reconciliation bill, President reveals more details on FY26 budget request, DOE Announces Audit of $15 Billion in Project Awards and Cancels $3 Billion in CCS Awards... | | Environment: Supreme Court votes to restrict NEPA... | | Energy Policy: White House nominates Laura Swett as FERC Chair, DOE directs coal plant to delay shutdown… | |
Showing Off Their Skills...
NEPPA's 2025 Apprentice Rodeo
Students from our Apprentice Lineworker Program participated in a Skill Assessment Rodeo on June 4th & 5th at our Training Center in Littleton, MA. It was a great opportunity for apprentices to showcase their developing technical and climbing skills, and to reinforce the program’s focus on professionalism, safety, and proper technique. We were joined by supervisors, family, friends, affiliate members and local tech school students to support and celebrate their hard work.
Great Work Apprentices!
Visit Northeast Public Power Association on social media for event winner announcements and/or check out our photo album from the event here
| | Middleborough Gas & Electric Department Groundbreaking Ceremony for new
Electric Operations Building | | |
May 23, 2025 - Middleborough, MA - The Middleborough Gas & Electric Department (MGED) held a historic milestone of a Groundbreaking Ceremony for their new Electric Operations Building on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. The existing Electric Building has been a part of Middleborough for approximately 150 years and has served various purposes. Initially, it housed a water wheel that generated electricity directly from the basement. Later, it functioned as MGED’s electric substation facility, and for many years now, it has provided office space for our electric division employees. After many years of discussing whether to renovate or construct a new building, the vision began to take shape with a dedicated team of key individuals approximately four years ago.
After evaluating the most viable options to ensure the building's safety, security, and capacity to accommodate MGED's growing needs, it was decided to blend traditional and contemporary elements. Working closely with the Middleborough Historical Commission, it was determined that the best approach is to keep the three original exterior walls to preserve the building's heritage. Specifically, the three original exterior walls will be preserved to maintain the building's historical integrity while incorporating modern design elements that address the current operational needs. This project highlights the definition of teamwork, making positive change, and what can be accomplished when many people strive to achieve one common goal.
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DEED Fall 2025 Grant Applications Due August 15th
May 16, 2025 - DEED’s Fall 2025 grant cycle is now open! Apply by August 15 for up to $125,000 in funding, per application, to support projects that increase efficiency, reduce costs, enhance services, or streamline operations at your utility. DEED grants advance energy innovation for public power utilities—supporting pilot projects, technology demonstrations, commercialization efforts, and best practice development. Available exclusively to DEED members, these grants help strengthen reliability, safety, sustainability, and customer service.
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MMWEC Annual Conference: Preparing for Load Growth in an Evolving Political Climate
April 30, 2025 - Beverly, MA – The Commonwealth’s not-for-profit, consumer-owned municipal light plants (MLPs) are planning today for a decarbonized tomorrow in a time of political uncertainty, as evidenced by the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company’s (MMWEC) 2025 annual conference. The conference, entitled “Preparing for Load Growth in an Evolving Political Climate,” was held April 30 and May 1 at Endicott College.
| | Keeping you Connected... Events & Opportunities | | |
E&M Consulting, Inc. is working on producing our 2025 Membership Directory. E&M is currently contacting all members about advertising opportunities available. The publication will be mailed to every member – a great opportunity to promote and give your company additional exposure!
If you have any questions or want to advertise, please contact an E&M sales associate at 800-572-0011 ext. 0104 or advertising@eandmsales.com. As always, your support is greatly appreciated!
| | | | Hydration and Heat Awareness | |
June 2025 - Prevent Dehydration and Heat-Related Illness in the following ways: Drink water every 15 minutes, even if you are not thirsty. Consume fruit and vegetables, they also add fluid to your body. Rest in the shade to cool down and recover from extreme heat. Learn the signs of heat illness and what to do in an emergency. Plan accordingly if you plan to work outdoors.
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