Director's Message
Leadership involves the creation of a plan and bringing others with you on the journey. The discipline to prioritize and execute the stated goals of the plan lie within the heart of an organization. The heart of this organization are the employees and our respective leadership team of the Valparaiso City Utilities which provides the expertise, dedication and perseverance that make us a leader in our industry within the State of Indiana.
Valparaiso City Utilities has successfully served the community for over 100 years, and our inspiration is driven by specific core values that provide minimal confusion, exceptional customer service, high productivity and a very low turnover rate of our staff. To continue to successfully deliver long term sustainability and ongoing improvement, Valparaiso City Utilities has embarked on a second strategic planning process to review all facets of utility operations based on the original attributes of effective utility management. Subsequently, we have developed and will implement a newly revised strategic plan that will guide our organization over the next five years.
In recent years, utilities across the country have experienced a shift in workplace dynamics which has been primarily driven by the aging of our industry's workforce. A main focus of our plan is to improve employee and organizational effectiveness by ensuring that proper transitions are in place for appropriate utility-wide succession planning. World class customer service, resource recovery, regulatory requirements, replacement of aging infrastructure and stormwater/watershed management are some of the centerpieces that are outlined within this plan.
The past five years have only reinforced the value of proper utilities master planning that combine technology, environmental stewardship and asset management to deliver multiple benefits to our community in the future. Strategic planning is an ongoing, evolutionary process, and I am confident that Valparaiso City Utilities will provide the leadership required to sustain our mission to our customers and to the Valparaiso Community.
Thank you to our Mayor, City Administration and our Board of Directors who provide important counsel, time, skills and resources that help Valparaiso City Utilities thrive and continue to be recognized as a leader within our industry.
Steve C. Poulos
Utilities Director
Valparaiso City Utilities
October 2017