The Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC named Douglas Childs as its new chief executive officer. The UDWI REMC Board of Directors released Child’s name after a robust national search to fill the CEO position.
Douglas Childs, Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC CEO
Childs brings to UDWI REMC more than 32 years of experience, including over 22 years working with municipal utilities for the City of Hamilton, Ohio’s Department of Public Utilities. His experience includes utility financial management, power supply planning, operations and safety, capital budgeting, rate planning and personnel management.
In his current position as energy management administrator for the City of Hamilton, Childs plans and manages the city’s power and natural gas supply as well as the area’s largest renewable electric generation portfolio. He also manages all bond financing, debt compliance and regulatory compliance. Previously, he served as the director of public utilities for Hamilton, managing 235 employees and an operations and maintenance and capital budget in excess of $300,000,000.
Childs was named to the American Municipal Power Board of Directors in 2013 and holds the designation of chartered financial analyst (CFA). Prior to moving to the utility industry in Hamilton, he was named administrator of the year during his time as a financial and investment analyst for the University of Northern Kentucky. He is a native of Hamilton, Ohio, and received his bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from Miami University.
“We could not be happier to welcome Doug to UDWI. His solid energy background and expertise in finance and planning will serve our members, the employees and the board well,” said UDWI REMC Board President Ron Thompson. “We were so impressed with Doug through the entire interview process—he is a communicator and a leader, and we are looking forward to working with him to move the cooperative forward.”
Childs will assume the CEO role Nov. 20, taking over for Dan Arnold who has served as interim CEO since July. “We cannot begin to thank Dan enough for his work during the past few months, his leadership and steady guidance have been invaluable to our board and employees,” added Thompson.
As CEO, Childs will advise and assist the board of directors in the development of strategy, policies, budgets and contracts. He will also oversee the day-to-day operations, foster member relations and ensure the activities and operations of the cooperative are conducted in accordance with the bylaws, policies, mission and goals.
“I’m honored by the Board’s decision to select me as the next CEO of UDWI, and I want to thank everyone who has been so welcoming to me and my wife, Patricia,” said Childs. “I am excited to begin working with the dedicated staff and the board to serve the members of UDWI. My immediate focus is to ensure that we are providing the best service and making the best operational decisions for UDWI. I look forward to becoming part of this community and beginning a new chapter with the cooperative.”
Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC (UDWI REMC), located in Bloomfield, Ind., is an electric utility cooperative that serves over 16,000 members in Clay, Dubois, Daviess, Greene, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Owen, Sullivan and Vigo Counties and maintains over 2,500 miles of line.