Kirk Morgan – Philadelphia Utilities
When Philadelphia Utilities in Mississippi faced some staff retirements and resignations in 2021, General Manager Kirk Morgan couldn’t have imagined that these common personnel changes would lead to partnerships and insights that would ripple across the entire culture of his organization.
Tasked with rewriting the company’s job descriptions by Philadelphia Utilities’ board of directors, Morgan reached out to TVPPA’s member services team for help. “At the time we were starting this process, I did not even have a human resources director. It felt a bit daunting and I was trying to think who could I wave a white flag to for help. I called TVPPA to get some guidance…and here we are,” said Morgan.
Morgan followed that call with a visit to TVPPA offices in autumn of 2021, meeting with Director of Human Resources Bernadette Martin and other member services staff who helped him look beyond the task at hand to drill down and get to the core issues that were driving a desire for change within the organization.
“We had to peel the onion, so to speak,” said Morgan. “TVPPA helped us ask the right questions, and approach this in a way that allowed us to ask important questions, like ‘what can we do to improve? How can we become a better organization? As professionals, how can we improve ourselves and better contribute to the team?’”
Following the meetings in Chattanooga, TVPPA staff members developed a plan to help Morgan start gathering the critical information needed to redefine his organization’s roles. Morgan notes that not only did he receive technical guidance on the development of job descriptions, but TVPPA also helped him identify Philadelphia Utilities’ core values. Morgan stated that TVPPA encouraged his organization to weave those values – things like ensuring employees practice safety and adopting solution-oriented mindsets – into job descriptions as a means of embedding them into and enhancing the culture at Philadelphia Utilities.
“From a culture standpoint, we were trying to let our employees know that we care and want their input on what our challenges are, but also to let them know that they’ve got to be willing to be a part of the solution. At first, we had some pushback from some of our current employees which is understandable… change is a little scary, a little unnerving, but TVPPA held our hand and walked us through it. They provided the encouragement we needed by reminding us to work the process and be consistent, diligent, and patient. And now we are seeing the fruits of that labor,” said Morgan.
TVPPA has also worked with some of Philadelphia’s new employees, helping them get a better understanding of working in a utility. When Morgan hired a new staff accountant, TVPPA sent Director of Accounting & Finance Amanda Hammock to provide needed training on utility accounting. “TVPPA established a relationship with this young person and helped them build confidence. It’s important for young professionals to know there’s a resource like TVPPA where they can have a source of information that supports their professional growth.”
Whether it comes to providing HR support, training for new employees or guiding his organization through a culture change, Morgan cites TVPPA for giving him and his staff the confidence to move ahead. “TVPPA provides credibility. I know when TVPPA tells me something, it’s based on experience and that means something. I feel like, right out of the gate, we hit the ground running and we’re keeping a steady pace forward because I know TVPPA has got my back.”