Chris Monacelli
Chris Monacelli started his career in Westerville in 2008 as accounting supervisor in the finance office. Two years later, Chris moved into a role at the Westerville Electric Division as finance manager, working directly under Andy Boatright, who managed WED for nearly 20 years before accepting a position with the City of Independence, Mo. Power and Light. In August, Chris was named the new utility manager, a role in which he will oversee operations for Westerville’s public power utility, serving more than 37,000 residents and 2,100 businesses, as well as managing a $48 million-plus enterprise fund for operations, capital and power supply.
Tell us about your professional training and background.
I have a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Akron. I started my career with the Auditor of State’s office, doing audits of local governments and schools in central Ohio. I worked on the Westerville audit for several years, which gave me strong insight into local government and policies and procedures that work. When a chance came to interview for a position in Westerville, I jumped at it.
Why was the utility manager position attractive to you?
The biggest appeal of this position is the fantastic team that we have in place. They are what makes this utility such a huge asset for the residents and businesses of Westerville. Between that and the unique challenges of working in public power, this position is the perfect fit for my interests and skills.
WED is known for reliability, specifically with few outages and quick restorations when outages do occur. What else might residents be surprised to know about WED?
In addition to the 24/7 support, design and construction of the electric distribution system, several years ago, some of our line crew trained in the installation of fiber optic cable for high-speed Internet. So to supplement our work, we sometimes act as a contractor for WēConnect, the public/private community data center, and install fiber to businesses in Westerville.
What is your vision for the Westerville Electric Division? What do you see as the biggest opportunities?
I look for WED to continue down the path of pairing exceptional customer service with affordable rates. Customer service is always in the forefront of our minds, so better understanding our customers and their changing expectations on how we interact and communicate will be extremely important for us. The electric utility model is changing with the rapid adoption of solar power and the addition of battery storage. Add to that adoption of electric vehicles, and many new and yet to be discovered technologies, and there are countless opportunities and challenges for WED ahead. It will be important for us to look at these new technologies, understand them, plan for them and support our residents and businesses.
What do you enjoy doing in your time away from the office?
Most of the time, when I am not working, my wife and I can be found chasing our two boys around neighborhood, as well as the soccer field. Wyatt is 7 and Sawyer is 4. I am lucky to get to coach both of their soccer teams. I’m also training for a race, so I spend time running. I love traveling with my family and my wife and I love trying new restaurants and finding good food.
