Mrs. Lynne E. Tejeda, General Manager & CEO, has been employed by the utility since January 1989, most recently as Assistant General Manager & COO, prior to being appointed General Manager & CEO in December 2005. Mrs. Tejeda is responsible for the day-to-day management of the utility, implementing the decisions of the Utility Board with respect to utility operations, and keeping the Board informed of the status of the utility. Mrs. Tejeda is active in the Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) serving as Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and of the Board of Directors, and Chairman of the Florida Municipal Solar Project Phases 1, 2 & 3. She is also active with the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA), where she is a Past President. She was named FMEA’s 2017 Member of the Year. Mrs. Tejeda participates in the American Public Power Association and currently serves on the Board of Directors and as Chair of the Membership Committee. She was awarded the association’s Harold Kramer-John Preston Personal Service award in 2013 and the James D. Donovan Individual Achievement Award in 2024. Mrs. Tejeda holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in Journalism, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Mrs. Tejeda is a Certified Public Manager through Florida State University and a graduate of the Berkeley Executive Leadership Program. Mrs. Tejeda served on the Board of the Key West Chamber of Commerce for 16 years and remains active on Chamber committees.
Mr. Dan Sabino, Assistant General Manager and Director of Engineering & Control, has been employed by the utility since January 2006, most recently as Director of Engineering & Control, prior to being appointed Assistant General Manager and Director of Engineering & Control in August 2021. In his tenure at KEYS, Mr. Sabino has held various positions in the Engineering, Transmission and Distribution, and Generation Departments. Prior to working for KEYS, Mr. Sabino was a Principal Engineer for Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Mr. Sabino is responsible for both the Engineering Section (oversees the design/maintenance of the utility’s electrical T&D infrastructure) and the System Control Center (24-hour a day manned control center for the monitoring of the utility’s electrical grid, and the dispatching of system trouble calls). Additionally, he is responsible for overseeing KEYS’ Fleets and Facilities sections and filling in for the General Manager & CEO in her absence. Mr. Sabino holds both Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
Mr. Nick Batty, Director of Legal and Regulatory Services, has been employed by the utility since January 2019. He is responsible for coordinating all legal activities within KEYS and serving as the principal legal officer and key adviser to the CEO and other senior management members. Mr. Batty holds a Bachelor of Science degree, with a major in Journalism, and a Juris Doctor, both from the University of Florida.
Mr. Paul Brunfelt, Director of Generation, has been employed by the utility since April 2023. His current responsibilities include the management of KEYS’ generation facility. Prior to becoming Director of Generation, Mr. Brunfelt served as Power Generation Engineer for FMPA and was stationed at the Stock Island Generating Facility. Mr. Brunfelt holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Florida and has over 30 years of leadership and engineering experience in the power, mining, and sugar industries.
Mr. Fred Culpepper, Director of Transmission & Distribution, has been employed by the utility since September 1990, most recently as Power System Control Supervisor, prior to being appointed to Director of Transmission & Distribution in December 2015. Mr. Culpepper is responsible for all personnel in the Line and the Electrical sections as well as all electrical facilities and substations. Mr. Culpepper is a Certified Public Manager through Florida State University.
Mr. Jesse Perloff, Director of Finance & CFO, has been employed by the utility since September 2015, most recently as Supervisor of Accounting & Analysis prior to being appointed Director of Finance & CFO in August 2021. Mr. Perloff is responsible for Finance, Purchasing, the Materials Warehouse, and serves as the Secretary/Treasurer for the Retirement System for the General Employees of KEYS. He is active in the Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) serving on the Finance Committee and the American Public Power Association (APPA) serving on the Retirement Plan Advisory Committee. Mr. Perloff has 20-years of accounting experience in both the private and public sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree, with a major in Finance, from the University of Central Florida.
Mr. Julio J. Torrado, Director of Human Resources & Communications, Communications, has been employed by the utility since October 2003, most recently as Communications/Marketing Coordinator, prior to being appointed Director of Human Resources & Communications in December 2015. Mr. Torrado is responsible for overseeing KEYS’ human resources administration, coordinating communication and marketing strategies for KEYS’ customers, and overseeing internal communications for KEYS’ employees. He has helped KEYS win numerous awards and accolades over the years for excellence in workforce wellness and communications and marketing strategies, including the prestigious Bronze Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America. Mr. Torrado holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication from the University of Miami, and a Master of Business Administration degree, with a concentration in Human Resources Management, from Saint Leo University. He is active with the American Public Power Association (APPA), having served as Chair of the Customer Communications Committee and twice as Chair of the Customer Connections Conference. He is currently serving as Chair of the Human Resources Committee for the Business & Financial Conference. In recognition for his service to the APPA he was awarded the Harold Kramer-John Preston Personal Service Award in 2020. Mr. Torrado currently serves as Chair of the Florida Municipal Electric Association’s (FMEA) Florida Public Power Communicators Committee and was named FMEA’s Member of the Year in 2021. He also serves on the Florida Municipal Power Agency’s Member Services Advisory Committee. Mr. Torrado currently serves on the boards of Wesley House Family Services (Governing Board Chair), the Florida Keys Society for Human Resource Management (Scholarship Chair), the Tropic Cinema (Board Secretary), and the Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation (Board Secretary). In recognition of his dedication to local volunteerism, former Florida Governor Charlie Crist named him as a “Point of Light” in 2009. The Key West Chamber of Commerce named him a “Key West Star” in 2023 in recognition of his outstanding volunteer service to the community and business organizations of Key West.
Mrs. Erica Zarate, Director of Customer Services, has been employed by the utility since July 2005, most recently as Collections Supervisor, prior to being appointed to Director of Customer Services on October 2014. Mrs. Zarate is responsible for Collections, Customer Services, Customer Programs, and Meter Services. Mrs. Zarate holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration degree, both from St. Leo University. Mrs. Zarate also completed the Penn Foster Meterman apprenticeship.
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